Steps for success from the fastest-growing staffing firms
It’s no secret that growth in the staffing industry hasn’t been easy this year. Despite – or perhaps because of – the headwinds of the current recruitment climate, firms have had to find new paths towards growth, exploring innovative tech investments, experimenting with new playbooks, and leveraging new and existing partnerships to move forward together.
At Bullhorn, we’re laser-focused on helping firms to position themselves for long-term growth. That’s why we’re honored to have several Bullhorn customers recognized on the SIA Fastest-Growing Staffing Firms list, which recognizes US staffing companies for their rapid growth rates and highly competitive industry performance.
We sat down with three Bullhorn customers who made the list: Lindsay Barnes, Vice President of Operations, Walker Healthforce; Aram Hampoian, President and CEO of CoreMedical Group; and Gina Curry, CEO and Co-founder of NextPath Career Partners. We learned how they’ve achieved this incredible growth, the obstacles they’ve overcome along the way, and how partnering with Bullhorn will continue to help drive their success in 2025 and beyond.
On what successful growth looks like:
For these three customers, growth is about more than just the bottom line. In addition to meeting strategic goals, for Barnes, growth includes “implementing innovative technologies, staying adaptive to an evolving workforce, and promoting a healthy, thriving organization.” Curry also measures success in terms of organizational health and client value, citing a “strong, passionate team” as one of her success criteria, in addition to continuing to deliver exceptional results to their clients.
Added Hampoian, “We believe that when someone can do more than what they were previously able to do, whether it be a process or technology solution that helps the company grow, that to us is successful growth.”
On the results their team has seen:
By focusing on delivering client value, building a strong organization, and leveraging new, innovative technologies, all three of these customers have seen incredible growth; NextPath has grown to a 10M revenue company in five years with 40 employees, said Curry. Meanwhile, during COVID, CoreMedical was able to more than double revenue while adding less than 5% of internal headcount, said Hampoian.
The results these customers have seen are also reflected in their day-to-day operations. Because of their investments in new technologies, Walker Healthforce has improved the experience for team members, clients, and consultants, said Barnes. “These investments have led to improved communication with our consultants, making them feel valued and supported. We’ve also leveraged data and analytics to refine our processes, resulting in a smoother, more efficient workflow and improved overall outcomes for everyone involved.
On overcoming barriers to growth:
Growth in today’s recruitment landscape doesn’t come without its obstacles; Barnes cited resistance to change, the fluctuating market landscape, and evolving client demands as a few. “We came out of one of the best markets we’ve ever seen into a slowdown, which affected our bottom line,” said Curry.
Changes to process and technology are necessary for long-term success, but similarly don’t come without growing pains. “Change is tough,” said Hampoian. “We try to communicate as much as possible so no one is caught off guard. People don’t like change, so we try to over-communicate during those times.”
“Open communication and providing the right tools and resources helped foster buy-in,” added Barnes, “as well as maintaining flexibility in our approach to meet both internal and external challenges head-on.”
On the steps they took to achieve their goals:
When it comes to driving growth, it’s all about teamwork. “Success was driven by having the right people in the right roles at the right time,” said Barnes. “We focused on constant support, implementing an open-door policy, and holding regular leadership meetings to ensure mutual understanding of our goals.”
These firms also focused on supporting their clients, delivering value, and, as Curry said, “investing back into the market with key partnerships.”
On how Bullhorn has supported their journey:
Firms that see success in this challenging climate are those that leverage key partnerships – like with Bullhorn. “The team is always looking to help us,” said Hampoian. “They want to know what we are trying to achieve strategically, and they’ll offer solutions, whether it be a Bullhorn solution or a Marketplace partner.”
“Bullhorn has been an incredible partner in our growth journey,” added Barnes. “The customer success team and account manager played a pivotal role in helping us rewrite our recruitment workflow to improve efficiency. Their training and resources have enabled us to maximize the CRM’s capabilities. Additionally, their support for modules like automation and analytics has been invaluable, allowing us to gather the right data to drive impactful changes moving forward.”
“Bullhorn is an instrumental part of our continued success as our business continues to grow,” said Curry. “With some of the recent acquisitions in the past two years, Bullhorn continues to set itself apart as the industry leader for staffing companies. Bullhorn has provided us more options for automation, AI, and advanced searching capabilities, which are key features and tools we need to be successful.”
“You guys bring us ideas and try to help us execute our strategy,” added Hampoian. “So, we’re in a much better position today with our database to get more out of it and effectively use it, thanks to the team at Bullhorn.”
On how Bullhorn will support them going forward:
As the market continues to shift and change, trusted partnerships will continue to be critical in staying competitive – especially when it comes to adopting revolutionary new technologies like AI. “We want to establish how our roadmap looks with AI, and we’re going to need a partner like Bullhorn to lead us through that,” said Hampoian.
“Ongoing support from Bullhorn around new technologies, especially in the onboarding process, will be critical to our continued success,” added Barnes. “We hope to leverage their expertise in helping us stay ahead of the curve.”
On the goals they’re looking to achieve in 2025:
As we approach the end of 2024, the industry is largely optimistic for the future, with ⅔ of respondents of our most recent GRID Industry Trends Report predicting revenue increases. Curry echoed this optimism, saying that she and her team are “watching the market as the fed rates come down and more contract and technology roles open.”
“As we approach 2025, we’re closely monitoring trends in contingent labor within the healthcare sector, particularly in relation to budget and workforce initiatives,” said Barnes. “We are attentive to the evolving needs of our clients, ensuring we adapt our screening processes to match their requirements and deliver the perfect fit every time.”
Learn how you can partner with Bullhorn to find new ways to move forward together.
