When it comes to finding new jobs, many marketers are placing more importance on company culture, crediting a happy workplace with increased satisfaction, a lower turnover and an increased productivity rate. People who work in creative industries often place a good company culture over salary in terms of its importance to their happiness at work- and this trend is set to increase, as 44% of the workforce think meaningful work is more important than a high salary.

Having a great culture is vital if you want to attract marketers in today’s competitive market- and convince them to stay. So what type of culture attracts great marketers?

A great workplace environment

It’s no surprise that marketers want to work in a happy, vibrant environment. Employers are starting to take notice of the importance that their staff are placing in their office space, redesigning them to include relaxation areas, hot-desking and well-designed, well-lit spaces where their staff can be creative and explore new concepts. With more than half of UK workers saying that they’d turn down a pay rise in favour of a working environment they like, it’s a trend that’s well worth keeping an eye on.

Training and development

Marketers thrive on challenge, and they want to expand their skillset in a sector that is developing rapidly. Two thirds of workers think training should continue throughout their career, regardless of seniority, yet workplace development remains a low priority for many employers. Show your marketers how you nurture talent with training days, internal promotions and rewards: not only will you see the benefit, as companies that offer training programmes have a 24% higher profit margin than those who spent less, but you’ll soon see the difference in satisfaction levels and retention.

They want to be challenged

A passionate marketer is always looking for new ways to reach customers, grow their influence online and explore new marketing channels. It’s up to the employer to create a space where that can happen: whether it’s through weekly meetings where marketers can air ideas, time dedicated to brainstorming sessions or encouraging them to attend conferences, they can challenge themselves- and benefit the business as a result.

Marketers want to rise quickly

With many marketers putting in more than 2.5 hours extra work per week, many expect their passion and hard work to be rewarded with recognition and a fast rise in rank. With 68% of marketers saying that the opportunity to progress in their career is ‘very important’, take notice of what they’re saying. Give them the opportunity to take on new challenges and progress; champion internal promotions and give your staff the chance to shine.

A good work-life balance

With the increased flexibility offered by advances in technology, marketers are making their stand for an increased work-life balance. Though 54% of them think they have a good balance- which, at 51%, is higher than the rest of the UK workforce- it’s important that employers maintain this standard if they want to keep their staff engaged. Though things like flexible working hours, working from home opportunities and the chance to buy holiday time might seem inconsequential, they can pay dividends in employee satisfaction and make you into the kind of company others want to work at.

Marketers want to be mentored

Make the effort to connect your new starters with experienced team members. Though mentoring might seem an old-fashioned idea to some, research has shown that it really does pay off, improving employee satisfaction, developing leadership skills, creating lasting relationships and helping your staff to grow organically. By investing your time into creating a solid mentoring scheme, you’ll be able to forge a stronger team: both in terms of skills and relationships.

Teamwork is key

Not only are poorly-managed work groups 50% less productive than their well-run counterparts, but teamwork also plays its part in creating a happy, engaged workforce who are, on the whole, 87% less likely to leave than those who aren’t invested in the company. Putting time into fostering close team bonds creates a more collaborative atmosphere and increases your bottom line. Organising office away days, team training exercises and Christmas parties can go a long way towards helping your team to bond with each other out of the workplace- and work more collaboratively with each other inside it.

Growing creativity

Creativity isn’t just about good design. It’s also about hiring the right people, who are passionate about bringing new ideas into the office- and about giving them the space to air and develop those ideas. Given that marketers want to make ownership of customer experience their number one priority, it’s important to get this right. Make the effort to create an open and honest space, where employees feel that they can share ideas freely with their colleagues in team meetings and brainstorming sessions- and get excited about doing so.

Promote wellbeing

The link between wellbeing and productivity is well documented. Whether it’s through subsidised gym memberships, an emphasis on taking holiday time and sick leave- if necessary- or a good work-life balance, taking the time to show your employees that you care about their health and value them as individuals will pay off in engagement and company loyalty. After all, making your employees feel obligated to come into the office when sick benefits nobody: instead, by ensuring that they take the time to recover, you’ll benefit their productivity and encourage a culture where people feel comfortable enough to be honest about how they feel.

Taking advantage of social media

Social media isn’t just a great resource for finding new clients: it’s also a way of showing that you value the individuals in your team. Employee turnover can be reduced by 28% by investing in your employer brand, and social media is a good way to do that. Use your company profiles to post pictures of your company culture, parties and team-building events and encourage them to share it. The more inventive you are with the way you get your message out- whether through infographics, videos or photographs- the better: after all, marketers are attracted to dynamic, creative companies and this is a great way of demonstrating how innovative and inclusive you are.

Promoting culture

A recent survey by Marketing Week said that employers need to work harder to express and highlight their workplace culture- and though 94% thought they did, only 71% said it was actually true. Don’t let yourself fall into the same trap: promote your culture throughout the candidate experience, from the job specification through interviews to the onboarding process. Not only will this get your new recruit to invest in your company, but it will also help spread your reputation as a great place to work.

Create a culture that works with BMS Performance

We’re passionate about helping marketers to reach their full potential. Whether you’re looking for a job in marketing, or to grow your company culture, we can help: take a look at our Performance Blog for more insights, or get in touch with our team of experts here.