More Than a Placement: How Belonging Defines the Consultant Experience

We talk a lot about “experience” at work right now, including better tools, faster processes, smarter systems. All of that matters. But even with those improvements, one thing still shapes whether someone stays, performs, or advocates for the company they work with: whether they feel like they belong. 

And not in a vague, corporate sense. In a genuine, human one. The kind where you feel seen, remembered, and like someone would notice if you left. 

The data supports it. Deloitte and Gallup both tie belonging directly to engagement, retention, and performance. Dexian’s HumanKindex research reinforces that idea even further, showing that 60% of employees would choose meaning in their work over a 5% pay increase. 

In staffing, where change is constant and relationships can feel temporary, that dynamic is even more pronounced. Belonging can’t be a “bonus” to the experience. It is the experience. 

And yet, it’s still the part most organizations try to systematize instead of actually build. 

Moving beyond the experience checklist

In large organizations, it’s easy to define experience through structure. We build checklists, establish cadences, and create systems designed to ensure nothing is missed. Check-ins happen. Emails go out. Surveys are completed. 

Those things are important, but they also create a false sense of completion. The boxes are checked, the process is followed, and on paper, the experience is “there.” But for the person on the other side, it often isn’t, because their own journey and personal life may not fit within the trajectory of the checklist.  

No amount of perfectly timed communication will make someone feel like they matter if the interaction itself feels transactional. Belonging shows up differently. It’s less about what is scheduled and more about how someone feels after they interact with you. It’s the difference between being part of a system and being seen within it. 

At Dexian, that distinction is central to how we think about consultant experience as something to build through consistent, human interaction. 

What this looks like in practice

Benedetto (Ben) Vettraino has spent more than 15 years at Dexian and was recently named the company’s Consultant Experience Award winner. What stands out about his approach isn’t a single standout moment, but the accumulation of many small ones over time. 

His phone is filled with photos of consultants’ families, notes about milestones, and reminders of life events. He remembers details that go beyond the role and stays connected long after a placement ends. None of that is required. That’s what makes it meaningful. 

Because the things people remember most are almost never the ones that were expected. Over time, those choices shape how people experience the organization. 

Ben’s approach to connection is rooted in his background. The son of an immigrant father who arrived in the United States with limited formal education and worked blue-collar jobs to create opportunity for his family, he grew up with a clear understanding of both what it means to be given a chance and what it takes to build something over time. 

That perspective shows up in how he works. There is a natural respect for individual stories and an understanding that every placement represents something bigger in someone’s life. In an industry defined by speed, that mindset creates space for something more intentional. 

Beyond the checklist: where experience happens

Early in his career, Ben made a shift in how he approached his role. He moved away from treating conversations as tasks to complete and instead focused on building real connection. That shift shows up now in everyday moments such as following up without a prompt, remembering milestones, and taking the time to understand someone beyond their role. It also shows up in moments that are less expected. 

In one instance, a consultant celebrating his 30th wedding anniversary arrived at a hotel to find champagne and chocolates waiting, something Ben coordinated quietly, without recognition or visibility. 

You can’t automate moments like that or build them into a workflow. But you can model the mindset behind them. And when that mindset is shared across a team, experience begins to move beyond something you manage to something you actively create. 

Why this matters even more in staffing

The staffing industry is inherently dynamic. Teams shift, clients evolve, and consultants move between roles and organizations. While that creates opportunity, it can also make the experience feel temporary. 

Research from McKinsey & Company shows that employees who feel a sense of connection and purpose are more resilient during change and more likely to maintain performance through transitions. In that kind of environment, consistency becomes a differentiator. And the HumanKindex shows how rare this environment is, with only 30% of those surveyed across industries and career levels indicating that they felt meaning and purpose in their current job. 

For many consultants, encountering someone who remains invested over time and who provides continuity even as everything else shifts is unexpected. And that unexpected consistency is often what defines their experience. 

Recognition that reflects a bigger shift

In February 2026, Ben was named Dexian’s Consultant Experience Award winner. The award recognizes individuals who demonstrate proactive communication, strong collaboration, and a sustained commitment to consultant success. 

More importantly, it reflects a broader shift in how companies like Dexian understand and create experience. It’s no longer defined by efficiency or delivery alone. It’s the combination of both paired with connection, trust, and the accumulation of everyday interactions that tell someone they matter. 

Organizations can design processes, optimize systems, and measure experience. That’s the baseline. But belonging doesn’t come from what’s required. It comes from what’s chosen consistently, over time. That’s where In the Business for Good shows up in practice. It looks like following up when there isn’t a task tied to it. Remembering something personal and circling back on it weeks later. Advocating for a consultant behind the scenes. Taking an extra step to make a moment feel recognized, even if no one else sees it happen. 

In a workforce that’s constantly moving, those choices are what make people stay. 

At Dexian, consultant experience goes beyond delivery. It’s about how people feel throughout their journey. Launched in 2025, the Consultant Experience Award recognizes individuals who consistently go beyond the expected. Those who communicate early, collaborate across teams, and ensure our consultants feel supported, not just placed. Because at Dexian, we’re in the business for good.