In early August, Avionté hosted its annual user conference, Avionté CONNECT. This year’s conference welcomed more than 1,000 attendees from the staffing and recruiting industry. Avionté CONNECT aims to serve as an industry event, not just a conference on our software. Therefore, we invite partners in the staffing industry, along with our clients, to share their knowledge and experience. With the unique challenges our world faces today, we brought in an industry expert to discuss staffing industry growth projections for 2020.

One such industry partner is Tom Erb. With a staffing and recruiting career spanning over 25 years, Tom Erb has established himself as one of the industry’s top subject matter experts. He is one of the most highly sought-after national speakers in the staffing industry, presenting to a variety of industry organizations including the American Staffing Association, National Association of Personnel Services, TechServe Alliance, and dozens of state and regional staffing and recruiting conferences. Tom is the author of Winning the Staffing Sales Game. He writes the monthly column Recruiting Today for ASA’s Staffing Success magazine. Tom is a former president of the Ohio Staffing and Search Association and the Human Resources Association of Central Ohio. He is also the chair for the National Association of Personnel Services (NAPS), and former chair and current member of ASA’s Professional-Managerial Section Council.

“Avionté CONNECT was a fantastic event that I had the privilege to speak,” Tom said. “In this current world of virtual conferences, Avionté set the new standard with their event. In my session, Staffing Industry Insights, I discussed the importance of positive attitude in tough times, how economic indicators are pointing to a strong recovery for the staffing industry, and they key areas we should be focusing on in both recruiting and sales to maximize our upcoming opportunities. Those with a positive approach and solid recruiting and sales plans will come out of this downturn stronger than they entered it.”

Tom’s session provided expert insight into 2020 staffing industry growth projections. He shared an optimistic view of where the industry is headed, stating that every economic downturn has an opportunity. With higher unemployment comes a larger talent pool. Competition may also thin out or present opportunities for acquisition. Additionally, Erb painted a picture of the current economic landscape that is perhaps not as dire as the headlines suggest. Erb used Avionté’s Real Analytics Weekly (RAW) report to show the year-over-year comparison, demonstrating that the industry almost hit 2019’s numbers on July 4th. He commended the Avionté RAW series, stating that the numbers and growth are consistent with what he’s seeing across the industry.

While COVID-19 rattles our world, Erb suggests ways firms can prepare for a resurgence in orders in their vertical. COVID-19 affects the economy and workforce is unique ways. Unlike a typical economic downturn, the pandemic is a global health crisis. Returning to work has become a moral issue rather than an economic one. Therefore, certain industries are bouncing back earlier than others, and Tom shares those predicted milestones in his projections. He also provides useful, tangible suggestions for preparing for the resurgence in your market. He recommends re-engaging your existing database of clients and talent, tailoring your message to the varying levels of job seekers, and kick-starting your sales process.

To hear Tom Erb’s staffing industry growth projections for 2020, watch the entire presentation recording here:

Industry Insights with Tom Erb