Agency vs In-House | How and When Should You Make the Move?

by Miriam Hanna, Director MadlinHanna Consulting

There is a consistent theme in our conversations with candidates and that is the draw to go in-house. At every level, to varying degrees and for different reasons the pull of in-house has always been there. Those with long-term ambitions to be Directors of Corporate Affairs know that they need to get the in-house experience under their belts. For others, they are tired of agency life. So how should you make that choice?

Common misconceptions

I would be hesitant to say that these opinions are universal but there is a common view that working in-house can offer better work/life balance, better pay and give you the opportunity to get under the skin of one brand. The other view is that all agencies are the same and once you have worked for 1 or 2, you have covered the market. Working in-house can be challenging in a different way. The internal politics can be hard work. Is corporate affairs well-respected by senior executives? Is the function well-regarded by senior stakeholders or do they often go rogue? How much of your time will be dealing with these issues and not getting on with comms advice? On the pay point, our data from last year showed that the average increase secured by those moving to an agency was 21%, and those moving in-house got 8%. The financials are not what you might expect.

What to look out for

The first thing we always try and understand about an in-house role is the reporting lines. Where does the role report into but almost more importantly, where does comms report into within the business. You would be surprised by the number of times we find that comms reports into operations, finance or HR rather than into a CMO at the board level. How can you be effective when you don't have a champion in the right place? Quibbles around salary should always be a red flag. If they are disagreeing over a few thousand pounds, you have to question if they truly value the function. How long and drawn out is the process? This is going to give you an indication of what it is like to work there.

When to make the move

So when should you make that move in-house? When you have exhausted all you can from the agency experience. As I alluded to earlier, they aren't all the same. It is worth drilling into the reasons why you want to go in-house. If it is simply that you are in the wrong agency with an ownership structure that doesn’t work or the wrong management, then consider how you can still develop your career in the right agency. When you are really confident that you won't miss out on learning from multiple people then engage with a considered and selective process of finding an in-house role. Take a healthy dose of cynicism with you.

If you would like a conversation about your career plans please do let us know and we can guide you through your options.

MadlinHanna Consulting is a recruitment consultancy specialising in corporate affairs, covering public affairs, corporate communications and financial PR. Contact us on 020 8088 4102 for more information or a confidential conversation about these services and more.