Is caution and cost creating a state of mediocrity in the communications profession? And when did "only the best will do" suddenly become "that will do"?

In our experience, the last few years have increasingly seen cost being the driving force behind hiring new talent, rather than just one factor in the decision making process.

More often than not,  companies are being tasked with doing their own specialist recruitment and, of course, it can be successful. But does the very best person get appointed to the role or someone ‘who will do’, someone who is simply ‘good enough’?

And if that is the case,  then what impact will it have on the quality of the individuals and services within the profession? What is the immediate and long-term impact on the performance of a business now that it is widely accepted that communications activity – through reputation management and employee engagement in particular – tangibly affects the bottom line?

Basing specialist hiring decisions on cost is an incredibly short-term approach and one that is potentially going to cause problems for the profession in future years.

The main issue wi