The Staffing Playbook Podcast, Powered by YES

Payrolls went negative in July. Temporary help went up. Not by much — 3,400 jobs. But that number did something no temp help print has done in 45 months. It put this industry into year-over-year growth for the first time since October 2022. Same week, the ISM manufacturing employment index crossed 50 for the first time in 33 months. Two multi-year losing streaks broke in the same seven days. Both of them in light industrial. In a report the headlines called bad. Here's what I think is happening. When employers stop hiring but haven't started firing, they don't stop needing the work done. They rent instead of buy. Right now, we're what they're renting. New episode is up. The July jobs report and the number under the headline that nobody put in a headline. The weekly tape that hit a new high and decelerated at the same time. Three earnings prints, including a margin trap that every growing firm should look at. And the Fed study that finally measured what AI has actually delivered. Plus one correction I owe an economist.

Waiting for the staffing market to "bounce back" has quietly become a strategy. It might also be the wrong one. What if 2022 was the peak — and we don't get back to it? That's the question at the center of the next episode of The Staffing Playbook, and I brought on the one person with the data to actually answer it: Eric Gregg, co-founder and CX strategist at ClearlyRated. Eric has spent two decades — and millions of surveys — studying how staffing buyers and candidates actually behave. His newest research says the ground has shifted under all of us, on both sides of the table. On the buyer side: most now start with a short list of about three firms already in their heads — and they hire off that list. Miss it, and you didn't lose the deal. You never knew it existed. On the candidate side: they can write the resume, parse the job description, and prep for the interview with AI before a recruiter ever crosses their mind. Staffing has gone from the first call to one of the last. So the real question isn't "when does it come back?" It's this: how do you grow when the tide isn't lifting anyone — and what is the human recruiter actually still for? We get into: → Why specialization matters more than it ever has — and what it has to look like now → Where the human still wins once a machine can do the transactional work → The one finding in Eric's data that stopped me cold — it looks like it kills the "humans are irreplaceable" argument, until you look closer → How you earn a spot on that three-firm short list Real data. No hype. Same as always.

Three weeks ago, US staffing hours printed down 2%. Commercial, down 4. The word "stall" started showing up in headlines. The Staffing Playbook Podcast, Powered by YES (https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-staffing-playbook-podcast/) Last Tuesday, the same indicator printed up 11%. Industrial — up 19%. Here's the thing: both numbers had a holiday in them. Ep. 80 of The Staffing Playbook is about the most whipsawed month this industry's tape has had all year — and how an operator reads it without getting shaken out: → SIA's brand-new Staffing Confidence Index debuting at a four-year high — three weeks before the hours data agreed with it → Three calendar distortions in three months (a tariff-shocked base, Juneteenth, a Saturday July 4th) — and the one segment signal that survived all of them → Why orders lead and hours lag — and how the firms watching orders never panicked → ManpowerGroup's Q2: back to profit, guidance up, and a 26% one-day repricing of the entire recovery → The AI layoff paradox: AI led cited layoff reasons for the fourth straight month — almost entirely in white-collar tech. The warehouse isn't in the data. → And per ManpowerGroup's own research: 90% of companies now use AI in hiring. Fewer than 5% say it's working. Tuesday's print — the first clean, no-holiday week in over a month — settled it: +8% overall, industrial +14%. That's not a mixed picture. That's a market turning. Ep. 80 drops Thursday, July 23 at 11:30 AM MDT. If you know someone who runs a branch and got whipsawed by that June tape, send it to them.

Last week, staffing-industry confidence hit its highest level since the pandemic.   The same week, the June jobs report landed at 57,000 — less than half what Wall Street expected, and the weakest month of hiring since winter.   Both are true. That contradiction is the whole episode.   Thursday I'm going live with a news-and-trends breakdown — the headlines that actually matter if you run a desk, a branch, or a book of business, and what the data underneath them really says.   We'll get into:   → Why unemployment "dropped" for the wrong reason → Two respected economists who read the exact same jobs report and reached completely opposite conclusions → The AI story that finally came with hard data this month — and the legal bill starting to land beside it → What this week's M&A moves reveal about what buyers are really paying for → Whether light industrial — the lane that led the recovery — is quietly cooling off   No hype, no doom. Just the numbers, the caveats named out loud, and the Monday-morning playbook.

Here's a number that should make every staffing leader uncomfortable: 0.6%. That's what the average staffing firm spends on marketing as a percentage of revenue. We spend three times more on rent than we do telling our own story to the market. The B2B companies we compete with for budget? They spend 9–10%. That's a 15x gap. And here's the part that stings. Three straight down years. And when Bullhorn asked firms their #1 priority for 2025, the answer was overwhelmingly "attract new clients." We named the problem — and refused to fund the one function whose job is to solve it. That paradox is the whole episode. I sat down with Ashley Bowlin for this one. Twenty years on both sides of this thing — marketing seats inside staffing firms, then the tech-vendor side at Herefish, Tracker, and CloudCall, now VP of Marketing at Top Echelon. She has an unusual amount of permission to tell the truth about it, and she did. A few things she said I haven't stopped thinking about: The era of referrals, networks, and donut drops isn't gone, but it's not enough anymore. Now it's about how people — and robots — discover you online. "We'll take job orders from anyone" is the tell. It's not strength. It means you've never done the work on who you're actually trying to reach. Marketing gets cut first because most marketers don't speak CFO. Impressions and likes don't survive a budget meeting. GP per source, acquisition cost, lifetime value — those do. And the one that landed hardest: in most firms, the only time sales and marketing talk is when somebody sent a bad lead. Then Ashley did something live on the recording I loved. She opened ChatGPT and asked it to build a hyper-targeted prospect list — IT contractors, Midwest, companies with 15+ roles open past 60 days. It came back with 20 real companies. Then it told her she was thinking too small and handed her a sharper set of buying signals to target instead. Her point: if you think you can skip that because you've done this for 20 years, you're going to get out-prospected by a junior who's been at it six months. The freeze is turning to a thaw. The firms waiting for the market to go "back to normal" are going to be disappointed — because nothing about how buyers find you is the same.

