The flow of creative agency talent

The hustle and bustle of agency life. Coffee-fuelled creative workshops resulting in revolutionary ideas. Clashing concepts that feed into strategic design of outstanding global brands. And then there’s the social events. It’s little wonder that creative agencies attract ambitious and go-getting talent that aren’t afraid to bring their personalities to the table. And here in Brighton, we are proud to attract some of the most talented, enthusiastic and dedicated creatives on the South Coast.

Building a sustainable business requires taking risks and working with people you can trust to deliver. Nothing toes the line between these two things more than hiring people. On the one hand you want to hire the best creative thinkers in the industry who will do their best work with you to progress the agency, on the other hand you’re aware that nurturing great talent comes the prospect of new opportunities at other places.

Here at UnitedUs we’ve noticed that our industry seems to shy away from the stark reality of people moving on, but we don’t think it should. We know that we can’t expect everyone to stick around with us and be a ‘lifer’. Situations change and people’s lives change — we grow. We are proud of everyone that comes through our team and celebrate their progression, whether that’s with us or elsewhere. So whether people stay with us for a few months or 10 years, we will always support their movement as they build out creative careers. Of course, we hope people stay with us for a while, at least to see through the complete delivery of projects from P.O. number to launch. Testament to the award-winning work we produce, we see our past employees progressing into roles at some of the biggest agencies around, moving into new markets, and setting up shop on their own. But equally we are aware that we can’t offer everything, and as a small independent studio with a strong ethical focus to unite people, purpose and potential, we’re dedicated to always being true to ourselves. A trait anyone who works with us can connect with.

For a small but mighty studio, the impact of someone leaving the team seems to be felt more than in larger agencies where it’s easier to slip under the radar. This is because at UnitedUs, each and every member of the team brings who they are, their creative ideas and a problem-solving design instinct to the table, from morning stand-up calls to mid-afternoon roof-top terrace chats and off-site client workshops. Any of the UnitedUs team can feed into the brand building process – we believe the best ideas come from collaboration not compartmentalization.

Although it’s always challenging to say goodbye to folks that we’ve worked closely with, departure presents new opportunities for revitalised creativity. Whether that’s keeping the team dynamic fresh, building new relationships or welcoming someone that has a different way of thinking, we’re always excited at the prospect of growing the team. We work towards making an environment that people want to interact with, so whether they choose to #wfh most days, come to the studio day in day out, or anything in between. We support people to find a hybrid way of working that works with their lives, not one that gets in the way of what makes them happy.

We never shut the door on the people we’ve worked and collaborated with, instead we leave it open to welcome new talent and ideas – because people moving on is a positive progression – for them, for our agency, and for the potential candidate who’s looking for their next role to sink their teeth into.

Rather than seeing employees as labourers on a Mac, it’s time agencies in our industry invested in the growth of people and what they want for their future. We’d have a happier, healthier and more committed creative economy that way, where employees are more likely to remain with agencies that put their needs as people first. Everyone has a choice, to interfere with that is to take away someone fulfilling their own purpose and potential. Instead, being united around people, purpose and potential helps us to be optimistic when change happens, it means everyone can be confident about the exciting opportunities ahead.