Why We Always Search Internally Before Posting Externally

Before any Love + Lead search goes public, we execute an extensive internal search. This is not a formality. It is a conviction, grounded in both research and theology.

The research case for internal hiring is compelling. Employees promoted from within are 40 to 70 percent more likely to stay for three years or longer than external hires, according to LinkedIn Global Talent Trends and Cornell ILR School research. SHRM data shows that external hires have 61 percent higher turnover in their first year. Studies from Wharton and MIT Sloan found that external hires take 20 percent longer to reach full productivity and are often paid more, yet frequently perform below internal promotions in their first two years. The financial cost of an external search runs three to five times higher than an internal placement when you factor in recruitment, onboarding, and transition costs.

For churches, these numbers matter. But the theological case matters even more. Internal candidates have lived the church's DNA. They have been shaped by its culture, formed by its theology, and invested in its people. They carry the mission not as an orientation document but as a lived reality. When a church promotes from within, it is not just making a staffing decision. It is making a discipleship decision. It is saying: we invest in our people, we develop leaders from within, and we trust the formation that has happened here. This is closely connected to what Gospel-centered executive leadership actually looks like in practice.

When the internal search is ready to expand, it moves through a specific sequence: a personal email from the Senior Pastor to key relationships, a social post that communicates the heart and opportunity, and a Sunday service mention that is heartfelt and specific, sharing what the role is and what it is not, and giving clear next steps for interested candidates. Every applicant is followed up with within 24 to 48 hours.

Only after this internal process has been fully executed, and only when the internal search has not produced the right candidate, do we move to external posting on credible hiring sites and the church's own website and social media. This sequence honors the people already in the church's orbit before going to the broader market. It is also worth noting that the best candidates are often not actively looking for a new role — which is why a relational approach matters at every stage.