|
|
THE PLACE TO GO FOR RPO™ |
MEMBER SUCCESS STORY
A Trusted Community for Smarter Decisions and Stronger RPO Leadership
How Joe Marino and Hueman RPO turned industry connection into organizational insight, leadership development, and meaningful contribution
JOE MARINO | Chief Growth Officer, Hueman RPO | RPOA Advisory Board Member and Research Committee Chair
When Hueman RPO joined the Recruitment Process Outsourcing Association in 2017, the company was looking for something straightforward but difficult to find: a place to learn from people who truly understood the RPO business.
After spending roughly six years focused internally on building its RPO business, Hueman wanted a broader view of the industry. Its leaders sought peers who could help them understand emerging practices, work through shared challenges, and make better-informed decisions. RPOA stood out because its purpose was not primarily to sell tools or services. It was to bring the RPO community together.
“I do not know of another organization that comes close to providing the networking and the value that RPOA does to its RPO members.”
From industry access to trusted relationships
What began as a search for industry knowledge developed into something more valuable: a trusted network. Marino says RPOA creates room for both strategic and practical conversations, supported by relationships strong enough for leaders to speak candidly about what is—and is not—working.
That trust matters in a competitive industry. Members can compare experiences, talk through business challenges, and offer advice that leaders in other environments may be reluctant to share. Over time, many of those professional connections have become genuine friendships.
“There are lots of individuals that I met many years ago that I never thought I would call a friend—and that is what I do right now.”
Extending the value across Hueman’s leadership team
For Hueman, the value of membership is not limited to one executive. The company has involved senior leaders and emerging leaders in RPOA activities, helping them form peer relationships across operations, sales, artificial intelligence, and technology.
Those connections provide perspective as leaders evaluate new practices and investments. One of Hueman’s innovation executives participates in RPOA’s technology and AI discussions. Marino described the value she brings back to the organization: reassurance that Hueman is not facing its challenges alone, insight into how peers are responding, and a benchmark for understanding where the company is ahead and where it should continue to improve.
Using buyer research to support better decisions
Marino’s involvement has grown alongside Hueman’s membership. He joined the RPOA Advisory Board in 2024 and now chairs the RPOA Research Committee, helping guide research designed to give the industry a clearer view of buyer priorities and market change.
He sees the RPO Buyer Trends Study as an important decision-making resource because it translates current buyer input into practical insight for providers. The findings help RPO leaders assess their businesses, identify needed changes, and build stronger cases for investment with senior leadership.
“It provides us with current information that allows us to make changes in our business and support business cases to our senior leaders for those changes and investments.”
A place to navigate AI disruption together
The need for this kind of collaboration is becoming more urgent as AI changes talent acquisition and the delivery of RPO services. Marino believes providers need a consistent place to compare what they are learning as they deploy AI, including the approaches that succeed and those that do not.
RPOA helps create that environment by bringing provider executives and technology leaders into recurring conversations with technology partners, consultants, and talent acquisition leaders. This mix gives providers direct insight into what buyers need while allowing practitioners to learn from peers facing similar implementation, governance, and business-model questions.
For Marino, the risk of standing apart from these conversations is significant. Providers that fail to evolve may struggle to remain relevant as AI materially changes medium- and high-volume recruiting. The ability to learn collectively can help members move faster and make more grounded decisions.
Giving back strengthens the experience
Marino also measures membership value by what he can contribute. Through conference panels, webinars, Advisory Board service, and research leadership, he shares practical lessons that can help others improve their businesses. Hearing that a member applied one idea from a session and achieved a meaningful result is especially rewarding.
That reciprocity—learning from the community while helping others advance—is central to Hueman’s experience. It has turned membership from an organizational affiliation into a long-term leadership platform.
Who should consider RPOA membership?
Marino recommends RPOA to providers that want to innovate, grow, and make sound decisions through a difficult and rapidly changing market. He points to four forms of value:
Peer intelligence that helps leaders assess challenges and opportunities more quickly.
Research and benchmarks that provide a stronger foundation for business decisions.
Relationships with RPO providers and vetted industry partners.
A responsive association where members can influence programs and access leadership.
“By being part of the association, we have been able to be smarter, make better decisions more quickly, use data in the right way, and benchmark ourselves against our competitors.”
For Hueman, the most enduring benefit is a network that understands both the pressures and the milestones of leading an RPO business. Members help one another through difficult periods, celebrate new wins, and build relationships they can draw on throughout their careers.
Learn more
About Us We are a member-driven, mission-driven association committed to serving and elevating the recruitment process outsourcing industry. Learn more about who we are and what we do. (c) 2026 Recruitment Process Outsourcing Association Contact us at info@rpoassociation.org.
|