I was recently honored to be recognized as an ASA Central Most Valuable Contributor for 2025 by the American Staffing Association. While I'm grateful for the recognition, what matters more is what I've learned from the incredible community of staffing professionals who show up every day to ask hard questions, share real solutions, and help each other navigate this complex industry.

Running a staffing agency takes more than finding great talent and placing them with the right clients. Behind every placement is a complex back-office engine: payroll, insurance, compliance, and benefits administration. Yet many agency owners underestimate just how much time, money, and risk hides in these functions.

If you’re outsourcing your payroll and insurance, you’ve probably heard the line:

For most staffing and recruiting firms, compliance feels like a necessary evil. It's time-consuming, risky, and always changing. One mistake can lead to fines, lawsuits, or lost contracts.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a future concept—it’s changing how HR and workforce operations work right now. From recruiting to payroll, companies are adopting AI tools to reduce manual work, improve decision-making, and support employees more effectively.

The most successful staffing and recruiting agencies aren’t just good at placing talent—they’re great at marketing. Why? Because clients don’t buy staffing services—they buy better business outcomes. A healthcare facility isn’t just looking for nurses; they want better patient care. A logistics company doesn’t just need forklift operators; they need faster, safer warehouse operations.

Recruiting is often described as both an art and a science, and for good reason. Staffing agencies frequently differentiate themselves by emphasizing their ability to recruit passive candidates—individuals who are not actively job-seeking but are open to the right opportunity.

Interest rates are a key economic indicator that significantly affect various industries, including staffing. For staffing agencies, understanding how interest rates influence client demand, operational costs, and market dynamics is essential for staying ahead in a competitive landscape. Below are four reasons why interest rates matter to staffing agencies:

For staffing agencies, choosing the right Employer of Record (EOR) is critical to maintaining control over their business operations, client relationships, and financial success. While some EORs offer invoice factoring, credit, and collections as part of their services, this arrangement often comes with hidden challenges that can diminish the agency’s brand and long-term value.

The staffing industry is currently grappling with a significant talent shortage, a challenge that has intensified in recent years. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the COVID-19 pandemic led to a major disruption in America’s labor force, with more than 50 million workers quitting their jobs in 2022, following the 47.8 million who did so in 2021. Although this trend has gradually subsided, with 30.5 million workers resigning as of August 2023, the lingering effects continue to impact the labor market.

In the competitive world of staffing, growth is essential—but scaling often brings additional costs and operational challenges. For many staffing agencies, increasing client demand requires a larger workforce, more robust payroll processing, and expanded HR functions, all of which can drive up overhead. However, it’s possible to scale efficiently without stretching your resources or budget.

Staffing agencies face a complex balancing act. Beyond sourcing top talent and fulfilling client needs, they must also navigate a maze of compliance regulations and operational costs. These hidden or underestimated costs can impact your bottom line more than you think. Understanding the true cost of staffing and compliance is crucial to running a profitable and efficient staffing agency.