Off the Cuff with SSi People

XPRESSi: Your Total Talent Management Solution

In this episode of Off the Cuff, Christina sits down with Matt Mackaluso, VP of Channel Partnerships at CXC Global [https://www.cxcglobal.com/], and Chris Stone, VP of Client Engagement at SSI People [https://www.ssipeople.com/], to dive deep into their joint innovation—XPRESSi. [https://www.ssipeople.com/direct-sourcing-xpressi/] This new workforce solution is designed to help companies simplify their hiring process, lower costs, and eliminate compliance headaches—all while delivering top-quality talent faster. With over 40 years of combined experience in staffing, payroll, compliance, and client engagement, Matt and Chris share valuable insights into why traditional workforce models are no longer enough and how XPRESSi offers a smarter, more flexible alternative. They pull back the curtain on how AI is changing recruiting, why compliance has become more challenging than ever, and what organizations can do today to achieve meaningful cost savings without sacrificing quality. What You'll Learn in This Episode * 🚀 The story behind XPRESSi — why CXC and SSI People joined forces and what makes this partnership unique * 💡 AI-powered recruiting in action — meet "Sammie," the always-on virtual recruiter that screens candidates at scale, accelerates speed-to-hire, and frees up humans to focus on cultural and technical fit * ✅ Compliance without compromise — discover the biggest risks companies face with contingent labor and how XPRESSi offers 100% indemnification against worker misclassification * 💰 Where the savings come from — how bundling recruitment, onboarding, payroll, and compliance can cut 25–40% of costs compared to legacy staffing models * 🔑 The three pillars of XPRESSi — partnership, delivery, and service, and why they matter for long-term workforce success * 📈 Implementation made easy — how organizations can go from scoping to go-live in just 2–3 weeks, with full support and tailored playbooks along the way Why This Conversation Matters Workforce management is rapidly evolving. Rising costs, complex compliance requirements, and growing pressure to hire quickly have left many companies stuck with outdated, expensive, and rigid staffing models. XPRESSi is built to change that. By combining AI-driven recruiting, global payroll expertise, and a fully compliant EOR solution, Matt and Chris show how businesses can achieve faster hiring, stronger retention, and significant cost reductions—while creating a better experience for both employers and candidates. If you're a business leader, HR professional, or procurement manager seeking smarter solutions for today's workforce challenges, this conversation will give you a clear roadmap to more efficiency, reliability, and savings. Connect with Matt & CXC Global: Website [https://www.cxcglobal.com/] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-mackaluso-746a252] Connect with Chris: SSi People Profile [https://www.ssipeople.com/contact-christopher-stone/] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-stone-603a675b] Connect with SSi People: Website [https://www.ssipeople.com/] XPRESSi Landing Page [https://www.ssipeople.com/direct-sourcing-xpressi/] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/ssipeople/] Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/SSIpeople] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/ssipeople/] SSi People's Job Board [https://www.ssipeople.com/careers/#/]

Shining a Light on Opportunities: Exploring Headlamp and the DoD Skillbridge Program Featuring Steve Chang

This week Off The Cuff returns to celebrate our veterans with an interview with Steve Chang, Founder of the Veteran Transition Accelerator Headlamp [https://www.myheadlamp.com/]. Steve is a retired Special Forces Officer and graduate of The Wharton School of Business where he received his MBA. In this episode, Christina and Steve unpack the huge variety of skills and qualifications that veterans bring to the job market. Steve explains how Headlamp intersects with the Department of Defense's Skillbridge program and what makes them unique within the accelerator space. Headlamp believes that humans are more important than hardware and that optimizing human potential is the most pressing issue to solve for our nation. They abhor the wasting of talent and do this by being fanatical about eliminating any friction that gets in the way of optimizing talent. Their current focus is on finding transitioning veterans the right job building a veteran transition accelerator consisting of a community of communities, access to opportunity, and last-mile training. Their product is Skillbridge-as-a-Service, to connect veterans and employers in Headlamp Fellowships and they invite all veterans to join the platform. Veterans, especially junior enlisted, are undervalued by the workforce for many reasons. And while veterans have good access to resources and to effective expert advice to call attention to their value, Headlamp thinks that the problem is structural and that these solutions can only "treat the symptoms". Headlamp believes that addressing the structural elements of Information Asymmetry and Friction will magnify the impact of existing resources. If you or your company are interested in how Headlamp can provide top-level candidates for your business please feel free to reach out to Steve at steve@myheadlamp.com [steve@myheadlamp.com]. Thanks for taking the time to listen to the pod and in doing so supporting both our retired and active service veterans who are serving all over the world to keep us safe! Topics Include: * Steve's Experience In the Armed Forces * The Current Job Market For Veterans * Unpacking and Understanding the Skillbridge Program * Why Veterans Make Such Incredible Job Candidates * How Headlamp Is Equipping Veterans For Their Future Connect with Steve & Headlamp: Website [https://www.myheadlamp.com/] Email [steve@myheadlamp.com] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/headlamp/] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/myheadlamp/] X [https://twitter.com/myheadlamp] Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/headlampinc/] Connect with SSi People: LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/ssipeople/] Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/SSIpeople] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/ssipeople/] SSi People's Job Board [https://www.ssipeople.com/careers/#/] Produced by: Social Chameleon [https://socialchameleon.us/]

