By Kathy George, President of Spherion Staffing & Recruiting
You hear the stories a lot. Stories about the bitterness, resentment, and conflicts between franchisees and franchisors, the feeling going both ways. I am here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be that way. In fact, if franchisors are purposeful about building strong bonds with their franchisees, growth will follow. Franchise systems thrive when local entrepreneurs—who bring the passion of ownership—and national leaders with strategic vision come together in support of a shared purpose. But you have to put in the work to find that balance between franchisee needs and franchisor goals. If the trust is there, franchisors who roll out new initiatives necessary for growth and success will face much less heartache than networks that have been unable to move past the ‘Us vs. Them’ mentality.
Throughout my 20-plus years with Spherion Staffing and Recruiting, I’ve witnessed firsthand how earning and maintaining franchisee trust and engagement isn’t only beneficial for company culture, but is also a solid business strategy that gets the results everyone wants. How we show up for our clients, candidates, and colleagues truly makes a lasting impact, and a big part of that support is the way we bring people together to ensure that strategic decisions strengthen not only the overarching business but also the success of the local offices and communities.
When franchisors create opportunities for collaboration at every level—engaging franchisees in strategic planning, peer mentorship, and face-to-face communication—it’s easier for everyone (even the most skeptical people) to move together in the same direction. Here are several strategies that have helped us build those connections at Spherion, and how franchisors like you can leverage trust, empathy, and collaboration to fuel your franchise system’s long-term success.
Lead with Clarity and Empathy
In my experience, the success of any initiative depends on how well we include our franchisees during the decision-making process. Franchise owners are savvy entrepreneurs and brand champions; they deserve to understand why decisions are made and to see how their feedback shapes the path forward. Setting aside time to connect with franchisees early—then giving them space to share their struggles and openly addressing their questions—can help franchisors build trust and create a strong sense of belonging within their franchise systems.
Here’s how we create space for open dialogue and feedback from our franchisees at Spherion. We regularly connect with people at all levels of the business through systemwide franchisee surveys, small peer group discussions, and franchisee-led committees tied to our strategic priorities. The result is honest insight and fresh perspectives.
We also meet monthly, and more frequently as needed, with our Franchise Advisory Council (FAC), which helps me walk in their shoes and treat each decision we make with the care and respect it deserves. Our leadership strives to create a collaborative environment that allows these discussions to be a two-way street where, together, we share insights from what we’re seeing at all levels of the industry and strategize ways that we can adjust our approach when needed. At the heart of it all, our job as the franchisor is to lead with clarity and empathy while ensuring our strategies align with our values. Our desired outcome is to empower our franchisees to take over sharing that vision with their colleagues at the local level.
Harness Peer-to-Peer Collaboration
While building a strong culture starts with franchise leadership unifying their franchise network around shared values and goals, I also believe that franchisees play a vital role in reinforcing that vision with each other and their team members.
At Spherion, we encourage franchisees within the same state or region to regularly gather and share on-the-ground insights with each other. We prioritize this type of focused franchisee collaboration by fostering connections through peer groups named after each of our strategic pillars. In addition to these groups, we support three franchisee-led committees focused on Growth, Profitability, and Evolution—in our Profitability Committee, for example, top-performing franchisees co-create strategies to improve systemwide margins.
Most importantly, our culture of transparency doesn’t stop at the franchisee-franchisor boundary. Our corporate senior leadership team, franchisees, and their colleagues join forces to attend client business reviews, support local Chamber of Commerce events, and offer networking seminars for other business owners. By bringing their staffing expertise out into the community together, our franchise owners elevate the brand locally while reinforcing the collaborative spirit that drives our entire system forward.
In-Person Experiences Build Deeper Relationships
As franchisors, there’s something special about the energy of being in the same room as your franchisees, whether for systemwide gatherings, one-on-one market visits, or simply getting together to work towards a common goal. These moments recharge teams, deepen individual franchisor-franchisee relationships, and create the kind of shared energy that just can’t be replicated over an email chain or Google chat.
An annual national franchisee meeting is a perfect extended opportunity for franchisors to share stories, celebrate wins together, and reassure your franchise network that you’re doubling down on support when the going gets tough. When you can’t be physically present, consider maintaining that human-to-human connection through on-camera video calls and regular check-ins such as town halls, peer group calls, and monthly business reviews.
Spherion’s Annual National Meeting is one cornerstone of our efforts to meet in person. I love the opportunity to connect with Spherion’s franchise owners and colleagues in personal, meaningful ways. We look forward to our National Meeting all year long. Aside from planned in-person meetings, my team and I regularly visit franchisees’ offices for in-person strategy meetings, onsite client meetings, or to participate in sales meetings with prospects. These experiences create an even deeper connection by offering the chance to hear directly from people in the field and from the communities our franchisees serve every day. This gives our corporate senior leaders a chance to offer real-world guidance, hands-on coaching, and to show up as true partners in their efforts.
Collaboration is a Business Strategy
A culture rooted in trust, empathy, and collaboration isn’t built overnight. It’s hard, but worth the effort. It takes self-reflection as leaders and as an organization. By listening to feedback, creating in-person space to deepen relationships at all levels of our organization, and facilitating opportunities for peer-to-peer collaboration, we create something much more meaningful than just business growth. We equip our franchisees to thrive professionally and grow their businesses with confidence while bettering the communities where they live and work—because they know they’re backed by a franchisor who makes decisions with them, not for them, strengthening both the brand and the people who bring it to life every day.
Kathy George is President of Spherion Staffing & Recruiting and a Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) with nearly 30 years of experience in the staffing industry. She leads the strategic direction and performance across more than 200 franchise locations nationwide, championing collaboration, innovation, and equity. Recognized as a Top Staffing Leader to Watch in 2024 and named to SIA’s Global Power 150 Women in Staffing list, Kathy is a passionate advocate for inclusive leadership and workforce transformation.