Express Employment Professionals’ Kayla Edwards, the managing partner overseeing the Springfield, Jacksonville and Bloomington locations, sees a post-pandemic reset in staffing.
“After a period of elevated demand and fluctuation coming out of the pandemic, the staffing industry is seeing a more balanced and sustainable phase,” she said. “Employers are once again able to focus on building a high-performing, skilled workforce to drive revenue and improve efficiencies.”
Vikki Whitefoot, director of recruiting and consulting services for Levi, Ray and Shoup, Inc., has hired thousands of IT consultants over her nearly 20 years in the position. She agrees that hiring has stabilized.
“I’d say we’re in a better place than we were a year ago. Job orders from clients are up, placements are up, conversations with clients are more grounded, with more intention behind their hiring. Staffing has always been cyclical; that’s the nature of the business.”
However, talent shortages are no longer cyclical – they’re long-term, according to Edwards. “Demographics are working against supply as a large portion of the workforce is aging out. Retirements in skilled trades and industrial roles are outpacing new entrants. Fewer younger workers are entering trades, as they’ve been enticed to pursue four-year degrees. Finding an electrician, plumber or carpenter to come to your home will be increasingly difficult.”
Also, skills mismatch is widening. “Advanced manufacturing now requires technical aptitude, certifications and problem-solving. Accounting and administrative roles increasingly require new software and AI proficiency,” Edwards said. “Jobs are evolving faster than the talent pipeline.”
Whitefoot said talent shortages in three IT areas – security, data and AI – are most acute. But she added if you’re an IT professional who can solve real business problems, clients will bring you on board.
Talent drift, with high school graduates choosing to attend college out of state, is a continuing problem, according to Edwards.
“Illinois is losing many of our college-bound students to other states, and too many don’t come back. That puts more pressure on employers to find and develop talent locally. What we’re seeing really isn’t a temporary shortage – it’s structural. Across skilled trades, accounting, administrative and legal roles, there are simply fewer people entering the workforce with the right skills, while experienced workers are retiring. At the same time, jobs are becoming more technical and specialized. That combination is creating a long-term imbalance that employers can’t solve with traditional hiring alone.”
Shannon Heisler, director of marketing and corporate communications at Levi, Ray & Shoup, Inc., said LRS is working to combat that talent drift. “At the corporate level, where we hire people to work in headquarters for our different divisions, we’re seeing that drift. We try to combat it with a robust internship program where we make connections early with students to try and keep them in central Illinois.”
Workers today are looking for flexibility, career growth and support for their well-being, and increasingly prefer control of their work schedule. Also, there is an increase in flexible and contract work.
“Employers are prioritizing flexibility to manage costs and uncertainty,” Edwards said. “They’re using staffing firms to scale workforce up or down quickly. There’s shift in the industry from transactional recruiting to true workforce partnerships. Employers aren’t just looking to fill roles – they need flexible, strategic solutions to navigate ongoing labor shortages and changing workforce expectations.”
Whitefoot said hiring evolves with each generation. Companies must adapt, figure out what’s important to their workforce and build a culture where employees feel supported.
How is AI reshaping recruiting and staffing? Edwards said AI has moved from experimental to operational in the staffing industry.
“AI is improving efficiencies across multiple functions such as sourcing, screening and scheduling. Recruiters are shifting toward relationship-building and advisory roles. Express Employment Professionals is adopting new systems including an AI assessment tool providing more accurate and meaningful insights into candidates’ proficiencies.”
Whitefoot pointed out that AI can also create challenges in hiring. “Companies are seeing that AI is creating great resumes for every position, so while you used to be able to look at a resume and determine if it was a good fit, now you have to use something to combat the use of AI in resumes and interviews.”
There is concern among IT workers, and others, that AI might replace them. However, Whitefoot believes that while AI is a powerful tool in the IT industry, humans are still needed to design systems and evaluate what works for individual companies.
“If anything, the demand for people who can think critically and solve problems has gone up, not down,” she said. “The work is evolving, but that’s always been true in tech. If anything, AI has made the need for STEM education even more important. We need to continue to build the pipeline for tech talent.”
To that end, LRS is reaching out to students as young as junior high. “The sooner we can get them excited about STEM and tech, the better,” said Heisler. LRS recently participated in a central Illinois STEM event in Rochester and an event targeting eighth graders sponsored by the Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology, stressing to students the importance of logic, problem-solving and critical thinking as they prepare for their careers.
Last year, it was predicted that more employers would require employees to work onsite, rather than remotely. That trend is continuing.
“As more people are available for positions, companies are finding it is better to have them on site, at least at a hybrid level, for collaboration and cost-effectiveness,” Whitefoot said. “We prefer a hybrid environment here at LRS.”
In central Illinois, the workforce challenges are real, especially in skilled roles, concluded Edwards. “What’s changed is that companies are no longer asking if they should partner with staffing firms – they’re asking how to use them more strategically to stay competitive.”
Lynn Whalen has a background in broadcast journalism and higher education public relations, most recently as Chief Communications Officer at Lincoln Land Community College.
This article appears in May SBJ 2026.