How ABR Employment Services Powered Growth in a Challenging Market
About
ABR Employment Services delivers tailored staffing solutions - direct hire, temporary, remote, and on-site. A driven subsidiary of non-profit Forward Service Corporation, we support community services, keeping us “Powered by Purpose.” In 2009, ABR acquired Kinsa Group, a food and beverage executive search firm.
Results
Point increase in client satisfaction NPS over 12 months
Detractors in client feedback
Years in a row winning Best Of Staffing for Client and Talent Excellence awards
ABR Employment Services Achieves Record Client Satisfaction Rates and Profitable Growth
In an industry where many staffing firms struggled, ABR Employment Services (ABR) not only perseveres, but thrives. By implementing strategic leadership changes, embracing innovative technology, and reinforcing their core mission, ABR significantly improves client satisfaction and expands their business despite a shrinking market. We spoke with their leadership team to understand the keys to their success.
A Legacy of Excellence Faces New Challenges
Since its founding in 1987, ABR Employment Services has been a respected name in staffing across Wisconsin and Minnesota. Their mission to "make an extraordinary difference" in job seekers’ lives, their clients’ businesses, and the communities they serve has guided them for over three decades. ABR’s excellence is proven by having won a Best Of Staffing for Client and Talent Excellence award every year since 2011.
However, as they entered 2023, ABR faced significant challenges:
- A shrinking job market due to economic uncertainty
- Industry instability as competitors closed
- Internal leadership transitions, including a new company president
- The need to stand out in a crowded market
Brad Johnson, ABR’s newly appointed President, recognized that maintaining the status quo wouldn’t suffice. "We had a good baseline of what we were doing," Brad explained. "Our Net Promoter Score of 66.7% was already beating industry standards. But we knew we could do even better."
Assembling a Dream Team for Transformation
The first step in ABR’s transformation was building the right leadership team. Jon Wise was promoted to lead the recruitment team, Dana Pasterski, already a 20-year ABR veteran, expanded her leadership in operations and Jamie Mayer was added as new Director of Sales. Combined, they have over 50 years of industry experience.
"This whole leadership team was new,” Johnson noted. "We faced challenges like late-paying clients and inefficiencies in recruiting, but we also had a strong foundation to build upon.”
Rediscovering Their "Why"
ABR revitalized its core mission with a new rallying cry: "Powered by Purpose since 1987." More than a slogan, this reaffirmed their unique position as a for-profit company supporting Forward Service Corporation, a non-profit bridging education and employment gaps.
"Everything we do supports a higher purpose," Johnson emphasized. "Our profits help sustain Forward Service Corporation in case of budget cuts or grant reductions. It ties us back to our whole mission of giving back to the community."
This deep community connection became a key differentiator. "We emphasize our non-profit partnership to clients, and it truly sets us apart," Mayer added.
Small Changes, Big Impact: A Culture of Continuous Improvement
With their renewed purpose, ABR focused on operational improvements. They leaned on ClearlyRated’s (CR) technology as a guide. Informed by the actionable insights provided by CR’s feedback data, Pasterski and the team were able to make operational improvements to their internal interview process, standardization strategy, touchpoint frequency, staffing solution customization and even the adoption of other technologies. Pasterski said the small changes had power in numbers.
"We created a huge list," Dana shared. "It wasn't one big overhaul, but a lot of small tweaks that added up to significant improvements."
As time went on ABR’s team became even more effective at using CR to provide NPS-improving client and candidate experiences. With easy-to-use technology, ABR’s employees were able to gather and understand feedback and then implement new strategies quicker and more effectively all to positive results.
Over 12 months ABR saw less miscommunications, more consistent client and candidate experiences, and more actionable data analysis as their NPS rose.
Embracing Innovation in Recruitment
“At ABR, we believe innovation isn’t just about keeping up—it’s about staying ahead,” said Wise. “By embracing advanced recruitment technologies, we’ve streamlined our processes, reduced drop-off rates, and delivered better outcomes for both candidates and clients."
