In this episode of InSights, Brad Bialy sits down with Steve Gipson to unpack why staffing firms keep day-trading their marketing for short-term wins and how long-term visibility, consistency, and trust-building turn you into the first call when urgency hits.

Steve Gipson is the Director of Sales and Operations at Recruiters Websites, where he helps staffing and recruiting firms build stronger digital ecosystems through smarter website strategy, search visibility, and long-term marketing systems.

In this conversation, Steve breaks down why most firms sabotage growth by demanding instant ROI and why the real winners are the ones willing to compound trust long before an emergency ever happens.

Brad Bialy is a trusted voice and highly sought-after speaker in the staffing and recruiting industry, known for helping firms grow through integrated marketing, sales, and recruiting strategies. With over 13 years at Haley Marketing and a proven track record guiding hundreds of firms, Brad brings deep expertise and a fresh, actionable perspective to every engagement. He’s the host of Take the Stage and InSights, two of the staffing industry’s leading podcasts with more than 200,000 downloads.

Book a 30-minute business and marketing consultation with host, Brad Bialy: https://bit.ly/Bialy30

This episode is brought to you by FoxHire. If you’re looking for an Employer of Record partner that helps recruiters confidently grow contract placements and build recurring revenue without taking on extra risk, FoxHire is perfect for you. Learn more at FoxHire.com/Haley

It's a bonus episode this week, taken from Lunch with Haley.

Top staffing firms aren’t just selling differently — they’re selling smarter.

In this Lunch with Haley, we’ll walk through the essential tools, content, and AI workflows every staffing firm needs in 2026 to shorten sales cycles, differentiate effectively, and empower buyers to make decisions faster.

Expect to Learn:

Whether you’re refining your process or rebuilding it, this Lunch with Haley gives you a sharper sales toolbox for 2026.

When it comes to marketing a staffing firm, few people know the industry like David. He literally grew up in the business. He has been helping staffing companies create innovative marketing strategies and award-winning websites for more than 25 years.

Brad is a Certified Inbound Marketing professional, and he has managed the implementation of digital marketing campaigns for hundreds of staffing firms. Brad stays on top of new marketing and technology trends, transforming them into winning strategies for staffing and recruiting firms.

Rachel is a recruitment and sales automation expert specializing in marketing automation strategy and execution for clients large and small. With experience in both recruitment automation and B2B sales strategy, she brings a unique perspective to the potential of automation tools in the industry. Rachel excels in making sophisticated platforms accessible and valuable for staffing and recruiting professionals – delivering actionable strategies to drive sales leads, qualified applications and customer retention.

In this episode of Take the Stage, Brad Bialy sits down with Emily Burroughs to unpack why reputation, relationships, and human-centered communication are becoming the ultimate competitive edge in a world increasingly shaped by AI, content overload, and brand noise.

Emily Burroughs is the founder of EB Connection, where she helps organizations align communication, culture, and operational clarity so strategy actually scales. With deep roots in staffing, workforce solutions, leadership communication, and brand transformation, Emily brings a rare ability to translate complexity into messaging that moves people and drives outcomes.

Brad Bialy is a trusted voice and highly sought-after speaker in the staffing and recruiting industry, known for helping firms grow through integrated marketing, sales, and recruiting strategies. With over 13 years at Haley Marketing and a proven track record guiding hundreds of firms, Brad brings deep expertise and a fresh, actionable perspective to every engagement. He’s the host of Take the Stage and InSights, two of the staffing industry’s leading podcasts with more than 200,000 downloads.

Book a 30-minute business and marketing consultation with host Brad Bialy: https://bit.ly/Bialy30

Benefits in a Card helps staffing firms offer meaningful benefits to their entire workforce through flexible, unbundled plans designed for high-turnover environments—making it easier to control costs, improve retention, and stay competitive. https://www.BenefitsInACard.com

TRICOM partners with staffing firms as an asset-based lender and full-service back-office provider, helping owners scale confidently by reducing risk and easing the operational strain of payroll, cash flow, and administration. https://www.tricom.com

"Personal Branding” might be the most overused and misunderstood buzzword in modern marketing.

Sharon Bondurant is the founder of The Finders, an Arizona-based recruiting firm she launched in 1998 that has grown into a twice-named Inc. 5000 company with over 6,000 placements across Tech, HR, and Finance. She’s known for her human-first approach to recruiting, emphasizing long-term relationships, trust, and sustainable growth.

Brad Bialy is a trusted voice and highly sought-after speaker in the staffing and recruiting industry, known for helping firms grow through integrated marketing, sales, and recruiting strategies. With over 13 years at Haley Marketing and a proven track record guiding hundreds of firms, Brad brings deep expertise and a fresh, actionable perspective to every engagement. He’s the host of Take the Stage and InSights, two of the staffing industry’s leading podcasts with more than 200,000 downloads.

