Humans of Staffing

Most staffing founders learn the business from the inside out. Cary Daniel learned it from the outside in, and that gap became the entire blueprint for Nextaff. After launching his own agency in 1998 and opening 10 locations in 18 months, he discovered that staffing experience alone does not prepare you for back office operations, payroll financing, compliance, or technology. When he sold that company in 2003, he and co-founder James took everything they had learned the hard way and built Nextaff, a franchise model designed to solve that problem for others.In this episode, Cary shares how Nextaff has grown across 21 franchise locations, what drove them to launch a virtual franchise model with a starting investment of $65,000 to $85,000, and how a recently completed acquisition gives franchisees access to VMS and MSP pipelines in healthcare and technology so they can start recruiting from day one without signing a lease or hiring full-time staff. He and co-hosts TJ Sehmi and Sammy Singh also cover where AI is already delivering ROI in franchise operations, and where the guardrails are not yet in place to go deeper.Topics discussed:Launching 10 locations in 18 months as a first-time entrepreneurWhy they franchised instead of opening a second independent agencyHow franchisees handle payroll, billing, and back office responsibilitiesExpanding into borderless healthcare and technology verticalsRoyalty fee structure based on gross wages rather than bill rateVirtual franchise model requirements and startup investment rangeAI agents in franchise development, sales training, and supportWhere AI adoption stops at the edge of sensitive financial dataHealthcare staffing recovery post-COVID rate normalization

What if the most overlooked talent pool in staffing also happened to have four times better retention than traditional hires? Lisa Doyle, President and CEO of Galt, brings 30 years in the Human Capital space, including senior leadership at ManpowerGroup and Kelly, to a mission she spent her whole career preparing for without knowing it. She tells hosts TJ Sehmi and Mindy Gulledge that disability talent is not a charity hire, it is a competitive advantage that most organizations screen out before a single capability is evaluated.Lisa walks through Galt's full placement model: sourcing exclusively from community partners with high concentrations of disability talent rather than job boards, running the IRIS psychological assessment to measure attributes like grit and self-confidence before placement, and delivering one-on-one coaching that continues after placement and expands to include hiring managers. The result is that managers who start skeptical frequently end up as the talent's loudest internal advocates, running the halls to find them new roles when an assignment ends.Topics discussed:Skills-based hiring: 25 years ahead of the trendWhy disability talent is screened out before capabilities are discussedIRIS assessment and pre-placement coaching modelSourcing from community partners, not job boardsFour times better retention in client resultsCoaching hiring managers alongside placed talentAI bias risks and human guardrails in inclusive systemsAnyone can become disabled: building inclusive from the start

After 23 years as a CVS Health executive, Jennifer Chavez bought a recruiting franchise. No warm pipeline, no corporate brand behind her. What got her first clients and candidates? She kept reaching out with messages intentionally written to make people laugh, and kept going back to the same people until they picked up. When they finally did, the most common response was: "I wanted to reply, I was just busy."Jennifer also makes the case that skilled trades are the most undersupplied talent pool in the market right now, not tech. She's watching small manufacturing companies in Arizona, machine shops and clean air technology firms, struggle to find CNC machinists and technicians in ways that semiconductor companies with major PR budgets never have to. The shortage is not about willingness to hire. It is about not having enough people who know what the work is or want to do it.Topics discussed:Transitioning from Fortune 500 executive to solo franchise ownerOutreach tactics that generated responses without a recognizable brand nameHow Jennifer selects clients before committing recruiter time to a searchBuilding day one onboarding steps into the recruiting process itselfWhy skilled trades are outpacing tech in unfilled demand right nowAI policy gaps in small and mid-size businesses and who owns that problemAdvanced manufacturing, med device, and biotech hiring trends in Arizona

