The Staffing Show

You bought the AI tools. But your recruiters are still drowning in clicks.

In this episode of The Staffing Show, Hilary Baker sits down with Danny Ashraf, Chief Revenue Officer at Leoforce, to explore where the staffing industry is on the Gartner Hype Cycle. They also discuss what separates the firms climbing the slope of enlightenment from those still stuck in the trough.

You’ll hear:

Healthcare staffing is facing tighter margins, faster technology shifts, and rising customer expectations, but long-term value still starts with people, expertise, and trust. In this episode of The Staffing Show, David Folwell talks with Shane Jackson, President of Jackson Healthcare and author of Fostering Culture and This Is the Thing, about building durable companies in a changing market. Shane explains how specialization shapes Jackson Healthcare’s 20-plus brands, why principles must remain firm while methods evolve, and how leaders make their values credible through the decisions they reward and enforce. They also dig into the essential role of healthcare staffing, how a 10% MSP fee is reshaping the value chain, and why Shane thinks AI will raise the value of judgment and domain expertise.

AI has the ability to improve productivity when it’s used correctly. Welcome back to another episode of the new segment of The Staffing Show. Managing director of StaffingHub, Hilary Baker, is here with David Fowell to discuss all things AI. This time, they’re touching on the promise of AI, what increased productivity actually means, and what’s going wrong if that promise isn’t being delivered. Tuning in, you’ll hear all about how AI has affected David’s productivity recently, the danger of pointing AI at the wrong tasks, what the right use of AI looks like, and more. We delve into how to avoid falling into AI “rabbit holes” before discussing why using plan mode is essential before starting an AI project. We even touch on David’s favorite AI models and how to select models as a business owner. Finally, you’ll be inspired to try something new this week to improve your AI literacy, and therefore, your overall productivity. Thanks for listening! 

How can AI help staffing agencies move beyond simply filling roles to becoming true employment partners for their clients? Steve Farrell, COO of Your Employment Solutions and the host of The Staffing Playbook Podcast, joins us to explore how AI and emerging technologies are reshaping the staffing industry and helping agencies deliver long-term value for their clients. Steve begins by sharing the story behind Your Employment Solutions and how his interest in AI evolved into a key part of the business strategy. He then walks us through the early stages of implementing AI; revealing how those efforts ultimately led to more than 1,000 new placements. We also unpack Steve’s practical TCLD framework: a simple, memorable system for identifying where technology can drive meaningful change within staffing businesses. Along the way, he discusses how the role of the recruiter is evolving, what skills will become increasingly valuable, and where he believes the industry is headed next. Tune in for a practical, forward-looking conversation on how staffing agencies can embrace AI to work smarter, strengthen client relationships, and build lasting competitive advantage.

What does it take to build one of the fastest-growing staffing firms in the U.S.? In this episode, David Folwell sits down with Dan Mastropolo, Chief Visionary Officer at Shift Fillers, to discuss the company’s technology-first approach to staffing and the strategies that helped it earn the top spot on Staffing Industry Analysts’ 2026 Fastest-Growing Staffing Firms list. Dan shares how Shift Fillers has leveraged automation, referral networks, and operational innovation to scale rapidly, the lessons learned from growing the business, and why technical leadership, AI, and financial discipline are becoming essential for staffing firms. He also offers his outlook on the industry’s future, workforce trends, and the evolving role of technology in staffing. Tune in now!

AI is making it easier than ever to build custom tools, but does that mean the traditional staffing tech stack is becoming obsolete? In this episode of The Staffing Show, David Folwell is joined by Lauren B. Jones, Founder of Leap Advisory Partners and The Real AI Agency, to explore what AI really means for staffing firms and why success depends on building the right habits, not just adopting new tools. Lauren explains why many AI projects fail, how operators should approach building and managing AI agents, and why clear KPIs, strong operating systems, and thoughtful implementation matter more than chasing the latest technology. They also discuss the importance of CEO involvement, AI governance, data protection, continuous learning, and the mindset staffing leaders need to thrive as AI evolves. Listen in for practical guidance on using AI to create real value without losing sight of the fundamentals!

We all know that AI can be wrong, but as we run it for longer periods of time, it can be harder to catch these errors. During this series, we are sharing what we’re learning about AI and discussing best practices, and on this episode with Hilary Baker and David Folwell, we explore three levels of AI hallucinations and how we can avoid them. Join us as we unpack the cost of AI error and where it is most reliably wrong (and right). David shares the AI systems he implements internally, and we discuss the future of AI implementation and where it might take us. He also offers prompts for staffing owners to try this week, and we explore three moves to lower the risk of confident wrong mistakes. Join us today for a practical conversation about lowering risk.

How should staffing agencies measure whether AI is actually moving the business forward? In this episode of The Staffing Show, David Folwell is joined by Hilary Baker, Managing Director at StaffingHub, to discuss effective ways of proving AI ROI in staffing. They delve into why usage and time saved alone are not enough, how to connect AI to outcomes such as fill rate, placements, redeployment, and gross profit per recruiter, and where AI tools can help teams prioritize the right workflows. They also explore the role of human judgment, emerging AI-enabled recruiter roles, and why better outcomes matter more than more automation.

There are so many different recruitment agencies to choose from, but AtWork’s unique franchise model really stands out in this industry. Today on The Staffing Show, President and COO of AtWork, Jason Leverant, joins us to discuss staffing agency differentiation, AI, marketing, and more. Tuning in, you’ll hear all about how Jason got into the staffing industry, what AtWork does, and how AtWork remains unique in this space. We delve into why communication and preparation are key before discussing the power of having physical locations for staffing agencies and why local marketing is so valuable. Jason tells us why he’s such a big fan of looking outside of the industry for new ideas, reminds us why staffing is relationship-based, shares how AtWork’s franchise model differs from other staffing agencies, and touches on how they leverage AI to improve their efficiency. Finally, our guest tells us how he sees the evolution of recruiters/franchise owners in the near future and shares why owners choose AtWork. Thanks for listening in! 

How can we make use of specific AI tools to make staffing agencies more efficient? Today on The Staffing Show, we welcome Senior Account Executive at Ringover, Taylor Stewart, to discuss their powerful AI tool, Empower, and how it’s impacting the success rates of staffing firms. Tuning in, you’ll hear all about our guest’s career, what Ringover does, how the industry has evolved since she started, and more! Taylor goes on to tell us about Ringover’s new AI tool, Empower, and what it does before discussing some of the biggest operational inefficiencies she sees within the staffing industry, and how a tool like Empower can bridge those gaps. She even tells us about their AI simulation training, Pitch Room, and touches on how other staffing agencies are beginning to adopt the use of AI tools. Finally, our guest hints at what’s next for Ringover and tells us why it’s such a unique organization. Thanks for listening!