This webinar covers why modernizing the middle and back office is one of the most overlooked but profitable moves a staffing company can make. Along with Kevin O’Neill, our CEO Kirti Shenoy discusses how fragmented payroll, onboarding, and billing processes are holding companies back and how purpose-built solutions can unlock scale, speed, and compliance without increasing headcount.

We dive into the real challenges staffing companies face today: from manual I‑9s and invoicing delays, to compliance risk and AI readiness. We also highlight emerging trends in staffing tech stacks, including the shift away from all-in-one legacy platforms toward staffing-specific modular tools—and how automation is helping lean teams move faster than ever.

Key takeaways from the webinar:

Middle and back office processes are still stuck in the past

Kevin sets the stage with industry research from SIA, showing that while staffing-specific front-office software (like Bullhorn) is widely adopted, the back office remains fragmented. Many companies use generic tools or aging all-in-one platforms—and struggle with disjointed workflows, slow payments, and compliance risk. He explains why modernizing the back office is quickly becoming a competitive imperative.

Staffing companies fall into three tech stack categories

Kirti outlines three types of companies: those using legacy all-in-one platforms (like Avionté or TempWorks), those stitching together general-purpose tools (like QuickBooks or bill.com), and those using modular, staffing-specific tools built for the industry. She shares how the most efficient and scalable companies are moving to the third category—and why staffing-specific tech unlocks faster onboarding, better compliance, and higher margins.

Automation is the secret weapon for lean teams

With tight 24–48 hour turnaround cycles between timesheet approval and payroll or invoicing, lean teams need software that can prep everything for review. Kirti shares how Zeal customers automate onboarding paperwork, shift-based payroll, garnishments, tax compliance, invoice creation, and even payroll funding. The goal isn’t just speed—it’s precision and peace of mind at scale.

Real-world case studies show the power of staffing-specific ops

Zeal customers like WorkGenius and LawTrades have scaled revenue dramatically without increasing overhead. WorkGenius expanded from $7M to $100M in 3 years across 35+ states by automating payroll and compliance. LawTrades grew while running lean, with one operations lead managing onboarding, payroll, and billing—powered by Zeal’s automation layer.

AI is only useful if your infrastructure is AI-ready

Kevin and Kirti discuss what it means to be AI-ready in the staffing world. It starts with cloud-native, API-first tools that support real-time data, integration, and automation. They warn that without the right foundation, AI agents “die at the integration layer.” But for companies with the right infrastructure, AI can power tools like Zeal’s CSV importer (which normalizes time tracking files from 20+ sources) and garnishment extractor.

Onboard, pay, and bill can be fully automated—with human review as backup

Kirti explains how Zeal has built a fully integrated onboard-pay-bill platform where information flows seamlessly, and admins only need to review and approve. From dynamic onboarding packages to paycards and instant pay, modern staffing operations can run faster—with less manual work and greater confidence in compliance.

Start where it matters: go where the money is

When asked where companies should start if they’re behind, Kirti shares two pieces of advice:

1. Audit your team’s workflows and identify bottlenecks.
2. Prioritize the most financially impactful areas—onboarding delays, invoice lags, payroll errors—and fix those first.
   

Modern vendors like Zeal don’t charge heavy implementation fees, making it easier for small to midsize companies to get started quickly.

If you’re interested in how modernizing your middle and back office can help you grow faster, stay compliant, and reduce overhead—we’d love to talk. Zeal powers staffing operations for the next generation of high-growth staffing companies. Connect with Sales.