Most recruiters optimize for today's commissions and placements. The best recruiters optimize for lifetime relationships. The recruiting industry rewards short-term thinking — the incentives make it VERY easy to be maximally extractive and treat everything as a money-making transaction. But here's what I've learned: The best recruiters play long-term games with long-term people. They're playing the karma game. What this looks like in practice 👇

1️⃣ Give away candidates and introductions. 2️⃣ Connect people who haven't met yet, but should. 3️⃣ Tell candidates they shouldn't take your job if it's not aligned with their interests. 4️⃣ Come in above their comp expectations if you can afford it. 5️⃣ Help your silver medalist candidates find other job opportunities in your network. None of these things help you today. In fact, most of them will never help you directly.

I once sent a perfect candidate to a competitor because it was genuinely their dream role. We didn’t have an opening, and I knew they’d kill it over there. Three years later, they sent me five incredible referrals — two of whom I placed.

This isn't naive idealism — it's strategic patience. The irony? Playing the karma game makes recruiting more enjoyable AND more profitable. You sleep better, candidates actually answer your calls, and your network compounds exponentially.

The short-term money game is a sprint that leaves you exhausted. The long-term karma game is a marathon where every mile gets easier. You just don't know where the good karma will show up. And it's not even worth trying to predict. So stop keeping score. Start being genuinely helpful with zero expectations.

Who is someone you know playing long-term games with long-term people?