1.
CREATIVE CAREER AND WORKPLACE RESEARCH
Survey by The Creative Group, in partnership with AIGA

2.
© 2021 The Creative Group. A Robert Half Company. An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/Disability/Veterans.
All registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
The pandemic has affected where, when
and how creatives work, presenting
opportunities and challenges for
professionals and employers. To learn
more, we:
Here’s what creative professionals shared
about their career and workplace
preferences…
2
Surveyed more than 400 AIGA members
who work at in-house creative departments
and agencies in the U.S.
Partnered with AIGA, the professional
association for design

3.
© 2021 The Creative Group. A Robert Half Company. An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/Disability/Veterans.
All registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
CAREER REFLECTIONS
3
Only 27% of creative
professionals say they are
more confident in their
career prospects,
compared to one year
ago.
I have developed new skills to add value to my employer
How has the pandemic impacted your career?
I am concerned about my career advancement
My work-life balance has improved
50%
49%
49%
I feel closer to my team
22%
I am worried about my job security
34%
I am more engaged and motivated while working
24%

4.
© 2021 The Creative Group. A Robert Half Company. An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/Disability/Veterans.
All registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
CONSIDERING CAREER MOVES
4
50% say they are likely to
look for a new job in the next
12 months.
88% said they would not
accept an attractive job offer
with a company whose values
did not match their own.

5.
© 2021 The Creative Group. A Robert Half Company. An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/Disability/Veterans.
All registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
DEVELOPING MARKETABLE SKILLS
76% of creative professionals say it will be challenging to keep their
skills marketable as they advance in their careers.
49% rated the quality of training
resources their company provides as
fair or poor.
5
Skill areas in creative and design
they would most like to develop this
year:
1. Animation and motion graphics
2. UX/UI design and research
3. App or web/mobile design and development
4. Brand design
5. Data visualization

6.
© 2021 The Creative Group. A Robert Half Company. An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/Disability/Veterans.
All registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
IMPROVING DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
How would you rate your company’s
efforts to adopt new digital
marketing or digital transformation
strategies and technologies?*
6
What could most improve your
company’s digital marketing or
digital transformation efforts?**
1. Improving collaboration across teams or
departments (47%)
2. Training employees to access needed
technical skills (33%)
3. Hiring full-time employees or freelancers to
access needed technical skills (30%)
*Percentages may not add to 100 due to rounding.
18%: Excellent
40%: Good
30%: Fair
13%: Poor
**Multiple responses permitted; top responses shown.

7.
© 2021 The Creative Group. A Robert Half Company. An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/Disability/Veterans.
All registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
RE-WORKING THE WORKPLACE
7
Since the pandemic began, video
calls and team chat/instant
messaging channels are the
most effective methods for
collaborating with coworkers.
14% said working remotely has
allowed them to move to a new
city without a physical company
office.
Creatives who transitioned to remote work during the pandemic were asked:
I was able to easily transition and can accomplish
most of my work remotely
Which of the following best describes
your transition to working remotely?
I struggled to adapt at first but am now able to
accomplish my work
I struggled to adapt to working remotely and
continue to face difficulties
75%
19%
6%

8.
© 2021 The Creative Group. A Robert Half Company. An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/Disability/Veterans.
All registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
RE-WORKING THE WORKPLACE
Creatives who transitioned to remote work during the pandemic were asked:
8
Which of the following have you experienced since working from home?
• My work-life balance has improved
without a commute (66%)
• I can successfully manage work
and personal obligations (66%)
• I feel my work is recognized and
rewarded (52%)
• I’m more productive and creative
when working remotely (42%)
• I feel more connected to my team
(41%)
• Remote technologies have helped me
collaborate more effectively with others
compared to in-person meetings (28%)
• My interest and enthusiasm for my work
has increased since working remotely
(22%)

9.
© 2021 The Creative Group. A Robert Half Company. An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/Disability/Veterans.
All registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
A TENTATIVE RETURN TO THE OFFICE
*Percentages may not add to 100 due to rounding.
Creatives who transitioned to remote work during the pandemic were
asked to report how often they want to work on-site when their offices re-
open:*
9
8%: 5 days a week
53%: Part-time (1-4 days per week)
31%: Rarely (mainly work from home)
9%: Full-time remote

10.
© 2021 The Creative Group. A Robert Half Company. An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/Disability/Veterans.
All registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
FLEXIBLE ON SCHEDULES
Which of the following have you incorporated into your workday since the
COVID-19 pandemic began?
10
68% of creative professionals
say windowed working works for
them.
A majority (47%) of creative
professionals say
9 a.m. – 12 p.m. is the prime
time for productivity.
Completely flexible schedule
Flex time/nontraditional workday
Working on the weekends
Compressed work week
None – I work traditional hours
Windowed working
30%
19%
17%
15%
6%
48%

11.
11
For hiring and career advice,
visit roberthalf.com/blog.