Shane Glavin built PowerCFO after serving as CFO at LaborMAX Staffing, where he watched small agency owners at conferences celebrate rate wins that were actually bad deals. His profitability pyramid framework took one client from $4M in revenue operating in the red down to $3M in revenue with over $400K profit by strategically cutting unprofitable clients and fixing margin leakage most owners don't even know exists.The numbers tell the real story: 70-80% of staffing agencies use factoring. Only 5-10% operate on their own cash, meaning the vast majority are functionally working for their funding companies. Shane's diagnostic process reveals why. He audits three years of tax returns and internal financials, and in 10-15% of cases finds catastrophic errors. One client's bookkeeper had been reconciling bank deposits against AR instead of offsetting it, double-counting over $1M in revenue. That client paid $400K in excess federal taxes before Shane filed an amended return. These aren't edge cases. They're symptoms of an industry flying blind on horrific data while making strategic decisions off symptoms instead of diagnosing root problems.The seven layer profitability pyramid builds sequentially: you cannot move to layer two before mastering layer one. Layer one establishes timely, accurate monthly financial reviews and 13-week cash projections. Layer two implements weekly flash reports tracking the KPIs that actually matter. Layer three focuses on identifying real problems versus symptoms. Layers four through seven cover solution selection, execution, process adherence, and measurement. The firms that follow this framework aren't just profitable. They're acquisition-ready, with diversified client bases, documented margins by client, and operations that don't depend on the owner as a single point of failure.Topics discussed:The seven layer profitability pyramid that must be built sequentially, starting with monthly financials and 13-week cash projectionsWhy only 5-10% of staffing agencies operate on their own cash while 70-80% depend on factoring relationshipsThe double-counted revenue error that cost one client $400K in overpaid federal taxes before amended returnsHow the $4M to $3M revenue case study worked: strategically cutting unprofitable clients to convert margin to cashClient concentration risk killing valuations: why 70% revenue dependence on one client makes a firm nearly unsellableThe margin leakage diagnosis: three core metrics of revenue, margin depth beyond surface level, and actual cash flowWeekly flash reports as baseline requirement, not advanced practice, for competitive operational advantageRoot problem identification versus symptom chasing: why layer three of the pyramid focuses on real issue diagnosisAcquisition readiness factors: client diversification, margin spread by client, and reducing owner dependency as bottleneckThe 13% technology waste pattern: unused software burning margin because owners chase shiny tools without strategic vettingListen to more episodes: Apple Spotify YouTube

What does it take to place temporary workers on billion-dollar naval vessels where internet connectivity doesn't exist, credentials expire weekly, and a falling piece of metal from 80 feet can be fatal? Jay Prock runs Tidewater Staffing, a family operation that deliberately fights growth for growth's sake to maintain the quality and safety standards that keep 3,000-4,000 people working annually in Virginia's ship repair and shipbuilding industry. After buying the company from his father in 2018, Jay discovered that the real competitive advantage wasn't technology or scale. It was overstaffing with onsite coordinators who physically walk temps from pier to vessel, hand them safety glasses when they forget them at 5:36 AM, and maintain relationships that keep workers from letting down someone they know personally. This approach, combined with mandatory six-point suspension hard hats with chin straps after a near-fatal incident, has created 82% participation in healthcare benefits where industry standard is closer to 5%. Jay's contrarian philosophy, inspired by Bo Burlingham's "Small Giants," rejects geographic expansion and vertical diversification in favor of becoming the best operation in a single port. The result is $17,000 spent on hoodies for temps, training facilities with mock shipboard environments, and success stories like a laborer starting at $7.35/hour who exited a $22 million private equity sale as part owner. Topics discussed: Overstaffing onsite coordinator roles to provide manual touchpoints where Wi-Fi and internet connectivity don't exist on naval vessels Managing two-week credentialing processes requiring DVIDS access, MARMAC ship lists, and maritime OSHA 10-hour certifications for entry-level positions Implementing upgraded six-point suspension hard hats with chin straps after incident where falling metal knocked off traditional four-point hard hat Running proprietary training programs modeled on AMP (Association for Materials Performance and Preservation) to upskill fire preventers into coatings roles Achieving 300-350 weekly healthcare benefit participants (out of 600 field workers) using pre-tax dollar algorithm that only enrolls if marginal pay increases Rejecting growth opportunities outside ship repair, shipbuilding, logistics, and manufacturing in Southeast Virginia to maintain service quality Serving on Virginia Ship Repair Foundation Board to create endowment fund and scholarships for industry workforce development Dividing family business responsibilities with sister (13 months younger) handling HR and workers comp while managing finances and customer relationships

