Insights with Insiders

After a tough year in 2020 with an 11 percent decline, staffing has come back strong with 16 percent growth in 2021. Will this trend continue for 2022? Julie Ann Bittner, TRICOM President & CEO, speaks with Adrianne Nelson, Staffing Industry Analysts Senior Director of Global Membership Products, to discuss the research and trends propelling the staffing industry into the next year. Adrianne reveals staffing segments that are growth drivers, as well as those struggling to make a comeback and suggestions on breaking into new segments. Adrianne and Julie Ann also look at how automation and staffing platforms are transforming the industry, as well as lessons learned from COVID including trends in remote work and e-commerce, and vaccine mandates. You'll learn why these two staffing industry veterans see the golden age of staffing on the horizon.

Correctly classifying employees vs. independent contractors (IC) is essential for determining the need for wage withholdings, taxation issues, employee benefits, workers compensation, and more. Sarah Davis and Chris Leddy join Julie Ann Bittner to discuss the three common classification tests used to determine IC classification status, exemptions, and practical concerns specific to the staffing industry. They also share steps staffing company owners can take to minimize risk including contractual provisions, documentation, and more.

Staffing company owners Crystal Blackwell, Al Simon & Sergey Bogomolov join TRICOM CEO Julie Ann Bittner to share their insights on the best practices that came out of 2020 and current staffing challenges & opportunities (including the shift to direct hire and specialization). Also hear about the role company culture plays in the success of their businesses and strategies for staffing companies to build even better relationships with their clients. Discover why they see a bright future for the staffing industry.

Join Shelly Wilkinson, director of sales at Tricom, for a conversation with Laura Hanoski, founder and CEO of Heroes for Healthcare and owner of Premier Medical Staffing, on the gap between military medical training and civilian workforce preparation. After their service, many military members have extensive training, but no formal academic degrees. Heroes for Healthcare works with military members who are entering the workforce to translate their training into civilian jobs in the medical field through education, fundraising, and outreach. For more information visit heroesforhealthcare.org.

Join TRICOM CEO Julie Ann Bittner in conversation with Lindsay Stanton, president and board member for Digi-Me, a video technology company for talent acquisition that helps organizations add a new dimension to their job postings and employment brand messaging. Lindsay will discuss how the pandemic has launched new recruitment trends that rely heavily on technology and digital recruiting. You'll discover simple, impactful ways to implement new digital processes to widen your talent pool.

Join TRICOM CEO Julie Ann Bittner in conversation with David Searns, CEO of Haley Marketing, a marketing firm that focuses exclusively on serving the staffing industry with innovative strategies and award-winning solutions. David discusses changes, challenges, and trends in the industry that have emerged in recent years and have been amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic. He shares data on how unemployment benefits and stimulus checks have affected the workforce and how staffing companies can use the four pillars of recruitment marketing to expand the talent pool and recruit quality candidates.

Join TRICOM CEO Julie Ann Bittner in conversation with Bob Thompson, president of World Wide Specialty Programs, Inc., an insurance company that provides clients in the staffing industry with insurance solutions. Bob discusses a wide range of challenges that staffing owners are facing today, including data privacy and cyber security threats; COVID-19 coverage limits and considerations; and employment practices liability insurance (EPLI). He shares what steps business owners should take now to secure themselves and their businesses against potential lawsuits and safety concerns.

Join Tricom CEO Julie Ann Bittner in conversation with Jerry Grady, office managing partner of the Ann Arbor, Michigan, office of UHY LLP, a licensed independent CPA firm that offers tax and business consulting services. Jerry is also a board member of UHY Advisors, Inc. He shares with us his experience consulting on Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, and addresses how confusion around PPP loans is impacting staffing owners. The latest legislative updates relating to COVID-19 relief have resulted in many changes and questions in relation to the staffing sector, and Jerry will address these concerns. He will also discuss what is new with the Employee Retention Credit and why it's important for staffing owners.

Join Tricom CEO Julie Ann Bittner in conversation with John Walters, senior vice president of business development at Essential StaffCARE, an Insurance Applications Group, LLC. John shares how the staffing industry pivoted in 2020 with remote hiring capabilities and services, and what the newly-signed American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 means for owners of staffing companies. This includes what employers can expect from the COBRA premium assistance subsidy, evolving guidance on the health care provisions, and understanding the new state health care mandates. John puts these new regulations and legislation into context for the staffing sector.

Join Tricom CEO Julie Ann Bittner in conversation with Tom Erb, president of Tallann Resources. Tom shares how the pandemic has impacted the trajectory of the staffing industry and what this indicates, from unemployment trends to talent shortages in some sectors. With a macro view of these changes, he offers creative solutions for owners of staffing companies, including the adoption of job position sharing and flexible shift scheduling. He also explains how a company can position itself as an educational resource for its clients.