January is one of my favorite times of the year, despite the chilly weather here in Northeast Ohio. But, every year, it’s a time for me to reflect on our accomplishments from the previous year and sets the stage for discussing our goals and aspirations for the upcoming year.

Since implementing EOS three years ago, we hold a State of the Company meeting every January where we celebrate the prior year’s accomplishments and share our one-year and three-year plans. I have found this cadence adds tremendous value to the organization. First, we recap and celebrate our successes from the prior year and recognize everyone who played a part in making those happen. Following this, we review and reaffirm our commitment to our core values, core focus, core target, and marketing strategy. Next, we project our vision three years into the future, providing everyone with a clear picture of our organizational goals for the years to come. Lastly, we dive into the specifics of our one-year plan, our strategic guide propelling us toward that three-year plan.

I’d like to thank all our clients, referral partners, assignment employees, and direct hire candidates for their pivotal roles in making 2023 an outstanding year.

Here are just a few of the highlights from 2023:

• We implemented the use of NPS (Net Promotor Score) for both clients and assignment employees to ensure we continue to deliver a high level of customer service. Average client score was 9.2 out of 10 (78 NPS) and assignment employee score 9 out of 10 (76 NPS). These scores significantly outshine industry benchmarks, with the most recent Staffing Industry NPS Benchmark standing at 36% for clients and 30% for candidates.
• We continued our investment in automation and use of AI technology to add efficiency in the routine work we do. In 2023, we automated 250,000 administrative actions and communications and saved over 8,300 hours of time which gave us more time to have meaningful personal conversations with our clients and candidates.
• Three of our team members hit milestone anniversaries with SSE. Kathleen Bodnar, our Controller, celebrated 30 years, Ann Richardson, our Director of Staffing Services, celebrated 20 years, and Rachel Mack, our VP of Recruiting and Service Delivery, celebrated 10 years.

As we head into 2024, anticipate an exciting journey ahead:

• First, this year marks our 50th year in business, and we have exciting plans to commemorate this milestone and express our gratitude for your unwavering support over all these years.
• Second, based on feedback from our clients and conversations with others in the market, we are launching a new service offering this January. With 50 years of experience in recruiting, we have become experts in recruiting processes, tools, resources, and training. We are offering Recruiting Consulting to help organization review and elevate their internal recruiting strategy and process to maximize their ROI when hiring new employees.
• Lastly, in 2024 we are committed to moving forward with our long-term goal of expanding outside of Northeast Ohio.