Instant Teams maintains 18% annualized attrition in customer experience roles where the industry averages 40-60%. The difference isn't compensation structure or benefits packages. It's building around military spouses who treat remote work as their career identity anchor while relocating every two to three years. Liza Rodewald, a former software engineer turned CEO, explains how she built a customer experience marketplace that solves a structural problem: military spouses aren't a protected class, so you can't specifically recruit them. Her solution was building a mobile app and community that organically fills the talent pool with military spouses before roles get posted. The unexpected advantage: US citizens working globally across every timezone on military bases, which are technically US soil even in Germany or Japan. The conversation reveals how Instant Teams structures three revenue streams (BPO services, SaaS job board, brand activations), why Liza required every corporate employee to complete Google AI certification for baseline knowledge, and how they're positioning tier-two and tier-three support roles as AI eliminates tier-one. The key insight: whoever owns the training data and implementation expertise wins as customers struggle to train their own models. Topics discussed: Skills-based assessment system that translates frequent job changes into CX capabilities Three revenue stream model: BPO margins, SaaS subscriptions, brand activation fees Mobile app strategy that creates community stickiness and continuous engagement Military base advantage providing US payroll and compliance across global timezones Company-wide Google AI certification mandate establishing shared knowledge baseline Tier-two positioning strategy as AI automates frontline support and chatbot functions Training data ownership as service offering for customers implementing AI tools Partner evaluation framework testing subject matter depth, technical capability, and financial viability Seasonal staffing model working through annual returning worker relationships Finance and cap table mechanics as primary learning gap for technical founders

RPO sales cycles run upwards of 18 months because these deals require buy-in from the top down,not the transactional "I need 10 temps, sign a contract tomorrow" motion of traditional staffing. The primary failure point: nine times out of 10, clients aren't prepared for the recruiting methodology and process that sits way outside the comfort zone of most hiring managers. After building an RPO practice from zero to over 50 recruiters during her 10-year tenure, Chloe was brought in by WSI six months ago to build TalentSync as deal minimums collapsed from 1,500+ annual hires to 250. Cost-per-hire pricing at 3-5% of salary replaced the 25% direct hire model, but retention guarantees create friction when hiring managers reject candidates at day 9 of 10-day windows specifically to avoid costs. The 2021-2022 period delivered triple to quadruple EBITDA growth before collapsing at the end of 2022, with many healthcare-focused RPO firms that launched during the boom since gone under. The industry splits 50-50 on whether we're six months from fully AI-driven talent acquisition or if humans will always make the final hiring decision. Topics discussed: 18-month sales cycles requiring top-down buy-in versus transactional staffing Change management as primary RPO failure point in 9 out of 10 implementations Market shift from 1,500+ hire minimums to 250-hire mid-market deals Hiring manager behavior rejecting candidates at day 9 to avoid guarantee costs Cost-per-hire at 3-5% of salary versus 25% direct hire fees Recruiter relationships as what keeps long-standing RPO engagements intact Triple-to-quadruple EBITDA growth in 2021-2022 followed by end-of-2022 collapse Healthcare RPO provider failures post-COVID boom AI liability exposure under client brand operations with state-specific compliance Industry 50-50 split on six-month timeline to fully automated talent acquisition

When your job vanishes with two hours' notice and your computer gets shut off mid-pandemic, you discover what you're really made of. Gary E. Benedik transformed that June 2020 gut punch into Arch Advisory Group, then sold it to Avenica; where he's now slashing headcount by 50% while scaling operations through behavioral assessment technology. Gary walks Sammy and TJ through Avenica's data-driven approach: their HAALO assessment maps candidates to one of 22 behavioral personas, completely bypassing traditional resume screening. The foundation? A Manpower-Google-Cognizant study that found zero statistical correlation between resume content and actual job performance. By requiring both candidates and hiring managers to complete assessments, they're generating objective compatibility scores and eliminating what Gary calls "interview theater": The subjective performances that tell you nothing about actual job capability. From touching over a million candidates annually at Sears to building Scout Exchange's AI marketplace connecting 3,500 staffing firms, Gary brings a battle-tested perspective on where machine learning creates real value versus expensive complexity in talent operations. Topics discussed: Avenica’s HAALO 22-persona behavioral mapping system Zero resume-to-performance correlation findings Bilateral assessment methodology for objective matching Performance data loops refining placement algorithms Trade skills versus call center automation timeline High-volume same-skillset hiring optimization Data infrastructure preceding recruiting operations Talent-first versus passion-first career mapping