An accountant who's never written a line of code just matched a software engineer at coding — within 7 points. That's not a typo. Anthropic studied 400,000 sessions of people working with AI agents, and the credential we've screened for, for decades, barely predicted who succeeded. What predicted it? Whether the person understood the problem well enough to know when the machine was wrong. Not the degree. The judgment. And I'm not theorizing about this — I'm watching it happen inside my own walls. Our payroll team took a client process that used to eat 16 hours a week and got it down to 15 minutes. Our CFO built a budgeting and forecasting system from scratch. Our IT helpdesk associate got fed up with the software we were paying for and just… built her own. None of them are engineers. Every one of them is a domain expert who finally got a tool that could keep up with what they already knew. In Episode 77, I connect that study to our own industry's 2026 numbers — why 42% of agencies lost revenue last year while nearly a third grew double digits, and why the thing that separated them wasn't size, pay, or how fast they answered a lead. For twenty years, staffing sold access. Access just got cheap. What's left to compete on is what you know — and how well you direct it. The Staffing Playbook — Ep. 77: "It's Not the Credential, It's the Judgment"

Everyone keeps saying the same thing in staffing right now: “Add value.” “Be a trusted advisor.” “Stop competing on price.” I agree with the message. But I’m tired of the buzzwords. The real question is: what does value actually look like when every staffing firm has access to the same tools, the same AI, the same ATS, and the same automation? That’s what I’m digging into with Kim Henderson, MBA, PMP on Episode 76 of The Staffing Playbook Podcast, Powered by YES Ep. 76 | The End of Fake Differentiation Kim has been on the show more than any other guest, and for good reason. She brings the kind of practical, no-fluff perspective our industry needs right now. In this episode, we talk about: ✅ Why being a “generalist vendor” keeps you stuck as a commodity ✅ What real differentiation looks like in 2026 ✅ How staffing firms can create value without adding expensive tools ✅ Why client education, visibility, and specialization matter more than ever ✅ How to move from transactional vendor to true business partner The firms that win the rest of 2026 will not be the ones simply saying they add value. They’ll be the ones proving it.

The hardest jobs might just be the safest jobs. In Episode 75 of The Staffing Playbook Podcast, Powered by YES, I’m breaking down what the latest staffing trends are telling us right now. Industrial staffing is showing signs of life, but let’s be honest — “up” doesn’t automatically mean “booming.” After one of the toughest stretches our industry has seen in years, the firms that are winning are not the ones waiting for the market to save them. They are the ones leaning into the work that still requires judgment, trust, speed, and human execution. Warehouses. Production floors. Distribution centers. CDL drivers. Forklift operators. Line leads. The harder the job is to automate, the more durable the opportunity becomes. In this solo episode, I talk about: ✅ Why industrial staffing is leading the recovery ✅ Why office and clerical staffing is telling a different story ✅ How AI is changing the top of the funnel ✅ Why human judgment is becoming more valuable, not less ✅ What staffing firms should be paying attention to right now No fluff. No panic. Just the real trends and what they mean for operators, sales leaders, and staffing executives.

Most firms rolled out AI to 50 recruiters on a Monday. By Friday, they're using it to clean up emails. That's not adoption. That's an expensive mailing list. New episode of The Staffing Playbook — Part 2 with Jason Alexander of ChiefAI. He scaled staffing companies to $100M before he ever built an AI roadmap, so he knows the difference between buying a tool and actually using it. The frame: giving a recruiter an AI agent is like handing them an intern. Most recruiters were never taught to delegate.  So we asked the harder question — what happens when the intern outgrows the manager? What we got into: → Only 28% of employees know how to actually use their company's AI tools. → The shift from "doer" to "quarterback." → The veteran problem: your top biller thinks AI is a fad. How do you bring them along without losing them? → Why leaders who talk AI but don't use it get found out. Jason's advice for anyone who's never opened these tools — your first prompt is: "I'm a recruiter. How do I use you?" For me, the proof it's working wasn't a dashboard. It was a recruiter saying, "I filled all my roles, my interviews are done — I think I'll go visit some clients." That's the whole game.

Travel agents in 2001 still had full calendars. Their managers were happy. Their numbers looked fine. The hollowing-out had already started — they just couldn't see it from the inside. When the next downturn hit, the role got restacked overnight. That's the shape of what's happening in staffing right now. Stable on the surface. Foundation already changing underneath. In Ep. 73 of The Staffing Playbook Podcast, Powered by YES, I walk through a 60-minute career audit — TCLD — that every recruiter, ops lead, and executive should run on themselves while they still have agency. T = Theater C = Commodity L = On the Line D = Durable Most people find T + C is a much bigger slice of their week than they're comfortable admitting. And that's the slice sitting on the thinnest ice. This isn't about AI taking your job in a clean replacement event. It's about the parts of the work that were quietly propping up the rest of the story you tell yourself about your value.

Everyone in staffing is talking about AI. Almost nobody is looking at the actual data. I spent the last two weeks pulling numbers from SIA, ASA, Bullhorn's GRID report, and Stanford's Digital Economy Lab. What I found was a story that neither the optimists nor the doomsayers are telling. The staffing industry did $184 billion in US revenue in 2024. Then 2025 hit — temp employment dropped 8.5%. Revenue contracted. And quietly, behind the headlines, something structural shifted. Entry-level employment in AI-exposed roles fell 13%. Senior-level employment in those same roles grew 6–12%. Staffing firms using AI are now 4x more likely to be top performers. And 22% of the highest-growth firms are filling orders in 3 days or less. The middle is disappearing. Not the middle class — the middle tier of staffing firms. The ones that are "competent enough" but haven't changed how they operate. I recorded a solo episode breaking all of this down — the data, what it means, and exactly what I think staffing leaders need to do about it.

