Placing people in jobs is hard in any economy. But 2020 threw the employment rulebook out of the window. Our ecosystem — staffing companies, MSPs, VMSs, RPO providers, human cloud platforms — cratered. Staffing Industry Analysts revised its forecast to project a 17% overall revenue decline last year. Covid-19 had brought an abrupt end to a decade of sustained growth in the US staffing industry.

But industry leaders went to battle displaying exceptional leadership skills in a year unlike anything felt before. It is from this group that we chose the 2021 Staffing 100 list. Congratulations to these luminaries on their successes, despite everything that was thrown at them.

Not only did these leaders deploy thousands of clinicians and other healthcare workers across the US in support of clients and patients, but their accomplishments also include launching new solutions (including human cloud platforms and direct-sourcing programs), growing revenue, embracing what tech had to offer by making investments in technology innovation and helping their clients move toward Total Talent Management — a development that has been touted in the last two decades. Further, these icons helped their teams adapt to a remote way of working alongside clients and talent while finding creative ways to communicate and support the needs of all the stakeholders internal and external.

They also listened to their internal teams and talent, addressing inequities in their organizations — and the industry as a whole. Some put in place DE&I programs; others continue to support the diversity cause in myriad ways. Resourceful, agile and forward-thinking, these honorees have subscribed to the putting-people-first philosophy and have in the process given their teams and talent a leg up.

Sponsored by Indeed, this list is a shout-out to those elevating the industry. It is not a ranking. Amid Covid-19, we received a flood of nominations. Unfortunately, it’s not feasible to place everyone on the list. But we do have 33 new names. The 2021 Staffing 100 comprises CEOs, entrepreneurs, technologists, operation gurus, innovators — people from a wide range of fields dedicated to the world of work.

The editorial team asks that you continue to send in your recommendations. Remember, the list of who’s who allows us to highlight those that are making a difference and leading the industry to greater heights. The ecosystem benefits from knowing what these august individuals are doing.

We salute the 2021 Staffing 100 bright lights. They have displayed their humanity and raised the bar for the ecosystem in an unprecedented time. The list at a glance is on page 27.