Across numerous industries, companies are grappling with a growing challenge: the inability to fill critical roles with qualified talent. Employers are struggling with a gap in workforce skills, rising turnover, and increased pressure to maintain productivity. Despite these challenges, one solution continues to deliver consistent results: strategic staffing through a proven franchise model.
Express Employment Professionals, the leading global staffing provider franchise, placed more than 427,000 people in jobs in 2024 and generated $3.7 billion in sales. Behind these numbers is a network of locally owned offices that combine the flexibility and drive of local ownership with the strength, tools, and support of a global brand to deliver essential workforce solutions.
Scalable Staffing Solutions for a Shifting Economy
In a labor market defined by volatility, agility is everything. Companies must constantly evolve to meet the demands of today’s workforce. Staffing agencies have become fundamental partners in this process, offering solutions that help businesses respond in real time.
Express’s franchise-based staffing model is uniquely positioned to meet these demands. Local owners bring regional knowledge and relationships to the table, while the franchise structure allows them to offer a diverse range of services. This allows franchise operators to support businesses across multiple sectors.
Growth within this model doesn’t rely on dramatic overhead expansion. It’s based on building value-based relationships with existing clients, adding niche recruiting capabilities, or expanding into underutilized sectors in the local economy. With systems and support already in place, franchisees can focus on scaling operations in step with market demand, making the model both flexible and sustainable.
Importantly, staffing franchises tend to perform well through various phases of the economic cycle. When the economy is strong, businesses need talent to fuel growth. When uncertainty sets in, they rely more heavily on staffing partners to maintain workforce efficiency without long-term risk. This versatility makes staffing franchises a compelling choice for entrepreneurs seeking both impact and durability.
Support Systems That Empower Local Owners
Running a successful staffing agency is more than filling open positions. It’s about connecting with people in a meaningful way, managing risk, and helping local economies thrive. That’s a tall order, especially for first-time business owners. However, Express’s franchise model offers critical infrastructure and ongoing support that helps local operators succeed without having to build from scratch.
Franchisees typically begin with hands-on onboarding that covers industry basics, operational processes, and business management. Beyond launch, ongoing education and peer learning opportunities are built into the model, from regional workshops to annual conferences to virtual learning sessions that keep owners informed about industry trends and best practices.
Day-to-day operations are often bolstered by dedicated coaching in areas like sales, recruiting, and team development. Franchisees also gain access to centrally developed marketing resources and operational tools that streamline key functions, helping them stay focused on building client relationships and growing their business.
Technology plays a vital role in this ecosystem. With access to enterprise-level platforms, franchise owners can manage compliance, track performance, and improve the experience for both clients and job seekers. These tools lower the barrier to entry and allow local owners to compete with national staffing firms while maintaining the personal service that defines their value.
This combination of autonomy and support is what makes Express especially powerful. Owners are empowered to lead in their communities, shape local workforce solutions, and build lasting businesses, all while being part of a broader system that’s invested in their long-term success.
A Model That Builds Businesses and Communities
Express franchise owners operate at a unique intersection of business development and community service. On one hand, they’re building scalable, sustainable enterprises with the potential for long-term growth. While this is happening, they’re helping individuals take meaningful steps forward in their careers by supporting local economies from both sides of the hiring equation.
Each job placement can represent a turning point: a parent reentering the workforce, a recent graduate landing their first role, or a skilled worker finding a better opportunity. These placements ripple outward, boosting household stability and enabling business growth at the same time.
Many staffing franchisees extend their reach beyond day-to-day operations by partnering with nonprofits, chambers of commerce, schools, and workforce development programs. These relationships help drive initiatives like career fairs, resume workshops, and interview coaching, further expanding access to employment for those who need it most.
This kind of community involvement is often a key differentiator. Franchisees who are deeply embedded in their local markets tend to earn the trust of both clients and candidates, which in turn leads to stronger networks, more reliable referrals, and longer-lasting relationships with internal staff. Over time, their offices become known not just as staffing providers, but as workforce partners.
As labor markets continue to shift, that local expertise and adaptability become even more valuable. Staffing franchisees are often best positioned to meet employers where they are, offering tailored, responsive solutions in a world that rarely stands still.
Meeting a Fundamental Need
In a business landscape defined by uncertainty, Express Employment Professionals offers a powerful solution: a franchise model that helps companies solve workforce challenges while giving entrepreneurs the tools to succeed on their own terms.
With a strong foundation, broad market demand, and a mission rooted in helping people, Express continues to grow, placing millions of individuals in jobs and making a tangible impact in communities across the country. In a recent Express Employment Professionals-Harris Poll survey, more than half of employed job seekers (55%) reported working longer hours or extra shifts just to make ends meet, making the impact especially meaningful. Staffing challenges may be reaching new heights, but so is the potential for franchisees who are ready to meet them. Franchising with Express isn’t just about building a business. It’s about building a legacy—one job, one client, one community at a time.
By Vinny Provenzano, Senior Vice President of Global Franchising, Express Employment Professionals