Treat agencies as partners, not vendors. The better you brief them on strategy and context, the better their work will be. Share your metrics so they can optimise too.
Strong answers cover: clear briefing and expectations, regular check-ins, shared dashboards for transparency, giving agencies enough strategic context to do great work, and knowing when to bring work in-house. Best candidates discuss how they evaluate agency performance and handle underperformance constructively.
Tests management and communication skills. Marketers who micromanage agencies waste everyone's time. Those who abdicate responsibility get poor results. Look for the collaborative middle ground.