Former Microsoft and Yahoo executive David Windley explains how his AI sourcing startup maintains trust through architectural design choices that keep humans in control of hiring decisions. His approach addresses the core challenge facing staffing leaders: deploying AI that accelerates sourcing without introducing bias or losing candidate quality control. Topics discussed: Human-in-the-loop architecture implementation: Windley's specific system design where AI handles candidate discovery and assessment but humans retain all approval decisions, creating checkpoints that prevent algorithmic bias from affecting hiring outcomes Semantic search advancement beyond Boolean logic: How large language models enable contextual resume comprehension versus rigid keyword matching, allowing AI to understand work experience nuances that traditional ATS systems miss Trust framework for AI adoption: Why keeping humans as final decision-makers addresses recruiter concerns about AI reliability while still capturing productivity gains from automated candidate screening and assessment Small firm market penetration strategy: Targeting the 1-4 partner recruiting firms that represent 80-85% of the search industry, plus planned distribution through PEO channel partnerships for faster market entry AI interview capability roadmap: Windley's technical assessment that screening interviews (information gathering) will be automated before complex conversational interviews, based on current large language model capabilities Executive hiring failure analysis: Why C-suite candidates typically fail due to political self-interest rather than technical competency, and how this pattern reveals itself over time despite skilled interview performance LinkedIn's competitive constraints: How their social media engagement model (withholding contact information, forcing in-platform messaging) prevents optimal recruiting tool development, creating market opportunities for specialized AI solutions Culture assessment methodology: The "as appropriate" interviewer framework that embeds dedicated culture evaluators in every interview loop, separate from technical screening, to ensure organizational fit

In this episode of Humans of Staffing, Jeremy Langevin, CEO of Horizontal Talent, demonstrates how his nearly $200 million firm successfully implements AI at scale while preserving the human elements that drive recruitment success. He reveals the tactical framework for "human-in-the-loop" AI deployment, where voice agents handle 20,000 candidate pre-screens simultaneously while recruiters focus on storytelling, empathy, and cultural assessment—the irreplaceable human capabilities that close deals. Topics discussed: Human-in-the-loop AI framework: Defining what AI excels at (scale data analysis, standardized processes) versus uniquely human capabilities (storytelling, empathy, persuasion) to create optimal task allocation within recruitment workflows. Voice AI implementation at enterprise scale: Deploying conversational AI agents that contact candidates within 60 seconds of application, conducting full pre-screens and scoring prospects to surface top candidates—enabling simultaneous evaluation of 5,000-20,000 applicants versus traditional sequential screening. The 70% effectiveness threshold: Understanding that AI implementations delivering up to 70% effectiveness represent significant wins, requiring iterative refinement rather than expecting plug-and-play perfection from emerging technologies. Cultural assessment as human differentiator: Positioning recruiters for final-mile activities including cultural alignment evaluation, relationship building, and persuasion—the high-value interactions that determine placement success after AI handles initial screening. Generational acceptance patterns: Navigating candidate demographics where college graduates increasingly expect AI-first interactions, with recent graduates reporting their last four job interviews began with AI screening rather than human contact. Sequential international expansion methodology: Building global operations across India, Malaysia, and Australia by leveraging existing US client relationships with overseas centers, creating natural bridges to local market opportunities while moving up the value chain. Managing multi-currency complexity: Handling clients headquartered in Germany with operations in Malaysia while managing currency fluctuation impacts on margins, plus the sophisticated finance organization required for international operations. Future workforce composition prediction: Preparing for a management structure where leaders oversee both human employees and digital agents, with the expectation that 30-50% of teams could be AI agents within 5-7 years across suitable roles and industries.

In this episode of Humans of Staffing, Jay Mattern, CEO of TerraFirma Marketing, dissects his cautionary tale of selling to William E. Simon's private equity fund in 1999, watching outside investors destroy operational excellence, and executing a strategic buyback through bankruptcy court. After building a staffing empire from a house-based startup to $250+ million over 32 years, Mattern reveals why investor-led management fails in staffing and the specific frameworks founder-operators use to scale successfully. Topics Discussed: The Six-Point Scaling Framework for Breaking Revenue Ceilings: Mattern's systematic approach to identifying structural breakdowns at major growth markers (25M, 50M, 100M+) - covering organizational hierarchy audits, role-to-person fit analysis, communication system redesigns, and accountability restructuring that enables companies to "jump the canyon" rather than hit organic growth walls. The William E. Simon Private Equity Disaster: How Mattern's 1999 sale to the former Treasury Secretary's fund unraveled when investors prioritized quick exits over operational expertise, leading to a dot-com market crash that dropped their IPO from $75 to $25 strike price, and Mattern's envelope-back buyback negotiation before ultimately reacquiring at 107% of receivables through bankruptcy court in 2003. Risk Management as Revenue Driver: His deployment of six dedicated risk prevention managers across territories who initiated claim management on day-one of injuries, often outperforming TPAs through deep state law knowledge and aggressive maximum medical improvement protocols - turning workers' comp from cost center to competitive differentiator. Pre-Saturation Market Dynamics (1987-1990s): Operating in an era with under 1,000 total staffing firms (versus today's 25,000+), achieving 70% industrial markups, and executing the two-stage sale process: first selling the staffing concept to unfamiliar prospects, then selling your firm over the handful of existing competitors like Manpower and Kelly. Strategic AI Deployment Framework: Mattern's "begin with the end in mind" methodology for AI adoption, contrasting deliberate use cases (blog outlining, research acceleration) with competitive mimicry, and his agency's positioning strategy that uses AI for efficiency while maintaining human expertise for original content creation to avoid client commoditization. The Founder Delegation Framework That Actually Scales: Why most staffing agencies plateau when founders can't transition from operational execution to strategic oversight, including Mattern's methodology for identifying when long-term contributors have been organizationally outpaced and his approach for redeploying valuable employees whose roles have evolved beyond their capabilities. Why Investor-Led Management Destroys Staffing Operations: The fundamental disconnect between private equity's portfolio approach and staffing's relationship-intensive, market-timing dependent business model - including why investors "didn't want to own a staffing firm" and prioritized exits over sustainable growth, leading to the prepackaged asset sale through bankruptcy court. Multi-Dimensional Marketing Strategy for Staffing: His "shotgun not rifle" approach addressing multiple audience segments simultaneously, explaining why single-channel strategies (email-only, LinkedIn-only) fail in staffing's relationship-driven environment and the comprehensive touchpoint matrix required for sustained growth. Listen to more episodes:  Apple  Spotify  YouTube