The staffing firms winning right now aren't making more calls — they're making better ones. And the ones falling behind? They don't have a sales problem. They have a control problem. In Episode 71, I sat down with two industry heavyweights to break down exactly where deals die — and what to fix first: Jamie Lupo — 20+ years in staffing, 18 at LHH where she rose to VP of Strategy. She rebuilt flatlined offices into record-breakers and recently launched Lupo Advisory to help small and midsize staffing firms sharpen their sales execution and go-to-market strategy. Jamie doesn't sugarcoat it: if your reps are "waiting to hear back," you're already losing. Valentine Kapture — 15+ years in staffing strategy and analytics, also an LHH and Robert Half alum. He launched KAPTURE to bring Fortune 500-level AI and workflow automation to the small and midsize staffing firms that need it most. Here's what we got into: → Why sales-recruiting alignment is where staffing firms go to die → The discovery question gap that's killing your close rate → How one team hit their highest temps-out in 4 weeks by fixing their data → Where AI removes the drag vs. where it needs to stay out of the way → Why every irrelevant touch trains the buyer to ignore you → A 7-day challenge you can start tomorrow This one is tactical. No fluff. Just the plays. 📅 Thursday, April 16th | 1:00 PM MDT

Most staffing firms don't have an AI problem. They have a utilization problem. They're buying tools they never fully implement. Stacking subscriptions nobody uses. Chasing the next shiny platform before they've squeezed value out of what's already on the shelf. My next guest lived this firsthand. Jason Alexander was the #1 sales rep globally at Robert Half. He co-founded and scaled BANKW Staffing to $100M in revenue. His own business partner used to call him the easiest sale in the world when it came to buying new software. Now he runs ChiefAI and helps staffing firms stop the bleeding — starting with what they already have. On Episode 70 of The Staffing Playbook Podcast, Powered by YES, Jason breaks down: → Why 95% of the firms he assesses don't even have a business plan, let alone an AI roadmap → The AI agent he built that creates a 3-year rollout plan in 15 minutes → Why you should "bleed ChatGPT dry" before you buy anything else → What custom GPTs are and why almost nobody paying for ChatGPT is using them → The difference between handing a recruiter an AI tool and actually training them to use it This one is packed with tactics you can act on today — not next quarter.

We’re back with a new episode of The Staffing Playbook Podcast: Ep. 69 | The Stalled Labor Market: Why 2026 Rewards Execution, Not Hustle On March 20 at 1:00 PM MDT, I’ll be joined by David Wilson from "The Ring of Hire Show" for a timely conversation on what’s really happening in the labor market right now. A lot of leaders are still waiting for the market to “turn.”  I don’t think waiting is the move. This kind of market exposes the difference between activity and execution. When things stall out, the firms that win are not the ones doing more random hustle. They’re the ones operating better. They’re tighter. More disciplined. Closer to the customer. Better at follow-up. Better at decision-making. Better at execution. In this episode, we’ll dig into what a stalled labor market means for staffing leaders, where companies get stuck, and what practical moves actually matter in 2026. If you lead in staffing, recruiting, sales, operations, or workforce strategy, this one is for you.

🎙️ Episode 68 of The Staffing Playbook Podcast is LIVE AI & Change: Why Most Staffing Firms Are Failing at Both 🗓 March 5, 2026 ⏰ 1:00 PM MDT 🎤 Guest: Lauren B. Jones 🐐 In this episode, I sit down with Lauren Jones, Founder & CEO of Leap Advisory Partners — a true force in workforce innovation and digital transformation Lauren doesn’t sugarcoat it. We talk about: Why buying AI tools doesn’t equal transformation The leadership blind spots killing momentum Change fatigue inside staffing firms What real operational redesign actually looks like And how to build teams that embrace technology instead of resisting it If you’re a staffing leader who: Feels pressure to “do something with AI” Has invested in tech but isn’t seeing ROI Knows your operating model needs to evolve Or wants to lead change without blowing up your culture… This conversation is for you. Lauren brings the rare combo of operator, strategist, and transformation architect — and she’s not afraid to challenge the status quo. The firms that win the next 5 years won’t just adopt AI. They’ll redesign how they work. Join us live on March 5th at 1:00 PM MDT. Let’s stop talking about AI hype… And start talking about execution. The Staffing Playbook Podcast, Powered by YES Sponsored by Staffing Referrals

There’s a LOT of noise around AI in staffing right now. Most of it sounds impressive. Very little of it actually moves the needle. That’s why I sat down with Pankaj Jindal, Co-Founder of Sense, someone who’s been building AI inside staffing long before it became a buzzword. This episode cuts straight through the hype and gets into: ✅ Why AI should augment recruiters, not replace them ✅ The difference between shiny tools vs. real business impact ✅ Where AI is already driving measurable wins (sourcing, engagement, matching, productivity) ✅ Why data quality + workflow design matter more than model selection ✅ How leaders should think about AI as a strategy, not a feature One big takeaway: AI doesn’t fix broken processes. It amplifies them. If your foundation isn’t solid, AI just makes the cracks show faster. If you’re a staffing leader trying to decide where to place your bets in 2026, this episode will help you focus on what actually works. 📅 Feb 19, 2026 ⏰ 1:00 PM MDT 🎧 The Staffing Playbook Podcast Drop a comment if you’re actively testing AI in your agency — I’d love to hear what’s working (and what isn’t). #StaffingLeadership #AIinStaffing #FutureOfWork #RecruitingTech #TheStaffingPlaybook #StaffingPodcast

Scaling a staffing firm in 2026 isn’t about working harder. It’s about building the right operating system.   On the next episode of The Staffing Playbook Podcast, I’m joined by Matt Buffington, CEO & Founder of KinISO, to break down the 3 pillars every staffing leader must master to scale profitably in today’s market: ✔️ Sales ✔️ Service / Operations ✔️ Recruiting   Matt has spent 15+ years across technology, staffing, and sales, and now leads KinISO — a platform built to fundamentally change how staffing firms launch, operate, and scale.   We’ll dig into: 🔹 Why most firms stall between $10M–$50M 🔹 Where technology actually drives leverage (and where it doesn’t) 🔹 How to design a scalable operating model 🔹 What the best-run firms are doing differently heading into 2026   If you’re a staffing owner, executive, or leader serious about building a durable, scalable business — this episode is for you.   📅 Feb 5, 2026 ⏰ 1:00 PM MDT 🎙️ Live on The Staffing Playbook Podcast, Powered by YES 👉 RSVP to the event and join us live.