A critical aspect of ABR’s success was its adoption of advanced technologies, including CR’s ability to automate CX processes and analyze data over time. ABR took manual work such as sending surveys and automated them which saved time and energy. They were also able to effectively plan for the future by understanding historical trends in CR’s data analysis month over month.
Other recruiting technology investments like AI-powered candidate matching, applicant tracking software automation and enhanced screening processes lead to improvements like faster submission of qualified candidates to clients, lower candidate drop-off rates and more satisfied candidates and clients, respectively.
Elevating Client Relationships
While operational changes and technology adoption are crucial, ABR knows staffing is, at its heart, a people business. As such, they set out to improve their client relationships and started by utilizing their own partner relationship.
ABR led the drive to improve, but were able to lean on their CR white glove service and dedicated customer success manager for help. Their CSM helped ABR see insights in the data and expedite the journey from feedback to action. With this partnership as a tool in their belt, ABR created an innovative method.
"We implemented more of a 'Team Lead' approach," Mayer explained. "One individual from ABR was assigned to a client to be that person they would go to with every question, every concern, any new orders."
This approach allowed ABR to be more personal with clients, provide more consistent and responsive service and better anticipate each client's unique needs.
"We truly listen to what each client needs and deliver accordingly," Mayer stated. "This level of customization has been a game-changer."
Record-Breaking Satisfaction and Growth
ABR’s re-commitment to purpose and small, but impactful changes lead to an increase in NPS from an already impressive 66.7% to 88% in just 12 months. Their overall improvement in experience management led to even more impressive numbers:
- 100% of clients answered the NPS driver questions positively
- Zero detractors in client feedback
- 51% of ABR's customers were new clients
- An increase in gross profit margin
This growth in profitability, achieved during a period when many competitors were struggling to survive, underscored the effectiveness of ABR's strategic changes. With a focus on speed while maintaining accuracy, they were able to increase retention, recover previous business and decrease the time to fill openings with candidates already in their ATS.
With tangible success, ABR again turned to CR. This time to promote their results and prove they were the industry leaders. ABR earned CR Best of Staffing awards in both Client and Talent Experience as well as consistent positive testimonials on the CR Directory. Both items provided third party validation that helped build ABR’s reputation in the market and attract new business.
Keys to Success in a Challenging Market
ABR started as an industry leader, but finished as an industry role model. Over the course of their 12 months of exceptional growth, the firm gained important insights about how to succeed in difficult times.
- Remember your core purpose and values
- Balance technology with the human touch
- Everyone row in the same direction
- Listen to, and act on client feedback
ABR was able to combine leadership alignment, powerful technology and, most importantly, humanity to create staffing excellence. Johnson mentioned that’s where it all started in the first place.
"We wanted to get back to our roots; back to the basics of recruiting," Johnson said.
Looking to the Future
Despite their achievements, ABR remains committed to further growth. They plan on expanding their AI and automation tools, deepening their non-profit connections and moving into new markets and locations.
ABR’s transformation showcases how a staffing firm can not only survive, but excel in a difficult market. Their ability to innovate while staying true to their mission not only resulted in record-breaking client satisfaction and strong financial growth, but also an “extraordinary difference” in the lives of their clients, candidates and communities.
Resources that elevate your efforts
2025 Staffing Insights Report (Talent Edition)
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Download your copy today and thrive in today’s competitive landscape.
Many thanks to our sponsors:
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Don't miss this opportunity to learn from industry leaders and gather actionable insights to empower women in your workforce. Let's work together to create a more equitable and thriving staffing industry.
Panelists:
Robin Mee
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- 2025 Survey Findings: 10 Staffing Buyer Trends
- Data-Driven Takeaways: Understand the numbers behind each trend and learn the essential takeaways your firm needs to succeed
- Strategic Guidance for 2025: Equip your firm with actionable strategies to thrive in a competitive landscape
Download your copy today and thrive in today’s competitive landscape.
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