Book a 30-minute business and marketing consultation with host Brad Bialy: https://bit.ly/Bialy30

Benefits in a Card helps staffing firms offer meaningful benefits to their entire workforce through flexible, unbundled plans designed for high-turnover environments—making it easier to control costs, improve retention, and stay competitive. https://www.BenefitsInACard.com

TRICOM partners with staffing firms as an asset-based lender and full-service back-office provider, helping owners scale confidently by reducing risk and easing the operational strain of payroll, cash flow, and administration. https://www.tricom.com

In this episode of InSights, Brad Bialy sits down with David Searns to explore why selling staffing services has become harder and how firms must rethink their product, pricing, and messaging to compete in a changing market.

David Searns is the Co-CEO of Haley Marketing and one of the staffing industry’s most respected marketing strategists. With more than 25 years of experience helping staffing firms differentiate, position their services, and drive demand, David brings a deep understanding of how marketing, sales, and product strategy intersect to fuel growth.

Selling staffing hasn’t just gotten harder...the product itself may be outdated.

Differentiation starts with defining a unique product, not louder promotion.

The firms that control performance data will control the future of staffing.

Value must be defined from the buyer’s perspective—not the recruiter’s.

Specialization creates pricing power where commoditization destroys it.

[00:00] – Is staffing actually harder to sell today?

[02:41] – Why staffing penetration dropped dramatically

[05:24] – Rethinking staffing as project-based work

[07:36] – The consulting model staffing can learn from

[10:55] – Escaping the dangerous “markup conversation”

[12:57] – Using AI as a strategic thought partner

[15:21] – Why HR buyers are risk-averse

[18:01] – The call center story that changed pricing

[20:52] – Why A-players should cost dramatically more

[24:29] – The power of owning performance data

[30:41] – Stop selling to everyone: define the bullseye

[32:08] – The four P’s of marketing staffing firms ignore

Brad Bialy is a trusted voice and highly sought-after speaker in the staffing and recruiting industry, known for helping firms grow through integrated marketing, sales, and recruiting strategies. With over 13 years at Haley Marketing and a proven track record guiding hundreds of firms, Brad brings deep expertise and a fresh, actionable perspective to every engagement. He’s the host of Take the Stage and InSights, two of the staffing industry’s leading podcasts with more than 200,000 downloads.

InSights is presented by Haley Marketing. For a limited time, we're offer 50% off of a brand new staffing website. Just message Brad Bialy on LinkedIn and mention the Crazy Website Promo.

Book a 30-minute business and marketing consultation with host, Brad Bialy:

This episode is brought to you by FoxHire. If you’re looking for an Employer of Record partner that helps recruiters confidently grow contract placements and build recurring revenue without taking on extra risk, FoxHire is perfect for you. Learn more at FoxHire.com/Haley.

In this episode of Take the Stage, Brad Bialy sits down with Brett Cavanagh to explore why staffing firms must abandon the old transactional playbook, embrace a consultative mindset, and leverage technology like AI while doubling down on the human relationships that truly drive success.

Brett Cavanagh is the President of TempWorks Software and Lone Oak Payroll. With more than a decade of experience working directly inside staffing firms before moving into technology leadership, Brett now helps agencies scale through smarter systems, operational discipline, and deeper alignment between technology and the real-world demands of recruiting and staffing.

The old staffing playbook is breaking in a changing market.

Talent inventory determines who wins in staffing.

Commoditized staffing always becomes a race to the bottom.

AI won’t replace recruiters—it will expose weak ones.

The future belongs to consultative staffing firms.

[00:00] – Is selling staffing harder than ever?

[01:40] – Why cold calling candidates is fading

[04:05] – What winning staffing firms do differently

[05:49] – The shift from transactional to consultative selling

[08:24] – Why fear drives bad staffing decisions

[10:58] – The danger of competing on price

[16:03] – Building a true candidate-first experience

[21:43] – The “sports agent” mindset for recruiters

[24:45] – How AI will reshape staffing

[32:23] – AI will expose average recruiters

[37:14] – Where growth still exists in staffing

[46:03] – Brett’s advice for the next generation

Brad Bialy is a trusted voice and highly sought-after speaker in the staffing and recruiting industry, known for helping firms grow through integrated marketing, sales, and recruiting strategies. With over 13 years at Haley Marketing and a proven track record guiding hundreds of firms, Brad brings deep expertise and a fresh, actionable perspective to every engagement. He’s the host of Take the Stage and InSights, two of the staffing industry’s leading podcasts with more than 200,000 downloads.