🎙️ The State of Staffing 2026 — Live Roundtable The Staffing Playbook Podcast, Powered by YES 📅 January 22  ⏰ 1:00 PM MDT The staffing industry isn’t “changing.”  It’s already changed. In this live roundtable, we cut through the noise and talk honestly about what staffing leaders are walking into in 2026—and what actually matters if you want to win. Tom Erb & Mark Winter go head to head in this compelling conversation We cover: Why 2026 is the Year of the Customer, not sales, not growth-at-all-costs The real gap between AI hype vs. operational reality Why agencies that treat staffing like a commodity won’t survive What leaders must fix now in operations, accountability, and experience How trust, consistency, and execution are becoming the true differentiators This isn’t theory.  It’s lived experience from operators who are in it every day—dealing with margin pressure, client expectations, talent shortages, and technology that only works if your fundamentals are solid. If you’re an owner, executive, sales leader, or operations leader in staffing, this conversation will challenge how you’re thinking about 2026. 👉 Join us live on January 22 at 1:00 PM MDT  🎧 The Staffing Playbook Podcast

End-of-Year Episode of The Staffing Playbook We pulled the best moments from our 2025 guests—the insights that actually mattered, the ones that moved the needle, and the lessons staffing leaders need as we head into 2026. No hype. No recycled talking points. Just real strategies around leadership, sales, operations, and building teams that win in a tougher, more competitive market. If you’re running a staffing firm and want to be ahead next year—not reacting—this episode is for you. 👇 We’re live right now. Jump in and listen.

Most people in leadership roles were never taught how to lead — they were promoted, handed a title, and expected to figure it out. But real leadership? The kind people willingly follow? That takes intention, skill, and self-awareness. This week on The Staffing Playbook Podcast, Powered by YES, we’re bringing in someone who has lived it, coached it, and built a career on transforming teams: 🎙 Guest Speaker: Andre Young  Professional Speaker • Author • Leadership Trainer • Founder of You Evolving Now  Former mental health therapist → pro athlete → organizational consultant  Author of 7 Ways to Lead Andre breaks down leadership in a way few people do — practical, human, direct, and immediately actionable. No fluff. No corporate buzzwords. Just the truth about what makes people actually want to follow you. We unpack:  ✔️ Why most leaders unintentionally limit their teams  ✔️ How to build trust without playing “the boss” card  ✔️ The behaviors teams desperately want but rarely get  ✔️ The difference between leading and managing  ✔️ How to evolve as a leader… even when you’re already good 📅 Releases December 22, 2025  ⏰ 1:00 PM MDT If you manage people, plan to lead, or want to elevate how you show up in your organization — this episode is one you don’t skip. 👇 Follow The Staffing Playbook Podcast so you don’t miss it.  Powered by Your Employment Solutions & Sponsored by Staffing Referrals

If you think marketing in staffing is tough today… 2026 is about to raise the bar. AI, content velocity, buyer attention spans, and the shift to experience-driven branding are rewriting the rules — and we’re bringing in two people who don’t just talk marketing… they build it.   🎙 The Staffing Playbook Podcast Hosted by Steven Farrell & Geneviève Bourgeois 💡 Guest Experts: Mike Bradbury– the cat-shirt-wearing creative brain behind Type Marketing Tracey L. – the queen of punchy, relatable storytelling who somehow ended up on WFAN Radio with Boomer & Gio   Together, we dig into: ✔️ What staffing firms must change going into 2026 ✔️ Why most industry marketing still misses the mark ✔️ How to create content clients actually want ✔️ The rise of authenticity, community, and video-driven reach ✔️ The simple moves staffing leaders can take right now to win more orders   📅 Releasing: December 11, 2025 ⏰ 1:00 PM MDT 🎧 Don’t miss this one — it’s packed with insights, real talk, and a whole lot of fun. If you’re serious about leveling up your firm’s brand, demand generation, and client acquisition strategy… this episode is your roadmap.   👇 Follow The Staffing Playbook Podcast and be ready when it drops. The Staffing Playbook Podcast, Powered by YES

“Why the Year 2026 Will Be the Year of the Customer.” If you’re in staffing or recruiting, you already feel it — 2026 is shaping up to be a completely different kind of year. Clients want more clarity, more partnership, and a lot less chaos. Recruiters are evolving fast. And AI is redefining what “great service” even means. In this upcoming episode, Geneviève Bourgeois and I break down: 🔹 The real customer expectations rolling into 2026 🔹 Why the volume-based staffing model is about to get left behind 🔹 How AI-enhanced recruiters will raise the standard across the entire industry 🔹 The top friction points that are costing agencies trust 🔹 What HR leaders say they actually want moving forward 🔹 And the three things every staffing firm must commit to in 2026 If you want to walk into the new year with a competitive edge — don’t miss this one. 🎧 Episode goes live Nov. 25 at 1:00 PM MDT

New Episode Drop – The Staffing Playbook 🎙️ AI isn’t coming — it’s already here. And staffing leaders who learn to use it the right way will dominate 2026. In Episode 60, we’re joined by Jack Kennedy, Co-Founder of Whippy, one of the fastest-growing AI platforms transforming how teams communicate, automate, and scale. We dig into: 💡 The founding story behind Whippy AI 📈 What Jack and his team have learned building an AI company from the ground up ⚙️ Real use cases & case studies in staffing and beyond 🧠 How to evaluate an AI software partner (without getting sold snake oil) 🚀 And the big one — how staffing agencies can win in 2026 using AI strategically This conversation isn’t about buzzwords. It’s about what works — and what’s coming next. 🎧 Tune in Thursday, Nov. 13th @ 1PM MDT ➡️ Ep. 60 | AI Isn’t Coming — It’s Here: What Staffing Leaders Can Learn from Whippy AI Hosted by: Steven Farrell, CSP & Genevieve Bourgeois Powered by: Your Employment Solutions Sponsored by: Staffing Referrals

