Staffmark

10/26/2026

Posting a job you aren’t actually filling can cost more than you think. “Ghost jobs” – openings that remain advertised without resulting in a hire – are attracting greater scrutiny as candidates navigate an already difficult job market.

But regulation isn’t the only risk. Repeatedly advertising jobs that never appear to be filled can erode candidate trust and damage employer reputation.

Today’s applicant could be tomorrow’s hard-to-find hire.

Read more in Workforce Optics: https://staffmark.com/workforce-optics-october-2026/

10/23/2026

Companies are raising concerns about communication, professionalism and critical thinking among early-career talent. At the same time, those are exactly the human capabilities becoming more valuable as AI takes on more technical and routine work.

The challenge for employers is two-sided: hire for the skills that matter, but recognize that early-career employees still need opportunities to develop them.

Entry-level talent isn’t supposed to arrive fully formed.

Read more in Workforce Optics: https://staffmark.com/workforce-optics-october-2026/

10/20/2026

Warehouse and light industrial shifts are opening up fast as peak season ramps in. If you want in before the good shifts fill, this week is the week to apply, not next month. https://staffmark.com/job-seekers/

10/19/2026

Interest in trade careers is growing, but demand is growing faster. Research cited in this month’s Workforce Optics estimates a shortage of 1.3 million skilled workers annually at current enrollment rates. And with more than a quarter of skilled-trade workers approaching retirement, demographics could make the gap even harder to close.

As companies invest in data centers, manufacturing facilities and infrastructure, the talent employers struggle to find may increasingly be the hands-on skills technology can’t easily replace.

Read more in Workforce Optics: https://staffmark.com/workforce-optics-october-2026/

10/16/2026

We are proud to share our Sustainability Progress Report FY2025: it highlights how we put people at the heart of sustainable progress.

Discover how we are shaping a future of work that is more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable.
🔗 https://smgroupna.com/sustainability-progress-report-people-at-the-heart-of-sustainable-progress/

We are proud to share our Sustainability Progress Report FY2025: it highlights how we put people at the heart of sustainable progress. Discover how we are shaping a future of work that is more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable.

10/15/2026

Two names on this year’s SIA's Global Power 150 Women in Staffing list will look familiar: our CEO, Stacey Lane, and Executive Vice President Barbara Simmer.

The list is in its 12th year. It recognizes 150 women from staffing firms around the world whose leadership has made a measurable difference to their companies and to the industry.

Stacey has led Staffmark Group through a period of real change. Throughout it, she has held that technology should make room for the human connections this work depends on. Barbara has driven our sales and recruiting performance and helped our teams put new tools to practical use for clients and the people we place.

Congratulations, Stacey and Barbara!

Read more: https://smgroupna.com/staffmark-group-leaders-named-to-sias-2026-global-power-150-women-in-staffing/

10/14/2026

Employers added just 29,000 jobs, unemployment edged up to 4.2%, and hiring remained muted across nearly every major industry. Revisions to previous months also showed less job growth than initially reported.

But another part of the labor market is beginning to tell a different story: job postings and employer hiring intentions are showing signs of improvement.

In the latest Workforce Optics, we look at what these conflicting signals mean for employers—and whether today’s subdued hiring could be setting the stage for a shift ahead.

Read the latest issue: https://staffmark.com/workforce-optics-october-2026/

10/13/2026

Three questions to ask before you say yes to a job offer, and none of them are about salary. What does the first 90 days actually look like? Who will you report to, and have you actually met them? What happens to this role if the person above you leaves? Salary gets negotiated. Culture and structure don't, not after you've started.

Ready for a role where the answers are easy to give? Browse open opportunities: employeeworkplace.com

10/12/2026

Congratulations to Evan Nedwick of Advantage Technical, one of our Staffmark Group family brands, named a National Staffing Employee of the Year All-Star for Engineering, IT, and Scientific. Our team made the trip to tell him in person.

W'ere proud to be part of a team that shows up.

10/09/2026

World Mental Health Day is this Saturday, and the workplace angle isn't a footnote to that conversation, it's a big part of it. Burnout doesn't clock out because you found a new job, and a new job doesn't fix it either if the pace never changes. If you're navigating a hard stretch right now, take the break, make the call, ask for the accommodation. Your work will still be there. Your wellbeing has to come first for any of it to hold up.