Take the Stage is presented by Haley Marketing. For a limited time, we're offering 50% off a brand new staffing website. Just message Brad Bialy on LinkedIn and mention the Crazy Website Promo.

Book a 30-minute business and marketing consultation with host Brad Bialy: https://bit.ly/Bialy30

Benefits in a Card helps staffing firms offer meaningful benefits to their entire workforce through flexible, unbundled plans designed for high-turnover environments—making it easier to control costs, improve retention, and stay competitive. https://www.BenefitsInACard.com

TRICOM partners with staffing firms as an asset-based lender and full-service back-office provider, helping owners scale confidently by reducing risk and easing the operational strain of payroll, cash flow, and administration. https://www.tricom.com

In this episode of InSights, Brad Bialy sits down with Hailey Birkner (Account Manager with Haley Marketing) to unpack why retention is built between deliverables and how intentional account management drives deeper relationships, stronger loyalty, and more revenue from the clients you already have.

Hailey Birkner is an Account Manager at Haley Marketing, where she helps staffing firms turn strategy into sustainable momentum. With a background in automation and client experience, she lives at the intersection of service, clarity, and trust—coaching clients toward consistent, long-term success.

Retention is earned between the wins.

Consistency beats intensity—every time.

Silence is not success; feedback fuels growth.

Automation supports relationships, it doesn’t replace them.

Authenticity is your only real competitive advantage.

Brad Bialy is a trusted voice and highly sought-after speaker in the staffing and recruiting industry, known for helping firms grow through integrated marketing, sales, and recruiting strategies. With over 13 years at Haley Marketing and a proven track record guiding hundreds of firms, Brad brings deep expertise and a fresh, actionable perspective to every engagement. He’s the host of Take the Stage and InSights, two of the staffing industry’s leading podcasts with more than 200,000 downloads.

InSights is presented by Haley Marketing. For a limited time, we're offer 50% off of a brand new staffing website. Just message Brad Bialy on LinkedIn and mention the Crazy Website Promo.

Book a 30-minute business and marketing consultation with host, Brad Bialy: https://bit.ly/Bialy30

This episode is brought to you by FoxHire. If you’re looking for an Employer of Record partner that helps recruiters confidently grow contract placements and build recurring revenue without taking on extra risk, FoxHire is perfect for you. Learn more at FoxHire.com/Haley

In this episode of Take the Stage, Brad Bialy sits down with Nicole Krensky to break down how AI is separating the leaders from the laggards in staffing and what firms must do now to stay competitive.

Nicole Krensky is Director of Product Marketing at Bullhorn, where she leads go-to-market strategy for Amplify, Automation, and Search & Match. With nearly a decade in tech marketing and deep exposure to AI adoption across staffing firms, Nicole works directly with companies navigating the shift toward AI-powered recruiting.

AI adoption is no longer optional—it’s operational.

The pack is already separating.

Automation amplifies recruiters; it doesn’t replace them.

Database depth is a competitive weapon.

Curiosity with action beats hesitation.

[00:39] – How AI is reshaping staffing firms

[02:25] – The evolving role of the modern recruiter

[05:12] – Leading AI adoption without team resistance

[09:26] – Using AI to drive recruiting firm growth

[12:10] – Why AI creates competitive advantage

[13:11] – Best first step for AI in recruiting

[16:10] – Eliminating the resume black hole with AI

[18:30] – Improving candidate experience through automation

[23:53] – Quick-win AI tools for recruiter productivity

[28:35] – Increasing recruiter output with AI workflows

[31:57] – Cleaning and leveraging your staffing database

[35:44] – Advanced AI strategy for staffing leadership

Brad Bialy is a trusted voice and highly sought-after speaker in the staffing and recruiting industry, known for helping firms grow through integrated marketing, sales, and recruiting strategies. With over 13 years at Haley Marketing and a proven track record guiding hundreds of firms, Brad brings deep expertise and a fresh, actionable perspective to every engagement. He’s the host of Take the Stage and InSights, two of the staffing industry’s leading podcasts with more than 200,000 downloads.

Take the Stage is presented by Haley Marketing. For a limited time, we're offering 50% off a brand new staffing website. Just message Brad Bialy on LinkedIn and mention the Crazy Website Promo.

Book a 30-minute business and marketing consultation with host Brad Bialy: https://bit.ly/Bialy30

Benefits in a Card helps staffing firms offer meaningful benefits to their entire workforce through flexible, unbundled plans designed for high-turnover environments—making it easier to control costs, improve retention, and stay competitive. https://www.BenefitsInACard.com

TRICOM partners with staffing firms as an asset-based lender and full-service back-office provider, helping owners scale confidently by reducing risk and easing the operational strain of payroll, cash flow, and administration. https://www.tricom.com

In this episode of Take the Stage InSights, Brad Bialy sits down to interview ChatGPT (yes...the AI-powered LLM) to unpack the real state of staffing, the rise of AI, and what firms must do now to stay relevant in a rapidly shifting talent market.