🎙 Cracking the MSP Code | Episode 3: Maximizing Value, Minimizing Risk The Staffing Playbook Podcast, Powered by YES When it comes to MSPs, value and risk go hand in hand. Agencies that fail to understand how MSPs operate often sacrifice margin—or expose themselves to unnecessary liability. Join hosts Steven Farrell, CSP & Genevieve Bourgeois as they welcome back Mandy Hileman and Josh Moskoviz for the final chapter of our “Cracking the MSP Code” trilogy: ✅ How to maximize value while navigating complex MSP layers ✅ The hidden risks agencies overlook in contracts and compliance ✅ Why alignment between agency, client, and MSP determines long-term success 📅 Date: October 30th, 2025 🕐 Time: 1:00 PM MDT This episode isn’t just theory—it’s the operational playbook for staffing leaders who want to protect margins, elevate partnerships, and thrive in MSP-driven ecosystems. 👉 Don’t miss Episode 3: Maximizing Value, Minimizing Risk hashtag#TheStaffingPlaybook hashtag#StaffingPodcast hashtag#MSPStrategy hashtag#StaffingIndustry hashtag#RecruitmentLeadership hashtag#WorkforceSolutions hashtag#YESStaffing

Top talent isn’t vanishing—it’s evolving. Wage compression, specialized job orders, and shifting candidate expectations are reshaping healthcare staffing. Join hosts Steven Farrell, CSP & Genevieve Bourgeois, with guests Josh Moskoviz (VP, Trio Workforce Solutions) and Mandy Hileman (Sr. Director, Triage Staffing | Healthcare Staffing), as we dive into:  ✅ Why the quality of talent feels different than it used to  ✅ How wage compression is changing hiring strategies  ✅ What agencies must do to stay competitive in a specialized, candidate-driven market

Today’s guest on The Staffing Playbook Podcast, Powered by YES is someone who doesn’t just talk staffing—he’s lived it, built it, and reshaped how we think about it. With 30+ years in the industry, Tom Erb is one of the most respected thought leaders in staffing. He’s the founder of Tallann Resources, LLC, where he’s worked with over a thousand staffing companies across the U.S. and internationally. You’ve likely seen him on stage at ASA, NAPS, or your state association, read his book Winning the Staffing Sales Game, or followed his Recruiting Today column in ASA’s Staffing Success magazine. Tom has also served as Chairman of NAPS and President of the Ohio Staffing and Search Association. In short—he’s a strategist, a builder, and a straight shooter. 🎙 In this episode, we go deep on Ownership-Driven Performance Management: ✅ Why the old top-down management model is broken ✅ How true accountability—from leaders and ICs alike—drives results ✅ Frameworks you can implement tomorrow to build ownership into your team’s culture This isn’t theory. It’s tactical, practical, and designed to help you thrive in today’s staffing market. 📅 Episode 57: Ownership-Driven Performance Management ⏰ Premieres October 7th, 10:00 AM EST 🎥 Video + Audio | ~45 minutes 👉 Tune in and take away 3 actionable steps: Complacency kills; ownership revives performance. Structure beats randomness. Owning your market builds long-term equity. Sponsored by: Staffing Referrals and Powered by Your Employment Solutions

🚨 New Podcast Series Launch 🚨 What happens when you step behind the mirror of healthcare staffing? Too often, the story is told only from the agency’s perspective. But what about the client’s reality—the budgets, red tape, and operational pressures that rarely get airtime? That’s exactly what we’re unpacking in a brand-new trilogy series on The Staffing Playbook Podcast, Powered by YES 🎙 Hosted by Steven Farrell, CSP & Genevieve Bourgeois 💡 Featuring guest voices Josh Moskoviz (VP, Trio Workforce Solutions) & Mandy Hileman (Sr. Director, Triage Staffing | Healthcare Staffing) Here’s what you can expect: 👉 Episode 1: The One-Way Mirror – The client’s perspective: budget impacts, compliance barriers, and operational realities MSPs see that agencies don’t. 👉 Episode 2: Where Did All the A Players Go? – The shift in talent quality, wage compression, and specialized job orders—and what agencies must do to adapt. 👉 Episode 3: Maximizing Value, Minimizing Risk – Concrete strategies to deliver quality, strengthen partnerships, and protect margins in a shifting healthcare market. The goal? Not just analyzing problems—but equipping both agencies and clients with insights to build stronger, more sustainable partnerships. 📅 Part 1 of 3 drops October 2nd at 1:00 PM MDT.

Tech hiring is cooling. Light industrial & logistics are steady. Seasonal ramps are here. And compliance just got spicier. We’ll break down, fast and plain-English: Tech: ~5k IT jobs lost in August; hiring shifts to AI, cyber, core infra; pay cooling = healthier balance. Light Industrial & Logistics: Flat-to-steady adds; warehousing/material handling holding the line; transportation in equilibrium heading into peak. Seasonal Hiring: Major retailers launching big holiday classes (Target, Amazon, others) with slightly softer totals vs. last year. Regulatory Heat: $100k H-1B fee shock, non-compete scrutiny, E-Verify/EAD updates, and new state rules (CO wage act, CA leave, tighter healthcare staffing oversight). When: Wed, Sept 24 @ 2:00 PM ET / 12:00 PM MT Where: The Staffing Playbook Podcast (LIVE) If you hire, sell, or staff—this is signal, not noise. Join us. Join us with our panel Kim Henderson, MBA, PMP, Six Sigma & Richard D Rosner hashtag#staffing hashtag#recruiting hashtag#lightindustrial hashtag#logistics hashtag#HRtech hashtag#compliance hashtag#MSP hashtag#talentacquisition