Most staffing agencies hit an invisible wall when trying to expand geographically because the compliance complexity of managing workers compensation, payroll regulations, and state-specific requirements across multiple jurisdictions becomes overwhelming. Stu Churchill, General Manager at Peoplease, however, has spent nearly two decades perfecting a co-employment model that eliminates these barriers while maintaining agency control over core business decisions. In this episode of Humans of Staffing, Stu tells Sammy and TJ how Peoplease's pay-as-you-go workers compensation model eliminates the traditional barriers to multi-state expansion. He explains the strategic liability split in co-employment relationships, where agencies maintain full direction and control while Peoplease handles compliance, claims management, and regulatory updates. Stu also discusses their specialized approach to light industrial and transportation staffing — verticals most providers actively avoid due to workers compensation exposure. Their field safety teams don't just write policies but understand the specific injury patterns of different work environments, from food manufacturing lines to warehouse operations. Combined with internal claims managers who can close cases faster through direct carrier relationships, this proactive approach turns traditional risk management on its head.   Topics Discussed: Strategic co-employment liability allocation that preserves agency control while eliminating compliance barriers across multiple states. Pay-as-you-go workers compensation models that eliminate traditional deposit requirements and align costs directly with deployed workforce rather than projected headcount. Field safety specialization approaches that prevent claims through industry-specific risk assessment rather than generic policy implementation. Internal claims management systems that accelerate case resolution through direct carrier relationships and regional expertise in state-specific workers compensation regulations. Multi-EIN strategic structuring for agencies operating across different risk verticals while maintaining operational flexibility. Geographic expansion methodologies for entering high-complexity markets without traditional startup barriers or compliance infrastructure investment. Client qualification frameworks that identify red flags in workers compensation code classification and startup readiness assessment before partnership commitment. Technology integration strategies for seamless timekeeping and billing system connectivity that maintains existing operational workflows while ensuring compliance automation. Benefits customization approaches that balance competitive employee retention tools with multi-state regulatory compliance requirements and cost management objectives Regulatory update distribution systems that proactively communicate state-specific law changes and compliance requirements before implementation deadlines impact operations.   Listen to more episodes:  Apple  Spotify  YouTube

