Every week I get at least one message from someone looking to move in-house. It usually goes along the lines of “I’ve always worked agency side but I’ve heard such great things about in-house. How can I make the move?” So what is it that people are expecting? And how will it differ to what they are currently experiencing in agencies?

For the final question in our recent IHALC Talent & Salary Survey, which we ran in collaboration with specialist creative recruiter The Industry Club, we asked in-house leaders at some 50 brands to tell us why their employees are moving in-house and what they think the big opportunities are for them there.

It’s often assumed that life at an in-house agency will somehow be ‘easier’ than in an external agency: it’s not. It’s just different. In-house teams are under enormous pressure to deliver against ever-expanding targets. At one of our recent events, one leader told me that her team will have produced over 30% more assets this year compared to last, with the same size team.