🚀 Ready to scale your staffing firm from $20M to $100M? We’re diving deep into the blueprint that fuels growth at the next level. Join us on The Staffing Playbook Podcast for Episode 54: The Blueprint to Scale Your Firm: Grow from $20M to $100M. 🎙 Hosted by: Steven Farrell & Geneviève Bourgeois 🎤 Guest Speaker: Mark Winter 📅 Date: Sept. 18, 2025 ⏰ Time: 1:00 PM MDT Mark brings decades of experience in building scalable sales frameworks for staffing firms. We’ll cover: ✅ What separates a $20M firm from a $100M firm ✅ Sales blueprints that drive predictable growth ✅ Real-world case studies you can apply to your own playbook This is one you won’t want to miss if you’re serious about scaling. 👉 Save your spot & tune in live! Sponsored by Staffing Referrals | Powered by YES

Ep. 53 goes LIVE — “JOLTS: Demand is soft, not dead.” Kim Henderson + Richard Rosner (“Staffing Shark”) join us to turn the latest data into moves you can make now. Sept 10 • 12:00 PM ET — RSVP #TheStaffingPlaybook #staffing #recruiting #JOLTS #YES

We’re diving deep into one of the most powerful frameworks in marketing today — The 1-Page Marketing Plan by Allan Dib. 🎙️ The Staffing Playbook Podcast Ep. 52 | The 1-Page Marketing Plan Your Marketing Director Needs 📅 Sept. 5th, 2025 | ⏰ 1:00 PM MDT Joining us for this episode: ⭐ Matt Frisbie – Marketing leader & facilitator of 1-Page Marketing Plan workshops ⭐ Marc Webb – Marketing strategist with hands-on experience applying the framework What we cover: ✅ The Origin Story – Why this framework has struck a chord with business leaders across industries ✅ The Big Idea – Why one page beats a binder full of theory ✅ The Framework – Breaking down the before, during, and after stages of the customer journey ✅ Common Missteps – Where most companies fail when building a marketing plan ✅ Execution vs. Theory – What makes this plan actually usable in the real world ✅ Workshop Insights – The alignment, “aha” moments, and breakthroughs that come from putting this into practice ✅ YES Case Study – Our own experience at Your Employment Solutions rolling out the 1-page plan 🎯 If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by complex marketing plans or struggled to align sales and marketing on a single vision, this episode is a must-listen. 👉 Tune in, take notes, and see why sometimes less really is more. #StaffingPlaybook #StaffingPodcast #MarketingStrategy #OnePageMarketingPlan #StaffingIndustry

We’re going LIVE again with Ep. 51 | Staffing Trends & Updates this Wednesday, August 27th, 2025 at 11:30 AM EST / 9:30 AM MDT. 🎙️ Hosts: Steven Farrell & Genevieve Bourgeois 🔥 Special guests joining us again: Kim Henderson, MBA, PMP, Six Sigma Richard D Rosner (“The Staffing Shark”) We’ll be breaking down the latest staffing trends, AI’s impact on recruiting, misclassification risks, remote/hybrid work shifts, and what’s next for our industry. This is your chance to learn from some of the best minds in staffing and walk away with actionable insights you can put to work right away. Sponsored by: Staffing Referrals The Staffing Playbook Podcast, Powered by YES 🔵 Tune in LIVE and be part of the conversation!

The staffing industry is standing at a crossroads. Immigration enforcement is tightening. Tariffs are reshaping supply chains. AI isn’t just hype—it’s already rewriting how we recruit, vet, and deliver talent. These are the critical challenges facing our industry today. But hidden inside each challenge is also an opportunity—if you’re ready to adapt. That’s exactly what we’ll be unpacking in Episode 50 of The Staffing Playbook Podcast, Powered by YES “Critical Challenges & Opportunities: Reflection from Avionté Connect 2025.” 📅 Date: August 22, 2025 ⏰ Time: 1:00 PM MDT 🎙️ Hosts: Steven Farrell, CSP & Genevieve Bourgeois 👥 Guest Speakers: Reed Laws & Marc Webb Sponsored by: Staffing Referrals We’ll dive deep into: Immigration & Compliance: Why the era of paper I-9s is over and what “leading with compliance” really means. Tariffs & Supply Chains: How global costs trickle down to local labor needs—and where staffing firms can step in. AI’s Real Impact: Beyond the buzzwords—how AI is already shaping hiring, compliance, and candidate value. New Growth Areas: From semiconductor reshoring to centralized logistics hubs—where staffing demand is set to surge. Strategic Frameworks: Why being “stuck in the middle” is the most dangerous place for a staffing firm today. This isn’t theory. These are hard realities shaping the next decade of staffing. If you’re in leadership, sales, or operations—you need to hear this. 👉 Join us live and be part of the conversation. #Staffing #Recruiting #Compliance #AI #SupplyChain #TheStaffingPlaybook

The Staffing Playbook Podcast is back on August 13th, 2025 with an action-packed Staffing Industry Update you won’t want to miss. 🎙 Hosted by: Steven Farrell, CSP & Genevieve Bourgeois 💡 Panel Speakers: Kim Henderson, MBA, PMP, Six Sigma & Richard D Rosner – The Staffing Shark What’s on the agenda: 📋 Avionté Connect Recap – Key takeaways from the conference (and a few things you might’ve missed if you weren’t there) 🤖 AI in Staffing & Recruiting – What’s hype vs. what’s actually working in the field 📈 Finishing the Year Strong – Proven strategies to close out 2025 ahead of target 🎯 Real-world recruiting insights you can apply immediately 🗓 Date: Wednesday, August 13th, 2025 ⏰ Time: 10:00 AM EST | 8:00 AM MDT 📍 Streaming LIVE – join the conversation in real time Whether you’re leading a staffing firm, building a recruiting strategy, or just want the inside scoop on industry trends, this episode is built for you.