The staffing industry has undergone significant transformation, but few have approached it with the unique perspective of Cory Pinegar, Founder of Teem. In this episode of Humans of Staffing, Cory shares how a chance opportunity to clean out a closet for $500 led to acquiring a struggling dental service division for just $1. From those humble beginnings — where making payroll sometimes depended on collecting from a single difficult client — he's built a global staffing operation that now maintains a stringent 0.4% acceptance rate to ensure quality.   What makes Cory's approach revolutionary is his insight into healthcare staffing challenges: dentists receive only about two weeks of business training during four years of dental school, leading to emotional rather than data-driven decisions. Teem addresses this by providing comprehensive performance dashboards that transform perceived "busyness" into measurable value, showing exactly how many calls were answered and appointments scheduled. Although focusing initially on dental practices, Pinegar has strategically expanded into optometry and veterinary markets, creating sustainable staffing solutions that bridge cultural gaps and deliver consistent results in an industry where reliability trumps cost savings.   Topics Discussed: Transforming a struggling quarter-million-dollar service division into a multimillion-dollar operation serving thousands of dental practices, highlighting the importance of recognizing opportunity in unexpected places. Despite being extremely knowledgeable clinically, dental practitioners receive just two weeks of business training during four years of dental school, creating a significant disconnect between clinical and operational excellence that creates market opportunities. The dramatic shift from less than 10% private equity ownership in dental practices eight years ago to over 25% today, and how rising interest rates have slowed acquisition trends that once projected to reach 35% market penetration. How implementation of performance tracking dashboards provides dental practice owners with unprecedented visibility into metrics like calls answered, appointments scheduled, and insurance verifications, replacing "busyness" perception with measurable value. The evolution from outsourcing merely for cost reduction to strategic staffing for reliability and loyalty, with a rigorous vetting process that selects just 0.4% of applicants. Rejecting the "us versus AI" mentality in favor of integrating AI as a productivity multiplier for human workers while preserving the human connection clients still demand, particularly in healthcare settings requiring trust and empathy. Growing a business organically with a focus on solving real customer problems rather than pursuing the "pump and dump" model prevalent in venture-backed startups, with clear pillars: hiring exceptional people, providing thorough training, ensuring value visibility, and AI enablement. Strategically focusing on regions where regulatory complexity and bilingual requirements create higher demand for staffing solutions, particularly in states like California, Texas, and Florida where labor costs and compliance burdens are highest. Creating intentional but organic momentum in healthcare verticals where decision-makers exhibit herd mentality, focusing on penetrating the crucial early-adopter segment that influences the broader market. Democratizing access to international talent that was previously available only to large corporations, providing complete infrastructure including employer of record services, compliance management, and performance analytics. Listen to more episodes:  Apple  Spotify  YouTube Website

Staffing industry margins are under unprecedented pressure, and Brad Beach, Founder & CEO of Jobvious & Tailored Management, has responded by creating a platform that fundamentally reimagines the economics of talent acquisition. After 30 years witnessing staffing agencies squeezed between MSP fees, shrinking markups, and intensifying competition, Brad launched a referral-based platform that compensates "network champions" with 10% of a placed candidate's hourly wage for the entire duration of their assignment. This approach doesn't just create significant passive income opportunities; it taps into the 85% of qualified talent not actively searching job boards while simultaneously reducing recruiting costs. In this episode of Humans of Staffing, Brad tells Sammy and TJ the entrepreneurial journey that led to this innovation, his "free to fail" leadership philosophy that fosters organizational creativity, and his predictions about the future of contingent labor — including why he believes MSPs are facing extinction. With clients increasingly seeking global talent solutions and digital transformation reshaping traditional staffing models, Brad offers invaluable insights for anyone navigating the rapidly evolving future of work.    Topics Discussed: How Brad's incentive-based referral platform creates annuity-like income streams for network members while accessing passive talent not found on traditional job boards. Why traditional models with 75+ vendors competing for requisitions at 6-7% submission-to-hire ratios have become financially unsustainable. Building an autonomous "free to fail" organizational culture that encourages innovation by empowering employees to question established processes without fear of repercussion. Why most internal referral programs fail to drive meaningful results and how ongoing percentage-based compensation creates far stronger motivation than one-time bonuses. The strategic shift toward global contingent workforce solutions, with Brad seeing more international staffing requests in the past six months than the previous 15 years combined. Why direct sourcing initiatives often disappoint despite their theoretical appeal, and how they often recreate the old "vendor on premise" model without acknowledging it. How artificial intelligence will reshape staffing operations while still requiring human judgment for candidate-client relationship management and complex placement decisions. The emerging trend of enterprises bringing contingent labor management in-house as MSPs struggle to demonstrate continuing value in the modern staffing ecosystem. Creating sustainable vendor relationships through transparency rather than constantly adding suppliers. Listen to more episodes:  Apple  Spotify  YouTube Website