For sake of this conversation, ChatGPT was primed to be an AI strategist and staffing industry analyst specializing in the intersection of talent markets, technology, and future disruption. With a data-driven lens and objective insights, ChatGPT explores how automation, workforce trends, and evolving recruiter roles are reshaping the future of staffing.

Transactional recruiting is dying; consultative partnership is winning.

AI will eliminate tasks, not the need for trust.

Specialization builds authority; dilution breeds confusion.

Data is no longer optional—it’s your competitive edge.

Speed matters, but humanity closes the deal.

[00:01] – Resetting the staffing narrative

[01:52] – The uncomfortable truth about talent shortages

[03:34] – Why recruiters must become career architects

[06:32] – Specialize or slowly disappear

[07:49] – Selling roles vs. solving business problems

[08:22] – Designing candidate experience that actually wins

[12:02] – When AI becomes a gatekeeper (and how to stop it)

[14:26] – The legacy mindset killing growth

[17:43] – The questions that elevate you to strategic partner

[21:53] – What AI will automate first — and fast

[25:48] – Fewer recruiters. Bigger results. Here’s why.

[29:35] – The AI blind spot redefining success

Brad Bialy is a trusted voice and highly sought-after speaker in the staffing and recruiting industry, known for helping firms grow through integrated marketing, sales, and recruiting strategies. With over 13 years at Haley Marketing and a proven track record guiding hundreds of firms, Brad brings deep expertise and a fresh, actionable perspective to every engagement. He’s the host of Take the Stage and InSights, two of the staffing industry’s leading podcasts with more than 200,000 downloads.

InSights is presented by Haley Marketing. For a limited time, we're offer 50% off of a brand new staffing website. Just message Brad Bialy on LinkedIn and mention the Crazy Website Promo.

Book a 30-minute business and marketing consultation with host, Brad Bialy: https://bit.ly/Bialy30

This episode is brought to you by FoxHire. If you’re looking for an Employer of Record partner that helps recruiters confidently grow contract placements and build recurring revenue without taking on extra risk, FoxHire is perfect for you. Learn more at FoxHire.com/Haley

In this episode of Take the Stage, Brad Bialy sits down with Paul Petersen to unpack why the candidate black hole still exists in recruiting and how human-centered, tech-enabled recruiting can finally fix it.

Paul Petersen is a fractional CHRO and executive workforce strategist with more than 30 years of experience helping organizations modernize talent acquisition, HR technology, and workforce strategy across global enterprises. He’s known for blending deep HR tech expertise with a relentless focus on the human experience for both talent and hiring managers.

Speed without intention creates invisible talent.

Screening out is easier than building trust—but far less effective.

Communication is the real differentiator in modern recruiting.

Technology should amplify recruiters, not replace them.

Great recruiters act like agents, not gatekeepers.

[00:23] – Why the candidate black hole still exists

[02:54] – Screening out versus screening in explained

[05:16] – When “speed to hire” becomes the wrong metric

[06:48] – The two personas that actually matter

[08:35] – Can AI really fix the candidate experience?

[10:33] – The Domino’s pizza tracker analogy for recruiting

[14:02] – Why talent pools are massively underutilized

[16:26] – Predicting talent needs before jobs open

[20:53] – Paul’s 300-application job search story

[25:11] – Why recruiters should think like sports agents

[30:37] – The hiring manager’s missing voice in HR tech

[35:27] – Integrity as a long-term recruiting advantage

Brad Bialy is a trusted voice and highly sought-after speaker in the staffing and recruiting industry, known for helping firms grow through integrated marketing, sales, and recruiting strategies. With over 13 years at Haley Marketing and a proven track record guiding hundreds of firms, Brad brings deep expertise and a fresh, actionable perspective to every engagement. He’s the host of Take the Stage and InSights, two of the staffing industry’s leading podcasts with more than 200,000 downloads.

Take the Stage is presented by Haley Marketing. For a limited time, we're offering 50% off a brand new staffing website. Just message Brad Bialy on LinkedIn and mention the Crazy Website Promo.

Book a 30-minute business and marketing consultation with host Brad Bialy: https://bit.ly/Bialy30

Benefits in a Card helps staffing firms offer meaningful benefits to their entire workforce through flexible, unbundled plans designed for high-turnover environments—making it easier to control costs, improve retention, and stay competitive. https://www.BenefitsInACard.com

TRICOM partners with staffing firms as an asset-based lender and full-service back-office provider, helping owners scale confidently by reducing risk and easing the operational strain of payroll, cash flow, and administration. https://www.tricom.com