McLean & Company has released a guide to help HR leaders measure quality of hire, addressing a gap in an area where only 25 per cent of talent acquisition professionals report high confidence in their measurement abilities.
The Toronto-based HR research and advisory firm released Guide to Measuring Quality of Hire on Oct. 16, providing a framework for organizations that invest heavily in hiring but lack clear metrics to assess whether new employees deliver lasting impact.
According to LinkedIn’s 2025 Global Recruiting Trends, 89 per cent of talent acquisition professionals agree that measuring quality of hire is essential to improving recruiting effectiveness, yet confidence in measurement remains low. McLean & Company’s own research shows only 28 per cent of HR leaders view talent acquisition as highly effective in enabling business goals.
High costs of poor hiring decisions
The stakes are significant. U.S. organizations spend an average of 20 per cent of an entry-level salary to replace employees, according to Zippia data from 2023. For executive positions, replacement costs exceed 200 per cent of salary. New hires typically require three to eight months to reach full productivity.
“Quality of hire is an essential HR metric because it captures the true return on an organization’s investments in talent,” said Elysca Fernandes, director of HR research and advisory services at McLean & Company. “It requires going beyond gut feel and isolated performance reviews to a structured, evidence-based approach that involves HR, managers, and senior leaders.”

Two-part measurement framework
The guide provides a two-part framework. The first part focuses on preparation: defining scope, establishing success criteria, selecting post-hire metrics such as performance and retention, and developing quality of hire surveys. The second part covers measurement and improvement through scorecards, analysis of results, and development of action plans.
According to the firm, shared accountability between HR and business leaders is essential. The guide also emphasizes that quality of hire extends beyond a single scorecard number, requiring deeper analysis to identify performance gaps and improvement opportunities.
The framework includes practical tools such as sample survey questions, scorecard templates, and guidance on adapting measurement plans as organizational needs change.
Beyond reactive hiring
McLean & Company is a division of Info-Tech Research Group. The firm’s research draws from its HR Management & Governance Diagnostic Survey conducted between 2023 and 2025.
The guide aims to help organizations shift from reactive talent acquisition to a strategic function that improves retention, accelerates productivity, and aligns hiring with culture and business performance.