The precarious balance in staffing can shift in an instant — a single unexpected order for 100 workers by tomorrow morning could spell either tremendous opportunity or financial disaster. In this eye-opening episode of Humans of Staffing, Sammy and TJ dive deep with Adam Forbes, SVP of Strategic Partnerships at Meritus Capital, who reveals the financial machinery that powers successful staffing agencies.  From his dramatic origin story of walking into a dark office to find his employer shutting down with 400 workers in the field, to building his own agency from those ashes, Adam shares how accounts receivable factoring transformed his approach to staffing finance. This conversation exposes the hidden cash flow challenges that traditional banks simply don't understand, where staffing agencies must pay workers weekly while waiting 30-60 days for client payments. Topics Discussed: The unique cash flow architecture of staffing businesses that creates systemic vulnerability when agencies must meet weekly payroll obligations while waiting 30-60 days for client payments, creating a funding gap traditional banks are structurally unable to address. How accounts receivable factoring creates immediate liquidity by advancing up to 95% of invoice value upon creation, allowing staffing agencies to scale operations without capital constraints while basing funding decisions on client creditworthiness rather than agency assets. Strategic approaches to client creditworthiness evaluation combining automated data analysis through Dun & Bradstreet and Experian with targeted human follow-up to identify shell companies and bankruptcy patterns that technology alone might miss. Building financial resilience through disciplined reserve management by treating the 5% factoring holdback as untouchable emergency funds rather than operational capital, creating protection against client defaults without relying on personal assets. The entrepreneurial accessibility of staffing compared to other industries where launching requires minimal capital when backed by factoring partners, versus franchise models demanding $500,000+ upfront investment plus personal guarantees. Identifying and avoiding predatory client patterns through partnerships with funding companies that maintain intelligence on companies using shell entities and strategic bankruptcies to exploit staffing agencies with no intention of paying. Using factoring as a competitive advantage in time-sensitive opportunities by eliminating funding delays that plague traditionally-financed competitors, enabling instant deployment when clients need urgent workforce scaling. The counter-cyclical business potential of staffing agencies that can thrive in both economic upturns and downturns by helping companies shift between permanent and temporary workforce strategies as economic conditions fluctuate. Listen to more episodes:  Apple  Spotify  YouTube

Juliana Bojorquez, CEO, transformed from a receptionist in a staffing agency to building First Staffing Group into a thriving enterprise, with five locations serving Southern California and Texas in just five years. In this episode of Humans of Staffing, she reveals how reaching a career ceiling at previous employers sparked her entrepreneurial journey, the specific methodologies behind her rigorous client qualification process, and how maintaining financial reserves helped her company navigate the volatile 2020-2024 business climate when many competitors struggled with cash flow.  With 15 years of industry experience before launching her own agency during the pandemic, Juliana walks Sammy and TJ through her unique approach to leadership where she remains available to her team 24/7, the importance of professional presentation in an increasingly casual industry, and how her comprehensive pre-sales process includes researching X-mod ratings to eliminate high-risk prospects before making initial contact. She also shares insights on current immigration policy impacts on the labor market, particularly in agriculture where some clients have reduced operations from seven days to four due to workforce shortages. Topics Discussed: The challenges of maintaining staffing agency growth through rigorous client pre-qualification rather than pursuing any available opportunity, and a methodology of canvassing areas, running X-mod reports through workers' comp, and researching prospects before initial contact to eliminate high-risk accounts. The evolution of pricing strategies in the staffing industry as unsustainable markup compression threatens stability, and the need for industry-wide standardization based on workers' comp codes while refusing to work with clients seeking only the lowest possible rates. How strategic financial reserves function as both safety net and growth engine for staffing agencies via implementing cash policies that enable self-funding payroll when credit limits are reached. The competitive advantage of maintaining professional standards in an increasingly casual industry, including creating immediate credibility through consistent branded attire at every client interaction, establishing clear business boundaries that lead to higher-quality relationships. Navigating the operational impacts of immigration policy shifts across the staffing supply chain, such as produce suppliers reducing from seven-day to four-day operations due to upstream agricultural labor shortages affecting downstream logistics clients. The implementation of targeted sales team structures where high-performing branch managers share sales responsibilities rather than dedicated representatives, allowing maintenance of growth through relationship-based selling even during economic volatility. Using data-driven candidate sourcing strategies to overcome technology limitations, including critical inefficiencies in current platforms that lack proper qualification capabilities and waste hundreds in ad spend on fundamentally mismatched candidates for specialized roles.