Episode 48 of The Staffing Playbook Podcast is live — and this one’s different. We recorded on-site at Avionté Connect, catching up with innovative vendors and exploring the latest in staffing tech. We also welcomed back a special returning guest, Beth Fenske, for a candid follow-up to one of our most talked-about episodes: “What MSPs Really Think About Staffing Agencies.” 🎙️ Listen in for insider perspectives, vendor insights, and real talk from the conference floor. #StaffingPodcast #AvionteConnect2025 #StaffingIndustry #MSP #TheStaffingPlaybook

Is ageism silently impacting your workforce strategy?Join us LIVE for Episode 47 of The Staffing Playbook Podcast with hosts ⁠Steven Farrell, CSP⁠ and ⁠Genevieve Bourgeois⁠, where we'll dive deep into one of today’s most critical workplace issues—ageism. 🗓 Date: July 31st, 2025 ⏰ Time: 3:00 PM EST / 1:00 PM MDT 🎙 Special Guests:⁠Kim Henderson, MBA, PMP, Six Sigma⁠⁠Richard D Rosner⁠ 👉 Why attend? Learn how ageism is reshaping hiring practices. Discover proven strategies from staffing experts. Uncover industry secrets to creating inclusive workplaces. Don’t miss this engaging discussion that will equip you with actionable insights to ensure your hiring strategy is fair, competitive, and future-proof.

Excited to share a special recast episode of The Staffing Playbook Podcast, featuring my conversation on ⁠The Elite Recruiter Podcast⁠ with ⁠Benjamin Mena⁠ In this episode, we dive deep into "Outsmarting the Downturn" and discuss actionable tactics for growing your staffing business—even in challenging economic times.🔥 Key Highlights: How to strategically pivot when everyone else is struggling. Proven techniques to keep your Sales pipeline strong. Practical advice to position your staffing firm for long-term success. Join us and level up your staffing strategy!

We're back with another round featuring staffing experts Kim Henderson, MBA, PMP, Six Sigma and Richard D Rosner (aka "Staffing Shark") to tackle everything staffing! Expect actionable insights, candid conversation, and the straight talk staffing pros need to stay ahead of the curve. Bring your questions, tune in, take notes, and level up your staffing game! 📅 July 17, 2025 🕒 3:00 PM EST 🎙️ Hosts: Steven Farrell, CSP & Genevieve Bourgeois 🔗 Register & Listen: Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gFcvmWu6 Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gbfWAZez The Staffing Playbook: https://lnkd.in/ggxC9eNC 🙏 Sponsored by: Staffing Referrals - https://lnkd.in/gw3Fuscq 📲 Follow us on LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/dUKYz6Kj Staffing Referrals

We'll welcome special guest Kim Henderson, MBA, PMP, Six Sigma with Cobalt Compass Solutions. We'll discuss critical topics impacting the staffing industry, including challenges faced by recent college graduates in today's job market, the importance of effective networking and professional associations, and insights into June's unexpected job growth. This episode is proudly sponsored by YES | Your Employment Solutions and Staffing Referrals.

We’ve teamed up for something special.   I’m thrilled to announce a new limited bi-weekly series where we will be joined by industry pros Richard D Rosner and Kim Henderson, MBA, PMP, Six Sigma, to tackle everything staffing.   From AI and automation to labor trends, economic shifts, and new ways to grow your book of business — we’re digging into the tactics, strategies, and straight talk that matters.   This is for staffing pros who want to stay ahead of the curve.   Tune in, take notes, and level up.

Guest: Shannon Kahn, Founder & CEO, SMK Consulting USAHosts: Steven Farrell, CSP & Genevieve Bourgeois   Most staffing firms compete on price, speed, and fill-rates. Few stand out by how they sell. Join us for a candid conversation with industry veteran Shannon Kahn on transforming every client interaction—from the first cold call to contract renewal—into a competitive moat. What you’ll learn in 45 minutesPrep that pays off: Shannon’s pre-call framework for walking into any meeting already two steps ahead. Reading the room: Subtle cues that signal whether to dig deeper, pivot, or close. Tactical coaching in the moment: How leaders can sharpen micro-skills without turning reps into robots. Shifting from vendor to strategic partner: Language and questions that elevate you above the transactional pile. If you lead sales, run a desk, or coach a team—bring your notebook. Every takeaway is built to implement Monday morning.   Powered by Your Employment Solutions Sponsored by Staffing Referrals

We're thrilled to welcome David Folwell, Founder & CEO of Staffing Referrals, to The Staffing Playbook Podcast for one of our most powerful episodes yet! 💡 In this episode, we dive into: Gaining real market share in a crowded industry Building a referral engine that scales Current market trends every staffing leader needs to know A behind-the-scenes recap of the Utah Staffing Sales Conference David brings unmatched insights from working with hundreds of staffing firms—and if you’re not yet leveraging referrals, this is your blueprint to start. 🎧 Powered by YES Sponsored by Staffing Referrals 🗓️ June 20th | 🕐 1:00 PM MDT Staffing Referrals, is also a proud sponsor of our show. Want to see how their platform can help you scale your referrals the smart way?

Topic: Flat Growth, Fast-Moving AI & Smarter Marketing — plus an exclusive preview of the Summer School Staffing Series Guest Speakers: Kim Henderson – Managing Director, Cobalt Compass Richard “Staffing Shark” Rosner – Founder, Staffing Shark Hosts: Steven Farrell & Geneviève Bourgeois

In this episode, David and I discuss: How to adapt your sales strategy when hiring freezes and margin pressures hitWays to double down on consultative selling and deepen existing client relationshipsStep-by-step approaches to build a repeatable, scalable sales engine even in a soft market. If you missed my original guest appearance—or if you’d like to revisit those ideas on my own series—tune in for Episode 39 of The Staffing Playbook Podcast on June 6th.🔗 Listen to the original Staffing Show episode here: ⁠https://lnkd.in/gP8xAdx9

Is your markup a true reflection of the impact you deliver—or just a number on an invoice? We sit down with Benjamin Mena, founder of Select Source Solutions and host of The Elite Recruiter Podcast, to break down exactly how staffing firms can quantify—and communicate—their real economic value. Why you should tune in See your firm through an economic lens. Benjamin’s background in defense-contract recruiting and economics gives him a data-driven view of pricing, margins, and market positioning. Turn “soft” results into hard numbers. Learn practical frameworks to translate fill-rates, retention, and compliance into dollar impact clients can’t ignore. Stand out without racing to the bottom. Hear brand-building tactics and success stories that prove premium pricing is possible—even in crowded markets. Rapid-fire insights you’ll take away The one economic indicator every staffing leader should track A proven blueprint for articulating your unique value proposition Common pitfalls that sabotage pricing power—and how to avoid them If you’re leading a staffing firm, managing a sales desk, or simply want to stop competing on price alone, this conversation is for you.

