[Stage] Barry Asin - Staffing Industry Trends: AI, Growth and Leadership

What are the staffing industry trends in 2025? With AI, economic shifts, and technological disruptions, firms must adapt—or risk falling behind.

Barry Asin, President & Chief Analyst of Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA), joins Brad Bialy to break down key trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the industry.

SIA is the leading authority in staffing research, and Barry’s insights help top firms navigate uncertainty and stay ahead of the competition.

This is a big episode—we’re covering SIA’s latest research, why "Flat is the New Up," and how leadership separates thriving firms from struggling ones.

Plus, we discuss SIA’s upcoming Executive Forum on March 10, the must-attend event for staffing leaders.

Whether you’re a staffing firm owner, recruiter, or industry executive, this episode is a must-watch to stay ahead in 2025.

If you've seen content from Staffing Monthly or Haley Marketing, you’ll love this episode. Barry Asin has advised the world’s top staffing firms and brings exclusive insights on how to lead and grow in today’s industry.

5 Key Takeaways from This Episode:

✅ Why "Flat is the New Up"

✅ The impact of AI on recruiting?

✅ How top staffing firms are staying ahead.

✅ The leadership mindset shifts that separate thriving firms from struggling ones

✅ Why small and mid-sized staffing firms can still compete with billion-dollar tech giants

 

Chapters & Key Moments

00:01 - Introduction: Barry Asin on the staffing industry's outlook for 2025

00:10 - Why the industry is stabilizing and SIA’s 5% growth projection

01:14 - Sector breakdown: Healthcare staffing struggles, IT and AI’s impact

03:07 - "Flat is the new up": How firms should view growth in 2025

06:34 - Election years and their impact on staffing demand

07:28 - AI in staffing: A threat or an opportunity?

11:01 - What top staffing firms do differently: Embracing change

14:18 - Growth mindset: How leadership shapes long-term success

18:07 - Biggest threats to the staffing industry in 2025 and beyond

23:56 - Competing with tech-driven platforms like Amazon and Upwork

27:41 - How small firms can stay competitive despite massive tech budgets

28:41 - Preview of SIA’s upcoming Executive Forum

30:25 - What is Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA)?

32:57 - Rapid fire: Barry’s top book, best career advice, and Bills' Super Bowl hopes

 

About the Speakers

Brad Bialy has a deep passion for helping staffing and recruiting firms achieve their business objectives through strategic digital marketing. For over a decade, Brad has developed a proven track record of motivating and educating staffing industry professionals at over 100 industry-specific conferences and webinars. As a visionary leader, Brad has helped guide the comprehensive marketing strategy of more than 300 staffing and recruiting firms. His keen eye for strategy and delivery has resulted in multiple industry award-winning social media campaigns, making him a sought-after expert and speaker in the industry.

A leading authority on workforce solutions worldwide, Barry Asin is renowned for his expertise on staffing and contingent labor. He served as Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA) president from 2010 through 2024 with overall responsibility for the company’s global strategy, operations and growth. Asin has been with the company since 2003, where he previously led the team responsible for SIA’s award-winning research and content. As chief analyst he continues to focus on developing SIA’s thought leadership, conference content, long-term strategy and product development.