A new report has praised UK building and construction businesses for their investment in creative roles, with the sector featuring in a list of the top ten industries investing the most into creative teams, with just over 12 in 100 members of staff now working in creative roles.
Analysing data from LinkedIn, the report from brand communications agency Warbox ranks the in-house creative headcount of ‘design’ roles across a number of UK companies in traditionally ‘less creative’ industries, compared to overall headcount, to find which sectors place the highest value on creativity within their workforce.
The building and construction industry appeared sixth in the full list (12.291% of headcount) with the healthcare (17.87%), and homeware and interiors (11.12%) businesses completing the top three.
Top 10 industries for creative hires
| Rank | Industry | Average creative headcount (%) |
| 1 | Healthcare | 17.87 |
| 2 | Building and Construction | 12.29 |
| 3 | Homeware and Interiors | 11.12 |
| 4 | Fashion | 9.52 |
| 5 | Manufacturing | 8.15 |
| 6 | Electronics | 7.71 |
| 7 | Energy and Utilities | 6.23 |
| 8 | Hospitality | 4.56 |
| 9 | Accounting and Finance | 3.58 |
| 10 | Food and Beverages | 3.23 |
Boots, the health and beauty retailer, is an example of a brand that has heavily invested in creative talent. Boots launched its biggest ever campaign in 2023, ‘Our Health Is As Individual As We Are’, which championed women’s health, highlighting the support available for women through creative that was rolled out across TV, out-of-home, print, social media and online.
Closely following the building and construction industry, homeware and interiors came in third place with 11.12 percent – perhaps unsurprisingly as this industry naturally places great importance on design and aesthetics.
Out of the twenty industries analysed, transport and logistics and warehousing and distribution were revealed to have the lowest headcount of creatives in their workforce. This can be attributed to these industries having a greater need for functional labour roles – however, this is not to say that these industries would not benefit from a greater investment in creative roles to combat challenges that an ever-changing economy can present.
Mark Fensom, director at Warbox, comments on the research:
“It’s interesting to see which industries are placing a higher value on creative talent in 2024. Creativity fosters innovation, enabling businesses to adapt to evolving market demands and remain competitive which is key when it comes to running a successful business.
“Even those industries with a perceived lack of need for creative roles, such as building and construction, could benefit greatly from hiring creative talent – it’s important for businesses to realise that creativity can unlock fresh perspectives and offer unique solutions to business challenges.”
You can view the full research here: https://warboxcreative.co.uk/value-of-creative-roles-2024/
Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