"Behind the Curtain” Series, Part 3 Episode 37: What HR Really Thinks About Staffing Agencies The final curtain is about to fall. In Parts 1 & 2 we heard unfiltered truths from MSP/VMS leaders and HR pros Megan Gill & Shane Fisher. Now we’re closing the trilogy with two more seasoned HR voices ready to say the quiet parts out loud: Angie Johnsen and Gail Perkes, SPHR. Co-hosts Steven Farrell, CSP and Genevieve Bourgeois will dig into: Fresh “good, bad & ugly” stories that agencies still need to hear The biggest communication misfires HR teams experienced this year—and how to avoid them Outreach tactics that win a reply vs. an instant delete What agencies must evolve before 2026 to stay on HR’s preferred-vendor list Lightning-round tips you can implement before your next client call Expect candor, specific examples, and an action-packed 45-minute playbook you can put to work immediately. Sponsored by Staffing Referrals—helping agencies turn great talent into brand ambassadors and repeat placements.

Our Behind the Curtain opener pulled back the veil on MSP/VMS frustrations. Now we’re handing the mic to the people who sign the SOWs: Human Resources leaders. LIVE: May 16, 2025 | 1:00 PM MDT Co-hosts ⁠Steven Farrell, CSP⁠ & ⁠Genevieve Bourgeois⁠ welcome HR veterans ⁠Megan Gill⁠ and ⁠Shane Fisher⁠ for a 45-minute tell-all that covers: The good, the bad & the ugly of agency relationships Outreach tactics that trigger an instant delete (and what opens doors) The communication gaps that tank partnerships—and quick fixes that rebuild trust HR’s wish-list for agencies that want to stay relevant in 2025 and beyondReal-life wins that turned suppliers into indispensable partnersWe’ll wrap with a rapid-fire lightning round so you leave with snack-size tips you can implement the same day Missed Part 1 (MSP/VMS edition)? Catch the replay here ➡️ ⁠https://lnkd.in/g4wMbiVb⁠ Craving more? Stay tuned for Part 3 as we go even deeper into HR’s unfiltered verdict. — Sponsored by ⁠Staffing Referrals⁠—turning great talent into brand ambassadors and repeat placements

We'll be pulling back the curtain with two outstanding guests: Josh Moskoviz, Vice President of Client Services at AHSA, a Trio Workforce Solutions company Beth Fenske, CTS/CPC, BS Director, Supplier Solutions, RightSourcing by Magnit. What we'll cover: ✅ How MSPs view their staffing partners today ✅ The good behaviors that strengthen partnerships ✅ The bad habits that damage trust ✅ The ugly mistakes that cost agencies future business ✅ Practical advice on becoming a preferred partner, not just a vendor 🔹 About Josh Moskoviz: With over 18 years in healthcare staffing, Josh has built, grown, and implemented MSP programs across the country. A retired musician and SoCal outdoor enthusiast, he brings a unique mix of industry wisdom and real-world experience to the table. 🔹 About Beth Fenske, CTS/CPC Beth Fenske brings over 30 years of healthcare experience, with the past five years focused on staffing and Managed Service Provider (MSP) operations. As a former owner and operator of a nurse staffing agency, she offers a unique perspective—advocating for suppliers with deep understanding and empathy. A passionate supplier advocate and mentor, Beth is highly engaged in diversity development, one-on-one agency consulting, Joint Commission certification support, and staff training and development. She is deeply partnership-driven, with a steadfast commitment to collaboration, growth, and mutual success. 👉 Hosted by: Steven Farrell & Genevieve Bourgeois

🎧 Hosted by:Steven Farrell & Geneviève Bourgeois 🎤 Guest: Kim Henderson, Founder of Cobalt Compass Solutions 💬 What we'll cover: ✅ Why understanding your client contracts is critical — and how to spot business terms that could trip you up ✅ What legal language to watch out for (and when to call in the legal experts) ✅ Pricing structures, direct contact rules, Right to Represent letters, resume limits, subcontracting policies, and more ✅ How to handle discounts, tenure rebates, VMS/MSP fees, and payment terms ✅ Red flags in onboarding, performance guarantees, non-solicitation clauses, and audits ✅ Best practices to protect your margin, ensure compliance, and drive operational excellence If you've ever signed a contract without really digging into the details — you NEED this episode. If you're responsible for pricing, compliance, or onboarding — you NEED this episode. If you want to stop leaving money on the table — you REALLY NEED this episode. ✨ Learn how to negotiate smarter, protect your business, and set yourself up for long-term success.

🎙️ Episode 33: Helping Clients Attract the Right Candidates 🗓️ April 25 • 1 PM MDT 👥 Guest: ⁠Tina Hazlett, CEO, CVO⁠ | Hosts: Steven Farrell & ⁠Genevieve Bourgeois⁠ Join us as we unpack: Defining “the right talent” for your culture Employer branding wins on a budget Data‑driven tweaks to your hiring personas Crafting a standout candidate experience Balancing AI tools with human touch Real hiring missteps—and what they taught us Gen Z’s impact and one key tip for recruiters Tune in for actionable tactics to sharpen your talent pipeline!