Openwork

• Rank: 84
• Headquarters: Austin, Texas
• Top staffing segment(s) served: Industrial, Office/Clerical
• Final 2023 revenue: $35.8 million
• Final CAGR 2019 through 2023: 25.3%
• Website: openwork.com

No stranger to the SIA Fastest Growing US Staffing Firms list, Openwork is making significant strides across the Sunbelt region of the United States.

The firm has expanded its footprint into Mississippi, Tennessee and the Carolinas, while also growing its healthcare service offerings to include dialysis travel nursing and allied local services. “Our strategy is to grow from our core, branching out across the Sunbelt into adjacent regions with strong economic tailwinds of population and wage growth,” says co-founder Sydney Small. By the looks of it, Openwork is capitalizing on every opportunity.

The firm’s diversified service offerings include manufacturing, logistics, skilled trades, clerical and professional placements in the commercial sector, as well as travel and local nursing in the healthcare space. With its sister companies, QS Nurses and Aerospace Solutions, soon to be housed under the Openwork brand, the firm is solidifying its position within the ecosystem.

The North Star 

While Openwork has grown through geographic and service-line expansion, they are not the primary drivers of the company’s tremendous growth. A strong focus on company culture is Openwork’s “north star,” according to Small. Her partner and co-founder, Stephen Santrach, couldn’t agree more, adding that Openwork wants to be “the most sought-after staffing company to work with and work for,” which starts and ends with culture.

“We’re seeing top talent increasingly choosing to exit organizations where culture has drifted away from a people-centered focus; looking for environments like Openwork where their contributions are celebrated,” Small explains. Openwork’s core value of putting people first is a game-changer for professionals hungry for more than just a job. To underscore their commitment to the team, Small and Santrach recently hired industry veteran Amanda McLendon as VP of talent and culture.

McLendon believes “culture thrives when you put people at the heart of your decision-making process, and you truly invest in their growth and well-being.” Putting action behind these words, Openwork has invested heavily in learning and development this past year, creating opportunities such as an enhanced onboarding experience, launching Openwork University, a new mentorship program, team collaboration opportunities, and building clear pathways for growth. According to McLendon, Openwork’s people-centered approach is resulting in greater collaboration, creativity and trust. “This ethos creates an environment where employees have buy-in and a direct connection to and personal responsibility for company growth,” she explains.

The Future Is Bright 

While hiring superstar talent and building winning teams have contributed to Openwork’s success, Small would add one other element to the mix: white-glove service. By championing a return to basics — answering the phone, being responsive and tailoring its services to the needs of both clients and the talent — Openwork has created a differentiator that powers growth. “Our team is united and energized by a shared philosophy of raising the bar in terms of customer experience,” Small explains. “Surprisingly, prioritizing the customer experience has become an innovative strategy in this industry. By up-leveling the customer experience, we show them what to expect from a true staffing partner.” 

Openwork remains laser focused on maintaining service quality as it grows. By developing a dynamic team culture, the right technology stack, strong operational structures, and high standards of service delivery, Openwork has built a foundation that will endure the test of time. And the future is bright, as Openwork thinks not only about the next several years, but also what the next several decades of growth will look like. McLendon sums it up well: “When you truly put people at the center of everything you do and you see them as your biggest asset, it’s hard not to win.”