According to our latest annual Salary Guide, a striking 19% of corporate comms professionals left their jobs in 2024. That’s nearly 1 in 5 people – a figure that raises important questions about the state of the industry. Is this churn unusually high? Why does it seem to happen every year? And what can employers do to retain their top talent?
Digging into the data, we see some variation by sector. In-house comms professionals moved slightly more, with a 21% turnover rate (down from 23% in the previous year). Meanwhile, agency professionals showed a sharp decline, with just 16% moving roles, compared to 20% in the previous year.
There are a few possible reasons for this trend:
To assess whether this is truly a high rate of attrition, it's useful to compare it with national and cross-sector trends. According to a CIPD Labour Market outlook, the average employee turnover rate across all UK industries tends to sit around 16% annually, with variation depending on sector and job type.
In the context of professional services, and especially within comms, PR, and marketing roles, a 19% annual turnover rate is on the higher end of normal, but not entirely surprising. Communications is a fast-paced industry with high expectations, long hours, and ongoing changes in client and audience behaviour. That dynamism can be stimulating, but also draining. Still, the churn isn’t just about the pace. Our conversations with candidates suggest there are deeper structural and cultural issues at play.
Let’s break down what’s behind the numbers.
Poor leadership and toxic workplace cultures are the most common reasons cited for leaving. While everyone knows that a manager can make or break a job, many of the stories we’ve heard go beyond simple misalignment. Candidates describe micromanagement, hostile environments, and emotionally immature leaders who foster cultures of blame or fear.
In some cases, the culture revolves too heavily around a founder or senior leader whose behaviour goes unchallenged. One candidate spoke of a “founder cult” atmosphere, where criticism wasn’t tolerated and burnout was the norm. Another referenced workplace behaviour “verging on legal action,” highlighting just how serious some of these issues are.
These aren’t just one-off anecdotes. Leadership that lacks emotional intelligence, transparency, or respect for boundaries erodes team morale and pushes people out the door.
The issue of balance comes up again and again, especially for those with caregiving responsibilities or young families. Several professionals mentioned returning from maternity leave only to find that flexibility had vanished, or that having a family was treated like a career inconvenience. Others described relentless workloads that left little space for rest, personal development, or life outside the office.
In an era where hybrid work is increasingly the norm, inflexibility around remote working or rigid hours feels outdated. Professionals want to feel trusted to manage their time, and when that trust isn’t there, they look elsewhere.
Another major driver is stagnation. People are leaving because they feel stuck – no promotions, no new challenges, no stretch assignments. In some cases, they’re performing well but are repeatedly overlooked for advancement. In others, the work simply isn’t evolving.
Many candidates expressed a desire to move from agency roles to in-house positions in search of more strategic influence and broader experience. Others spoke of wanting to deepen their skills or shift into a different part of the communications landscape – only to find their current employer didn’t support that kind of movement.
Career growth isn’t just about climbing the ladder – it’s also about learning, trying new things, and seeing a future for yourself. Without those things, even good salaries and decent benefits won’t keep people engaged.
There’s also a widespread sense of instability and risk-aversion in the sector, especially among firms owned by private equity or undergoing frequent restructuring. Candidates talked about companies being “up for sale all the time” or repeated rounds of redundancies that left teams overstretched and morale low.
When people see hiring freezes, postponed raises, or unfilled vacancies that increase their workload, they start wondering if the grass might be greener somewhere else. A lack of transparency from leadership during these periods only makes things worse.
Uncertainty erodes confidence – and in a high-skill profession like comms, confident employees are exactly what you need to weather challenging times.
While salary alone isn’t the main reason people leave, it still plays a role, especially when combined with other frustrations. Some candidates spoke about being underpaid relative to market rates, while others mentioned a general lack of recognition for the work they do.
Interestingly, several professionals said they’d happily accept lower pay for a better working environment. That speaks volumes: people aren’t necessarily chasing the highest bidder, they’re chasing meaning, respect, and a healthy workplace.
That said, in a competitive hiring environment, failing to adjust salaries or offer clear rewards for strong performance is a fast track to turnover.
Finally, there’s the issue of work that doesn’t excite or challenge. Comms professionals tend to be creative, curious people, and they want to feel intellectually stimulated. When they’re stuck on repetitive tasks, uninspiring client accounts, or operating in an overly executional capacity, their engagement wanes.
The desire for more strategic, creative, or high-impact work was a recurring theme. Professionals want to feel like their work matters; that they’re making a difference, contributing ideas, and being seen as more than just content producers or message executors.
While we’ve separated these issues into themes, they’re often deeply interconnected. Poor leadership creates cultural issues that make flexibility impossible. Business instability stunts growth and reduces job satisfaction. Lack of recognition makes boring work harder to tolerate. In short, churn isn’t caused by one issue – it’s the cumulative effect of many.
The good news is that this kind of attrition is avoidable. Here are a few takeaways for employers who want to reduce churn and retain great comms talent:
Final thoughts
A 19% annual churn rate is more than just a number – it’s a signal. It tells us that many comms professionals are searching for better leadership, more balance, and more meaningful work. If organisations want to keep their best people, they’ll need to listen more carefully, lead more compassionately, and offer work environments that truly support human potential.
For a free download of our full Annual Salary Guide 2025, click here.
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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.
