Openwork Awarded 2023 Fastest Growing Staffing Firms by Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA)

2023 Fastest Growing Staffing Firm

A fresh newcomer, Openwork has quickly built a name for itself by marrying a deep heritage in the staffing and recruiting industry with a modern, talent-focused approach. Although the Austin, Texas-based firm was founded in 1967, new owners Sydney Small and Stephen Santrach joined the fold in 2020. The company has since grown quickly, following a new strategy, new resources and modernization — including a new brand. Openwork primarily serves the fastgrowing sunbelt region of the United States, covering several states from California to South Carolina. The firm specializes in office clerical and professional services, light industrial and engineering, and nurse staffing, enabling Openwork to balance depth of knowledge in a core set of industries with enough diversity to weather economic fluctuations and grow sustainably.

A Recipe for Growth

From the start, Small and Santrach saw an opportunity to bring synergy to smaller, fragmented staffing firms. They noticed many firms lacked the resources needed to be competitive by today’s standards, and they met several family-owned firms with excellent bones but no place for the legacy to continue when the family was ready to retire. The duo began by acquiring one such company and then crafted a growth strategy based on thorough market research, thoughtful acquisition, and organic expansion across their target regions. (Acquisitions are excluded from growth calculations for SIA’s Fastest-Growing US Staffing Firms list.)

Santrach, who primarily focuses on finance and merger and acquisition opportunities, explains that Openwork carefully evaluates a prospective acquisition. His team looks for both top-tier talent and cultural fit before moving forward and investing in the technology, marketing and sales resources needed to integrate the firm into the Openwork family. And when entering a new market, the team focuses on retaining local expertise while integrating operations and culture, with Small at the helm. “Being local is a competitive advantage for Openwork,” she says. “We live and work in the markets where we find talent and jobs, and we can make better matches between clients and talent when we have market density.”

Putting People First

The thoughtful M&A strategy is just one contributor to Openwork’s rapid growth; the organization’s culture and team are the most fundamental ingredients, according to Small. “We are a people business. Building a strong culture is the most important thing we can do,” she explains. “This is the real secret to our growth. We don’t have a 1-800 number to call — we are real, accessible people, with hundreds of years of combined staffing experience. Openwork is the home where the best talent in the industry go to build careers.” The impeccable service we provide our clients has fueled our growth organically in both new and existing markets. The people-first philosophy at Openwork includes its internal team as well as its talent and clients. Santrach describes the relationship among these groups as a three-legged stool. He explains, “We want interacting with Openwork to feel like an elevated experience, not just for our clients but for all three of our stakeholder groups. You cannot neglect any one of them.” This is evidenced by Openwork’s approach to investing in technology while fostering a warm, personal customer experience. “Technology makes us efficient, but it cannot replace the nuanced expertise and bespoke service it takes to truly be a talent solutions provider,” Small explains. “We help our clients optimize hiring processes, culture and retention, which is why many of our relationships have endured for decades.” Openwork also offers talent and clients a one-stopshop experience, from screening and background checks to payroll, all done in house. “Outsourcing these elements could lead to delays if problems arise, which would compromise the white-glove service to which Openwork is committed,” Small observes. “For us, our customers always come first. To meet that promise, we oversee the full customer journey.”

Openwork’s Legacy

Openwork has grown by offering an elevated experience to markets they know firsthand while prioritizing exceptional service for each of their stakeholder groups. Small sums it up well: “There is nothing better than finding people rewarding work and partnering with companies to find the talent they need, which helps the community grow. This is what Openwork is all about.”