If you’ve ever wondered what happens when creative chaos, caffeine, and career confessions collide, welcome to agency life in 2025 - a year rich with accidental comedy, cartoon energy, and the eternal mystery of salary increments. Thanks to recorded virtual meetings, we thought it was worth looking back and reviewing when we laughed this year.
Every industry has its characters, but few are as enduring (and endearing) as the indecisive client. This year’s instant classic metaphor:
“They’re like, if you grew a giant baby and put it in business.”
From sudden U-turns to brief re-briefs, the giant baby became our unofficial mascot for chaotic leadership. It’s satire, it’s therapy, it’s also weirdly accurate.
We’ve all been there: the “urgent” 9am call that could have been a 2-line email.
“I’ve got clients ringing me at nine o’clock. I’m like… what?!”
Morning drama, featuring lukewarm coffee, an unread calendar invite, and a dawning realisation that it’s not an emergency, it’s just… Tuesday.
Top-tier team building? A scavenger hunt across London: riddles for “enjoy a drink,” a detour to a dog’s grave by the Duke of York’s column, and a chase for “exotic bird” snaps in St James’s Park. It was the Olympics of Fun, minus lycra and plus pints.
At the intersection of comedy and compensation sits the oddly specific salary offer.
“It’s £99,550… they’re so funny with it… 550!”
Nothing says, “strategic remuneration” like a number that screams, “We debated this… a lot.”
There’s type-A, and then there’s this morbidly hilarious confession:
“Everything has to be immaculate before I travel, just in case… I don’t want them finding a messy desk.”
It’s relatable. It’s dark. It’s the most effective productivity tool we’ve discovered.
Sometimes the best way to judge fit isn’t a boardroom; it’s a flat white.
“I don’t want to interview them in the office. Let’s do it over coffee.”
Because under halogen lighting, everyone looks like a risk.
Brutal honesty, 2025 edition:
“Schlubby can be fixed. Dumb can’t.”
A line so sharp it should come with a caution label and also, arguably, an HR disclaimer.
Every shortlist has one: the irrepressibly energetic human spring.
“He’s like Tigger coming in the room… I’ll either love him or he’ll drive me demented.”
Some candidates bring calm; some bring bounce. Both are useful. One is louder.
Between gallery view chaos and rogue backgrounds, the remote-office gods kept it spicy. Enter the year’s most distilled pep talk:
“It’s a bit sink or swim… just swim.”
Minimalism. Motivation. Mild threat. Perfect.
Behind every laugh here is a truth about what makes this industry tick: the clients who keep us honest, the candidates who surprise us, the teams who turn chaos into campaigns. Executive search in corporate communications isn't just about matching CVs to job specs, it's about reading the room, translating personality into potential, and knowing that cultural fit matters as much as capability.
2025 gave us giant babies, Tigger energy and coffee-shop clarity. It also gave us brilliant hires that solved problems.
Here's to 2026: may your candidates swim, your clients decide, and your desks stay immaculate - just in case.
For a free download of our full Annual Salary Guide 2025, click here.
Time for a change? Check out our latest jobs.
The Works Search: a search consultancy specialising in PR and corporate communications. We have unrivalled matching abilities and are known for finding the top 5% performers in the industry - the ones who deliver and make your reputation great. For more advice or market insights, do get in touch with us on 0207 903 9291 or email: sarah@the-works.co.uk.
