[Stage] Mike Cleland - Can We Stop the Staffing Industry's 3-Year Decline?

In this episode of Take the Stage, Brad Bialy is joined by Mike Cleland, founder of Charted Path, for an insightful conversation on the real challenges and opportunities in the staffing and recruiting industry. As economic data shows disconnects between GDP growth and staffing performance, Mike provides a compelling breakdown of why the industry has underperformed and how accountability at every level is the missing link. The two discuss the importance of strong sales culture, resilience in recruitment, and the critical role of leadership in driving lasting change. Mike shares hard-earned lessons from coaching hundreds of firms and breaks down what distinguishes high-performing teams from struggling ones. Whether you're leading a staffing firm or just getting started in the industry, this episode delivers a masterclass in growth strategy, cultural alignment, and personal development.

5 Key Takeaways from This Episode:

✅ Who is accountable for the staffing industry’s underperformance?

✅ Become a sales team, not order takers

✅ How should you address toxic high-performers?

✅ Common traits of a company poised for growth

✅ Can small firms compete with the Goliaths in the room?

Chapters & Key Moments

00:00 – Why the staffing industry is underperforming 01:25 – The accountability gap in staffing 03:56 – From order takers to proactive sales teams 06:31 – Sales rejection, resiliency, and realignment 08:05 – Leadership's role in resetting accountability 09:53 – Coaching high-performers and learning from them 11:28 – Top-down and peer-to-peer accountability 13:41 – Culture and the power of peer influence 15:13 – Addressing toxic high-performers 18:17 – Red flags in staffing firm culture 20:45 – Traits of a company poised for growth 26:32 – Can small firms compete with Goliaths? 28:21 – About Charted Path and Mike’s work 29:29 – The book that changed Mike’s business mindset 34:06 – Advice for those starting in staffing

About the Speakers

Brad Bialy has a deep passion for helping staffing and recruiting firms achieve their business objectives through strategic digital marketing. For over a decade, Brad has developed a proven track record of motivating and educating staffing industry professionals at over 100 industry-specific conferences and webinars. As a visionary leader, Brad has helped guide the comprehensive marketing strategy of more than 300 staffing and recruiting firms. His keen eye for strategy and delivery has resulted in multiple industry award-winning social media campaigns, making him a sought-after expert and speaker in the industry.

With over 30 years of experience in the staffing industry, Mike Cleland helps executives achieve their growth goals through leadership development and organization design. As the founder of Charted Path, Mike has worked with owners and executives on optimizing organizational structure, company governance, business planning, sales strategy, process improvement, performance management, and compensation plan development. Mike has worked with over 140 companies ranging from start-up to $600 million in every major staffing vertical.

As a former president of a $60 million IT staffing company, Mike understands the practical challenges of execution and helps clients develop focused and feasible solutions that management teams can implement. When not working with his clients, Mike shares his knowledge through various articles and speaking engagements. His latest book Breaking Through: Leadership Disciplines from Top Performing Staffing Firms, was co-authored with Barry Asin, President of SIA, as a follow-up to Behind the Wheel: Driving Excellence in Staffing Operations. Mike was named to the Staffing Industry Analysts Top 100 in Staffing for many years. He is also an Everything DiSC and Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team Partner as well as a Certified Contingent Workforce Professional through Staffing Industry Analysts.