Is the work-life balance dead?

Earlier this week, Glassdoor identified the 25 best jobs for work-life balance. We were thrilled to learn that 14 of the positions are roles we have here at Crowley Webb. Positions such as UX designer, digital marketing manager, and marketing analyst. Check out the complete list here.

This got me (over)thinking. Is a healthy work-life balance a testament of the culture of the company or of the industry you’re in? Personally, I think it’s a culture-industry balance. (See what I did there?)

Some might think that a life in advertising means grueling hours, crushing workloads, and little free time to spend with friends and family. And it does – but only a small percent of the time. While there will always be aspects of our jobs that require late nights and putting out last-minute fires, it’s important to set boundaries. Part of our job is to know about technology, entertainment, and creativity – the very forces that shape and influence consumers. How well can we truly make informed and relevant recommendations to our clients if we haven’t really experienced them for ourselves? When you’re sitting at a desk night after night, you begin to lose sight of what’s really going on in the world.

At the same time, it depends on the culture of the agency as well. Our CEO, Jim Hettich, describes our company environment as “collaborative, supportive, engaging, and challenging,” and, most importantly, it fosters the development of a healthy work-life balance.

Whether it’s your individual aspiration or your company’s approach, attaining a work-life balance will both enhance your personal life and create a more loyal and productive employee. At Crowley Webb, we work hard and we set high standards, but we also set boundaries. This is what makes it an inspiring agency to work for and an extraordinary agency to work with. Now it’s six o’clock at night and I’m out of here.

(P.S. We’re totally hiring.)