It all started with a simple question
The decision to move to a four-day week wasn't something that we did because of a trend or because other businesses were doing it (although back in 2019, we didn't know of many other businesses doing it). We wanted to build an agency where talented people could do exceptional work without feeling that work had to dominate their lives.
Like many businesses, we were seeing that being busy wasn't always the same as being productive. Diaries were filling up, meetings were becoming relentless, and it was easy for the working week to disappear without everyone having had the time to focus on the work that really made a difference. We were frustrated at not having enough time to do the things that clients value.
So, rather than asking how we could fit five days' work into four, we asked a different question: how could we build a better agency?
It was this mindset that changed everything for us.
Planning came first
One of the biggest misconceptions about the four-day week is that you simply close the office for an extra day and hope everything works itself out. We know of some businesses that just shut up shop on a Friday, but our experience has been quite the opposite.
Before making the change, we spent time reviewing how we worked. We looked at our processes, questioned meetings, challenged unnecessary admin and spoke openly with the team about what would need to change.
We also thought carefully about our clients. They trust us to deliver campaigns, give them advice and support when they need it, so maintaining solid service levels was a non-negotiable.
That meant introducing clear campaign management processes, planning campaigns further in advance, assigning ownership more effectively and making sure everyone understood priorities. As cliché as it sounds, we weren't looking for people to work harder - we were looking for smarter ways of working.
Time suddenly became much more valuable
There's something interesting that happens when everyone knows they have one less working day each week. People become more intentional with their time. I know for sure that I am more intentional. We work 28 hours per week; we have to protect our time.
Meetings only happen if they genuinely need to. Internal conversations become shorter and more focused. Decisions are made more quickly because everyone understands that delaying something until next week has a greater impact.
Perhaps most importantly, people become much better at protecting time for meaningful work.
In an agency like ours, uninterrupted thinking time is incredibly valuable. The best ideas rarely appear halfway through your sixth meeting of the day. By creating more space for focused work, we've improved not just our efficiency but the quality of our thinking too.
Technology has helped, but it isn't the answer
Over the last seven years, we've embraced new technology and automation to remove repetitive tasks and improve efficiency.
Project management software keeps everyone on track, and some of our reports can now be automated.
Technology has undoubtedly made the four-day week easier to happen, but technology isn't the reason it's successful. Our culture has.
You still need great communication, trust (this is so underrated), accountability and good leadership. Software can improve processes, but it can't fix poor management or unclear priorities.
Clients judge outcomes, not hours
I've long believed that time-based selling is on the way out, and whenever we speak to businesses considering a four-day week, client service is usually their biggest concern, and it's a valid and important point. It was one of ours too, but the reality is that clients don't ask how many days we work. They ask whether campaigns are delivered on time, whether they receive good advice and whether we're helping them achieve their objectives. In essence, are we delivering the results?
As long as expectations are managed properly and communication remains solid, the number of days your office is open becomes far less important than the quality of the service you provide.
In fact, we've found many clients are genuinely interested in our approach. Some have even taken inspiration from it within their own organisations (many of them are jealous!).
It has changed the way we lead
People need to understand what's expected of them. Priorities need to be agreed, responsibilities need to be clear, and crucially, everyone has to trust each other to get the job done.
We have much less of a focus on presenteeism and far more focus on outcomes and outputs.
We've become better at setting expectations, communicating openly and giving people the autonomy to do their jobs without unnecessary supervision. I genuinely believe that if you don't trust someone to work from home or to get the job done, you shouldn't be employing people in the first place.
Recruitment and retention have become easier
The world of work has changed dramatically since 2019, and a global pandemic definitely helped.
People are looking for employers who trust them and invest in their wellbeing. I wholly recognise that life exists outside work.
Being a Gold Standard four-day week employer sends a strong message about the kind of organisation we want to be.
I genuinely believe people perform at their best when they're trusted and supported, and I'm proud that this philosophy has helped us attract talented people who share our values, while also boasting great retention rates by creating an environment where people want to stay and grow their careers.
At the time of writing this article, our average tenure is 5 years, 2 months and 23 days.
We've learned that wellbeing and performance go hand in hand
One of the biggest myths in business is that people produce their best work when they're constantly working. Our experience has shown the opposite.
When people have time to rest, spend time with family, pursue hobbies or simply enjoy an uninterrupted day away from work (I like to sit and read on my day off), they return with more energy and often better ideas.
For a creative business like ours, that's incredibly important because you can't manufacture creativity through longer hours.
Some of our best thinking has come from people returning after a long weekend feeling refreshed rather than exhausted.
Would we recommend it?
Without hesitation. But we'd also say that a four-day week isn't a shortcut.
If a business has unclear processes, poor communication or an unhealthy culture, moving to four days won't solve those problems. If anything, it'll expose them more quickly.
The businesses that succeed are the ones prepared to challenge how they work, simplify complexity and empower people to make decisions by trusting them.
The four-day week isn't really about working fewer days. It's about designing work differently.
Looking back – and looking ahead
When we introduced the four-day week in 2019, we couldn't have predicted how much it would change Hello Starling.
Since then we've grown the agency, won fantastic clients, delivered award-winning campaigns and built a brilliant team. Throughout that journey, the four-day week hasn't held us back; if anything, it has encouraged us to become more disciplined and thoughtful about how we work.
Being recognised as a Gold Standard employer is something we're incredibly proud of because it reflects years of commitment rather than a one-off, flippant decision. It's recognition that we've built a business where high performance and employee wellbeing aren't competing priorities.
Looking ahead, we have no intention of returning to a five-day week.
The world of work will continue to evolve, technology will continue to change (no doubt AI will play a part), and businesses will continue to face new challenges. But one thing we've learned over the last seven years is that when you trust your people, focus on outcomes instead of hours and build your business around quality rather than presenteeism, everyone benefits.
Our team benefits, which means our clients benefit, and ultimately, that makes for great business.
