Why hire a PR agency instead of recruiting in-house?

When a business realises it needs PR support, the first question is usually a simple one: do we hire someone in-house, or bring in a PR agency?

And honestly, it’s an easy assumption to make – hiring an in-house PR exec can feel like the natural next step. You get someone dedicated to your brand, embedded in your team, close to the day-to-day… reassuring, right?

But for a lot of growing businesses, working with a PR agency isn’t just a good alternative – it’s often the smarter, more strategic move. You get a wider skill set, more momentum, and a team that can hit the ground running (without the long hiring ramp-up).

So, if you’re weighing up your options, here’s why we often recommend partnering with a PR agency like us to help you reach your goals.

You’re not just hiring one person

When you hire in-house, you’re essentially bringing on one person with one skill set – no matter how talented they are.

When you work with a PR agency, you’re tapping into an entire team. That usually means instant access to:

• Strategists who see the big picture
• Media relations specialists with ready-made journalist relationships
• Content writers who know how to tell your story
• Crisis comms experts who stay calm when things get tricky
• Industry specialists who already understand your space

At Briscoe PR, campaigns are never built in a vacuum. They’re shaped by multiple viewpoints, shared ideas, and years of collective experience. That kind of depth and perspective is incredibly hard to recreate with a single hire – especially for businesses that are still growing or scaling.

You can’t fast-track someone’s experience 

A junior or mid-level in-house hire may be talented, but PR is learned through doing, whether that is pitching, negotiating with journalists, managing reputation risks, and adapting quickly when the narrative changes.

PR agencies:

• Have already made the mistakes (so you don’t have to)
• Know what journalists actually respond to
• Understand how to position stories for maximum impact
• Have handled everything from product launches to crisis scenarios

That experience comes built-in with an agency and doesn’t have to be trained or nurtured. 

Faster results

Recruitment takes time. Onboarding takes time. And getting someone fully up to speed? That can take even longer.

A PR agency skips all of that. We can hit the ground running, plug straight into your business, and start shaping your story and pitching it to the right people in weeks, not months.

When you’re under pressure to build visibility, credibility or real momentum, speed really matters.

Cost-effective (yes, really!)

On paper, an agency may look more expensive. But when you factor in the true cost of an internal hire, the picture changes quickly.

In-house costs include:

• Salary
• Employer NI and pension
• Recruitment fees
• Training and development
• Software and media databases
• Sick leave and holiday cover

With an agency, you get a predictable monthly cost and a full service – without the overheads or long-term employment risk.

Fresh perspective

Internal teams can become too close to the brand. That’s natural, but it can make messaging inward-looking.

A PR agency brings:

• Objectivity
• Market awareness
• Honest challenge
• A focus on what actually makes your story newsworthy

That external perspective often leads to stronger positioning, sharper messaging and more impactful coverage.

So… should you ever hire in-house?

For some larger organisations with established comms functions, building an in-house PR team can absolutely make sense.

But for start-ups, scale-ups, founder-led businesses, companies entering new markets, or brands that need credibility quickly, a PR agency often delivers more impact, less risk, and a stronger return.

At Briscoe PR, we work as an extension of your team, bringing strategic thinking, media know-how and creative storytelling to help you stand out, without the time and complexity of hiring internally.

If you’re weighing up your PR options, we’d love to chat – no pressure, just a straightforward conversation about what you’re trying to achieve.