Insights with Insiders

TRICOM

Join Tricom's CEO Julie Ann Bittner and Director of Sales Shelly Wilkinson as they interview experts on emerging trends in the staffing industry. This series is tailored to owners and executives of staffing companies, and is a valuable resource for making challenging decisions in a fluid economy. The conversations cover a range of topics, from choosing the strongest employee benefits program and company insurance platform, to implementing effective employee recruitment and training in the current staffing market. Plus, learn how leaders can foster growth opportunities in industries where demand for talent has increased.

  1. 04/16/2025

    Staffing Legislation Decoded: What You Need to Know

    In this Insight with Insiders podcast, Toby Malara, Vice President of Government Relations for the American Staffing Association, joins Julie Ann Bittner, TRICOM CEO, to discuss the latest burst of legislative activity that impacts the staffing industry on the federal and state levels. Toby advises on all staffing-related legislation and regulation, including the Affordable Care Act, immigration/I-9, paid sick leave, sales tax, and per diem issues. Toby also directs the association's political activities through its political action committee, StaffingPAC.   The new administration has brought a level of uncertainty not seen in the business world in many years. With the flurry of executive orders, it can be hard for businesses to know how to react to best protect their interests. In this podcast, Julie Ann and Toby discuss federal level changes to immigration, and specifically I-9 compliance, as well as the customer request that can cause staffing companies to run afoul of federal law if they comply. They also speak about the biggest challenge in terms of independent contractors (hint: it involves mis-classifications), and how AI tools geared to help staffing companies match their candidate pool to specific job openings are starting to come under increasing (and expensive) oversight. In addition, Toby addresses non-compete clauses and how states are taking the lead on reigning in improper usage, as well as paid leave and pay transparency. This wide-ranging conversation focuses on topics with a direct impact on staffing companies – you won't want to miss it!

    27 min
  2. 10/23/2023

    Economic Outlook for the End of 2023 and Beyond

    In this Insight with Insiders podcast, TRICOM President / CEO Julie Ann Bittner is joined by Jason Turner, Chief Investment Strategist for Great Lakes Advisors. In this role, Jason authors market and economic commentary, regularly presents in the media and to professional conferences, and works with client portfolio managers to support institutional and private clients. He is also responsible for portfolio strategy, asset allocation, and oversees the firm's manager due diligence and selection efforts. Jason's insights have historically been highly accurate, and in this podcast, he shares his thoughts into the current and future state of the economy. 2023 has been a year of unexpectedly strong growth in the overall economy, with unemployment around 3.8 percent and consumer spending remaining solid. However, the Staffing industry has slowed, seeing a 15 – 20 percent decrease year-over-year. What does this mean for the rest of 2023 and 2024? Will general economic growth continue? Will Staffing rebound, and if so, what industries hold the most growth potential? Will the Federal Reserve continue its focus on rate increases? Are we in for a soft landing or a more serious, lengthy recession? Jason addresses these issues, and more, and shares the economic indicators that support his predictions. He also speaks to how outside factors such as political turmoil, labor strikes, global unrest can impact economic markets and shares the positive economic news that often goes unreported in the media. Additionally, Jason gives specific advice to staffing company owners in these uncertain economic times. You don't want to miss this podcast filled with thoughtful, relevant economic analysis that will impact the months and year to come.

    35 min

About

Join Tricom's CEO Julie Ann Bittner and Director of Sales Shelly Wilkinson as they interview experts on emerging trends in the staffing industry. This series is tailored to owners and executives of staffing companies, and is a valuable resource for making challenging decisions in a fluid economy. The conversations cover a range of topics, from choosing the strongest employee benefits program and company insurance platform, to implementing effective employee recruitment and training in the current staffing market. Plus, learn how leaders can foster growth opportunities in industries where demand for talent has increased.