In the first three months of this year alone, I’ve spent 117 hours actively networking. That’s not a typo. Across Q1, that equates to more than 1.8 hours per working day — despite this being a relatively quiet quarter for me personally, as I became a new father at the end of last year.

Those hours include early mornings, late evenings, weekends, expos, overseas travel, industry events, and private briefings. It’s a big number — and it tells an even bigger story about what it really takes to be an effective recruiter at the top level.

Because in executive search and specialist recruitment, this time investment isn’t just important — it’s essential. Relationship-building isn't something that can be squeezed into your calendar. It is the calendar. And it’s what separates a true partner from just another supplier.

The Myth of the Digital Shortcut

We live in an age of endless tools: CV databases, LinkedIn, AI-matching platforms, and "one-click" application pipelines. These technologies have their place — but they don’t replace human connection.

Top-tier talent — the candidates who change businesses — are rarely scrolling job boards. They're not updating their profiles. They don’t respond to generic outreach.

They do, however, take a call from someone they trust.

Trust takes time, and time takes effort. That’s why those 117 hours matter. Each one is an investment in relationships that create real-world leverage — the kind of network that gets your role in front of the right people, at the right time, with the credibility to make them listen.

Why Real Networking Isn’t 9-to-5

The most meaningful conversations rarely happen during office hours. They happen:

• Over early morning coffee, before the day begins.

• At regional expos, in quiet corners away from the booth.

• During evening catch-ups, where people speak candidly.

• On planes and in hotel lobbies, while travelling cross-border to meet clients and candidates in person.

Recruitment at this level demands presence. Physical presence. It’s about showing up, knowing the industry players, hearing the whispers before they become headlines, and understanding the pulse of the market from inside the room — not behind a screen.

The Human Network = Real Value

These hours haven’t just been about collecting business cards. They've been spent with:

• Senior executives who aren’t on the market but trust me enough to talk.

• Technical talent who don’t engage online, but will respond to someone who knows their work.

• Industry insiders who share insights, trends, and competitive moves — sometimes months before they’re public.

This is what makes a recruiter valuable. Not just access to names, but access to intent — to understanding who’s ready, who’s open, and who matters in a given context.

Recruitment + Business Development = True Partnership

One of my greatest passions — and something our clients say adds unexpected value — is using these relationships not just to recruit talent, but to connect businesses with each other.

As a recruitment partner, I don’t just know who my clients hire — I know who they sell to, who their customers are, where their pain points lie, and which strategic alliances might help them grow. That gives JacksonGrant an unusual position as both a talent partner and an auxiliary business developer.

When we can introduce two clients who end up working together, solving problems, or even entering new markets, that’s value that goes far beyond recruitment. And it’s only possible because we spend the time understanding their businesses from the inside out.

Local Relationships, Global Leverage

There’s a common mistake some companies make — assuming that search can be run remotely with equal impact. That global recruiters can "cover Asia" from London or New York, or that one Zoom call can replace on-the-ground intel.

But the reality is: you can’t consistently build trust cross-border. You can’t know who’s respected locally, or what makes a market tick, without being in it. Without walking the factory floor, visiting the sites, attending the industry mixers, and listening to what people don’t say in a briefing.

That's why I do the miles. It’s why I believe the best recruitment partners have well-worn shoes.

Why It Still Needs a Personal Touch

Even with the best digital tools, the most impressive candidate profiles, and well-crafted outreach — it's the personal touch that makes the difference.

Because people don’t make big career decisions based on algorithms. They do it based on trust. On how they feel about who’s calling. On whether they believe the opportunity has been shared with them for a reason, not just as part of a mass message.

That level of trust takes real-world credibility. It’s earned, not automated.

So, What’s the ROI on 117 Hours?

You might ask: was it worth it?

Absolutely. Every one of those hours increases the quality, speed, and confidence with which I can introduce the right candidate to the right client. It builds the kind of network that can shift a search from possible to placed in record time — and creates the added bonus of new business synergies between clients who would’ve never met otherwise.

And again — this was a quiet quarter for me.

Final Thought: Choose Worn-Out Shoes

If you're selecting a recruitment partner, look for someone who’s been out there. Who knows the market because they’ve spent time in it. Who listens more than they post. Who's had coffees, not just clicks.

Because in an age of automation, it’s the human relationships that still make the biggest difference.

And they don’t happen online.