Communications industry in overload mode: 48% of specialists regularly work overtime

In the lead-up to International Workers' Day, the digital company HINT conducted a study on the working reality of communications industry professionals.

The survey included PR, marketing, digital, and related field specialists. More than a third of respondents (35%) rate their workload as high, and another 10% as very high. At the same time, only 39% consider it normal, and only 16% consider it low.

Overtime has become the norm for a significant portion of the market: 32% of specialists work overtime at least once a week, and another 16% do so almost every day. Only a third of respondents said they rarely or never work overtime.

Against this backdrop, it is particularly telling that specialists continue to consider themselves effective: 45% are completely confident in their productivity, and another 55% tend to rate it positively. This may indicate that a high workload is perceived as an integral part of the profession, not as a problem.

The main factors of effectiveness are not so much tools or processes, but basic things: personal well-being (35%) and clearly defined tasks (35%).

At the same time, the meaningful part of the work remains the main factor of engagement in the profession. 35% cite problem-solving and finding unconventional approaches as the most interesting aspect, while another 26% cite the creative component. Opportunities for professional growth are important for 16% of respondents.

As expected, the most difficult aspect of the work turned out to be routine: 52% of respondents admitted that they cope worst with repetitive tasks. Other difficulties include tight deadlines (19%), constant multitasking (9%), the need to process large amounts of information (13%), and meetings and communications (6%).

The balance between work and personal life remains a vulnerable point. Only 52% of specialists manage to completely disconnect from work tasks outside of working hours. 35% do so only occasionally, and 13% essentially live in a state of constant connectivity.

An additional indicator of overload came from the situation with training: the majority of specialists (65%) note that they only find time for it occasionally. Under conditions of high workload, development takes a back seat, despite its critical importance for the industry.

Overall, a new norm is emerging: the communications industry is consistently operating in a state of high engagement, where overload is becoming not an exception, but part of everyday practice.

Methodology
The study was conducted in April 2026 in the form of an anonymous online survey. It involved 620 communications specialists from different cities. The majority of respondents are specialists under the age of 34. The responses were processed manually, followed by grouping and frequency calculation.