Stuck in the Mud: Sludgy Hiring Processes Are Still Sabotaging MSPs

At the end of each year, we review our placement data — what went well, what surprised us, and what we can learn alongside our MSP clients. While our dataset isn’t large enough to declare universal industry truths, we do see patterns that feel directionally aligned with what’s happening across the channel.

This year the things that really stand out involve something recruiting companies don’t like to talk about: the hires that don’t work out.

Observation #1: The hiring process is still taking too long

We all know the saying “Hire slow, fire fast.” In the current MSP talent market, we believe a better take is: Hire thoroughly, but efficiently. (More thoughts on that here: https://encorestrategic.io/hire-slow-fire-fast-is-dead-part-1-by-dave-cava/)

Here’s what our recent data shows:

• 18 days: median time for us to identify, screen and present the candidate who eventually gets hired

• 48 days: median time from search kickoff to offer acceptance

In other words, we typically find the right person in about 2½ weeks — but it typically takes our clients another month to further evaluate them and make a decision, even when we've done most of the the legwork. When the hiring process stretches out, great candidates remain active in the market and the risk of losing the right person to another opportunity naturally increases.

Observation #2: When a hire isn’t going to stick, it usually becomes clear quickly

We offer a 100-day, no-questions-asked replacement guarantee, and we’re confident doing so for a few reasons:

• Most early failures happen before day one (candidate withdraws)

• Or within the first two weeks (candidate chooses another opportunity)

This again reinforces the time-sensitivity of MSP hiring decisions: strong candidates often have strong alternatives.

We’ve also noticed that the best outcomes tend to happen when:

• Hiring authority is clear

• The process avoids unnecessary layers or veto points

• Key evaluators stay close to the experience and move decisions forward quickly

It’s always a balance — collaboration and buy-in without slowdown.

A positive trend:📉 Less than 6% of our placements over the past two years were involuntarily terminated within 100 days of starting.

Observation #3: Retention is improving, at least in our neck of the woods

Encouraging news: New-hire retention improved significantly in 2025 among our clients — roughly a 50% reduction in early turnover versus 2024.

Why?

• The job market cooled slightly

• Hiring decisions seem more intentional

• Maybe we’re just on a hot streak 😊

Whatever the drivers, we’re grateful.

Onward and upward, here’s to a great 2026 to all in the industry!