Rethinking Recruiting—From Transactions to Outcomes

The Recruiting Status Quo

Back in 2013 or 2014, I met a recruiting firm called HireBetter. At the time, most recruiting companies worked the same way. Their business was placing candidates. Our job as the client was to accept them. If the hire stuck, great. If not, they still got paid.

It was transactional. They were chasing the placement, not the outcome.

A Different Approach

HireBetter flipped that model. Before they even brought us candidates, they sat down with our executive team. They wanted to understand us—our structure, our challenges, our personalities.

They didn’t just fill the roles we asked for. Sometimes they pushed back. They’d say:

• “You’ve got 12 people reporting to one manager. That’s too many.”

• “You don’t just need a financial controller—you really need a CFO.”

• “You’re missing leadership here. Without it, you’ll burn people out.”

That kind of feedback forced us to look at the bigger picture. They weren’t just plugging holes. They were helping us build the right foundation.

Honesty on Both Sides

What impressed me most was how honest they were with candidates. They told people the truth:

• “This is a turnaround environment.”

• “You’ll have two bosses—me and my partner.”

• “Here’s the upside, but here are the challenges too.”

The result? We avoided the three-day quit. People didn’t walk in and say, “This isn’t what I signed up for.” Even when someone eventually moved on, they often went back to HireBetter for their next opportunity. That’s how much trust the process built.

From Placements to Partnerships

Looking back, HireBetter was ahead of the curve. It reminds me of what happened in financial services—shifting from commission-based brokers to fee-based planners. The move away from transactions toward outcomes.

Recruiting should be the same. When both the company and the candidate feel aligned, you don’t just fill a role—you build a team.

The Lesson for Founders

If you’re scaling a company, don’t settle for transactional recruiting. Find partners who understand you, who aren’t afraid to point out gaps, and who care as much about candidate fit as you do.

That shift—from transactions to outcomes—will save you years of churn and frustration.