Edgar Mota, Owner of MDRN Staffing immediately fell in love with staffing because he was helping people. A sense of being in service to others was something he yearned for from his time in the US Army.  In this episode of Humans of Staffing, Edgar takes Sammy and TJ through his full journey, from hitting rock bottom after his deployment to discovering his passion for staffing, and an angel investor's unexpected offer to launch a staffing firm just before COVID.  Military discipline became Edgar’s business superpower, including through the sobering reality of client bankruptcies and his current data-driven approach testing every sales script and content piece on rapid two-week cycles.  Topics Discussed: How Edgar's military deployment in Iraq and subsequent struggle to find stable employment led him to discover a passion for helping others through staffing. Transparent communication during challenges, including how staffing agencies often disappear when they can't fill orders, whereas his team prioritizes immediate communication about shortfalls, resulting in stronger client relationships. The shift from organic growth during COVID to a data-driven sales approach tracking specific metrics like content watch time and cold call script performance on two-week testing cycles. How Edgar's team achieves 100 prospect touches daily through a mix of LinkedIn messages and cold calls, versus the traditional in-person approach that yielded only 10-15 daily interactions — and that seems to have become offputting. Early adoption of AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude for sales enablement, content creation, and resume screening, with specific prompts developed and distributed to staff for consistent workflows. Implementing systems to reduce decision fatigue in both personal and professional contexts, from wearing all-black clothing to choosing CrossFit for its pre-planned workouts, allowing mental bandwidth to focus on critical business decisions. Listen to more episodes:  Apple  Spotify  YouTube Website

How can a staffing agency steady itself in a Wild-West-type situation? In this episode of Humans of Staffing, Sammy and TJ dive deep with a rapidly growing staffing firm specializing in light industrial workforce management in California's challenging regulatory environment. Daniel reveals how Voyage differentiates itself in the Wild West of staffing through superior compliance protocols and workforce management technology while competitors race to the bottom on margins.  Facing California's notoriously low markup rates, Voyage carved out a competitive advantage by helping clients navigate complex regulations while building sophisticated timekeeping and workforce technology integrations. Daniel shares candid insights on the industry's future, particularly how AI-powered recruiting automation will transform staffing economics, while offering a masterclass in the three critical metrics that have guided Voyage's growth to 800 employees and $700,000 in weekly payroll. Topics Discussed: The three critical metrics to track religiously: order fulfillment rates, weekly cash flow against factoring advance rates, and active claims management. How surviving a devastating $2.3 million PAGA lawsuit became a defining moment that shaped Daniel's resilient leadership approach. The practical implementation of AI in staffing operations, particularly in recruiting and candidate screening, to remain competitive in California's compressed margin environment. The challenges of California's staffing landscape, where no governing agency establishes industry standards, creating an environment where compliance-focused agencies struggle to compete against price-cutting operators. How forgiveness became Daniel's entrepreneurial superpower, enabling him to reset daily despite setbacks and maintain forward momentum when others would collapse. The role of sales expertise in staffing entrepreneurship, and why Daniel recommends working at an established agency before launching your own company.

In this episode of Humans of Staffing, Miguel Angel Estrada Valencia, President of Dynasty Employment Solutions, provides a fresh Gen-Z perspective on modernizing the staffing industry through technology and transparency. As a tech-native leader who built his career through innovative approaches to sales and operations, Angel shares how he's leveraging social media, AI, and digital transformation to reshape traditional staffing models while maintaining the crucial human element that drives success in the industry. The episode provides senior staffing leaders with actionable frameworks for modernizing their operations while navigating complex regulatory environments and maintaining competitive advantages through technology adoption. Humans of Staffing brings you conversations with industry professionals — from agency owners and HR leaders to experienced temp workers and industry innovators — exploring the technology, trends, and human elements shaping the future of staffing. Topics Discussed: An innovative approach to candidate verification that combines AI pre-screening with strategic social media outreach, resulting in 30-40% reduction in DNU candidates while maintaining a high-volume talent pipeline of 100-200 daily applications per branch. How Dynasty's implementation of full-access client portals with real-time analytics has transformed client relationships while improving time-to-fill metrics. Detailed strategies for maintaining compliance amid evolving immigration regulations, including specific techniques for protecting both client and worker interests through systematic E-Verify implementation and documentation processes. A data-driven framework for AI implementation in staffing operations, with specific insights on which processes yield highest ROI for automation (candidate screening, compliance checks) versus those requiring human oversight (final evaluations, client relationships). How Dynasty leverages platform-specific content strategies across social channels to target distinct candidate pools, including specific examples of successful TikTok campaigns that drive Gen-Z recruitment rates 3x higher than traditional job boards. The technical architecture enabling Dynasty's multi-state expansion, including specific compliance automation tools and centralized data management systems that maintain consistency across state lines while adapting to local regulations. A systematic approach to market differentiation through technology enablement, moving beyond traditional markup competition to demonstrate value through transparent analytics, automated compliance tracking, and integrated workforce management solutions. Real-world examples of how integrated compliance and verification systems create competitive advantages in enterprise client acquisition, particularly in highly regulated industries and federal contract opportunities