Return on Relationship: The Recruiting Metric No One Is Talking About
Recruiting is often treated as a point-in-time process. A role opens, a search begins, a decision is made, and everyone moves on. That approach to recruiting is process-driven, measurable, and largely forgettable.
The reality is that the work that actually matters in recruiting rarely shows up in a moment or a metric. It shows up over time through consistency, honesty, and the way people are treated when no immediate outcome is attached. The strongest results are usually not visible right away. They surface weeks, months, or years later, in ways that cannot be traced back to a single placement or search.
That is what we mean when we talk about Return on Relationship.
Return on Relationship is the long-term value created when trust, credibility, and genuine human connection are treated as strategic assets. In recruiting, it becomes
evident when a thoughtful search becomes an enduring partnership, when a candidate becomes a client, and when decisions made with care continue to pay dividends long after the role is filled.
Most recruiting models are transactional. The focus is on closing the search, filling the role, and moving on to the next assignment. Candidates are often treated as inputs to a process rather than as people whose careers are unfolding in real time. Once the placement is complete, the relationship quietly fades away. This is why so many recruiters don’t feel the need to close with candidates and are happy to ghost them.
We have never believed that approach produces the best outcomes.
At Evolve, recruiting begins with a relationship, not a requisition. It starts with taking the time to understand who someone is, what they value, and where they are in their career, even when there is no immediate role to place them in. The conversations are not rushed, and they are not framed by pressure or urgency. They are framed by fit, timing, and long-term alignment.
Recently, we were working on a VP search and met a candidate we will call Sally. She was the perfect candidate for the role. She was experienced, very intentional about her career, and a great culture fit. We spent time discussing the role, the leadership team, and what success would realistically look like. We also talked openly about her passions and career. In the end, she chose not to take the role.
Nothing about that interaction felt like a loss.
The relationship continued. We stayed in touch in the natural way that relationships built on trust do. There was no agenda, no follow-up pitch, no attempt to force a sale. She had simply seen how we worked and how we treated people. Months later, Sally found herself in a leadership position with responsibility for building her own team. When she needed help, she reached out without hesitation. She did not do so because we had placed her in the past. She reached out because she already trusted our approach to recruiting. She knew we understood her business and had the network to find the right person. She had experienced it firsthand.
That is Return on Relationship in its truest form.
From the candidate’s perspective, this approach changes the dynamic entirely. Candidates are engaged through a process, and we do our best to understand what matters to them. They are given space to be honest about what they want and what they do not. Whether a role materializes or not, the relationship remains intact, and over time, that trust endures.
Clients benefit from this in ways that are often invisible yet consequential. When a recruiting partner invests in relationships over time, clients gain access to a network of leaders who trust the process and engage openly. Conversations are more candid. Expectations are clearer. Decisions are made with greater confidence because they are not driven by persuasion. Because of our relationship with candidates and our client, we were able to close a recent search in a record 18 days. Maybe we got lucky, but our client had been searching for months without any success. This is what a return on relationship means to me.
When former candidates return as hiring leaders, there is already shared context. The work moves faster because the foundation has already been laid. Alignment occurs earlier. And in the end, the outcomes improve.
Relationships have become the real differentiator where recruiting is increasingly automated and dehumanized. Technology can accelerate parts of the process, but it
cannot replace trust. It cannot create credibility. It cannot replicate the long-term value of doing right by people.
Return on Relationship is a long-term approach to recruiting and leadership. One strong relationship can shape a career. One thoughtful hire can influence an organization for years. When those relationships compound, the impact extends far beyond any single search.
This is how we approach our work at Evolve. While we love filling roles as quickly as possible, we care more about stewarding careers, supporting leaders, and building partnerships that endure.
That is Return on Relationship. And it is central to everything we do.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jeff Lupinacci spent the last 25 years at some of the world's best-known companies, such as Intel Corporation and Kimberly-Clark. His career spans key executive roles such as Chief Learning Officer, Chief Talent Officer, and Chief Integration Officer. After a successful corporate career, Jeff turned his focus to his true passion—serving the overworked and under-resourced HR profession.
Beyond his corporate success, Jeff is a sought-after speaker and thought leader, with his insights featured in leading publications such as CFO Europe, Nikkei Business Magazine, and Baylor Business Review. In addition to his business leadership, Jeff is an adjunct professor at Baylor University, where he teaches Human Capital Management for the Executive MBA program and leads the HR Strategy and Analytics capstone for undergraduates.
Jeff is the best-selling author of The Talent Advantage: A CEO’s Journey to Discover the Value of Talent. He lives in Dallas, Texas, with his wife and two doodles.