Celebrating SIA 40 Under 40 Honoree Amanda Marciniak

In this special addition of Off The Cuff with SSi People I was delighted to welcome back Amanda Marciniak to celebrate her being honored as one of SIA's (Staffing Industry Analysts') 40 Under 40 Honorees. As the director of learning and development for SSi People, Amanda has a thoughtful and intentional way of teaching and coaching. A lifelong learner herself, she continually asks, "What can I give to others to help them grow and be successful?" Her contagious energy draws others in, and she is most passionate about watching those she has hired and trained move up in their own careers. In her first year with SSi People, Amanda revamped the company's training program and updated it to four weeks from six, enabling new employees to reach productivity 33% sooner. She also implemented a learning management system that provides employee access to development-focused material at any time, and she tripled the amount of content available. In addition, Amanda led the migration of a new applicant tracking system, increasing the company's capabilities to view, report, analyze and utilize data more effectively. Amanda's goal is to leave a department or company better than she found it by building structure in a flexible way that enables us to grow and thrive well into the future. In fact, at a prior employer, she created and built a recruiter and sales training program and integrated its technology tools to build a comprehensive tech stack. In this conversation we discuss the state of the staff industry while diving into the emerging trends in both technology and relationship building. Amanda shares her thoughts on how the industry is evolving and what it's going to take to stay ahead of the competition while still delivering the human component that is so essential to the work that we do at SSi People. Topics Include: * The 2023 SIA 40 Under 40 Honorees * Amanda's Journey with SSi People * The Current State of The Staffing Industry * How Technology is Affecting The Industry * The Importance of Maintaining Personal Connections The SIA 40 Under 40 [https://40under40.staffingindustry.com/amanda-marciniak-2023/] Connect with Amanda: Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandamarciniak/] SSi People [https://www.ssipeople.com/sia-40-under-40-recognizes-ssi-peoples-amanda-marciniak/] Connect with SSi People: LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/ssipeople/] Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/SSIpeople] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/ssipeople/] SSi People's Job Board [https://www.ssipeople.com/careers/#/]

The Mom Project and RISE Scholarship Featuring Rocki Howard

This week Off The Cuff returns for a delightful and inspiring conversation with Rocki Howard about training and equipping women of color for modern, higher-paying careers in tech, administration, HR, and more. Rocki is committed to helping women remain active in the workforce at every stage of their journey . She has spent 20-plus years in the human resource and talent acquisition space and is a firm believer in the power of helping people get jobs, in a culture where they are free to be themselves and change their lives. This belief has driven her career creating work cultures that allow companies to hire and retain the best talent. Currently, Rocki is the Chief Equity and Impact Officer at The Mom Project [https://themomproject.com/], helping to power the future of work one mom at a time. The Mom Project believes in the power of moms, and that diverse, talented, and committed moms are a force to be reckoned with. They believe that parenting skills sharpen business skills and know that when mom thrives, families thrive, business thrives, society thrives...and things change for the better. In this episode, Christina and Rocki discuss their passion for diverse workplaces while exploring THE RISE SCHOLARSHIP [https://work.themomproject.com/rise], a program committed to accelerating equity for moms and women of color by providing access to upskill tech certifications while harnessing the power of community and support - in six months or less, and at no cost to participants! Rocki points out the array of benefits that this program is offering while illustrating some of the perks and advantages that businesses and organizations see when investing in RISE. This is a truly inspiring conversation for women from all walks of life and a reminder of the life-changing power of equitable employment for women and moms. Topics Include: * Opportunities For Women of Color In Today's Workforce * The Empowerment That Comes with Proper Training * How The Modern Workplace Is Transforming * The Life-Changing Power of The Rise Scholarship * How Investing In Rise Could Benefit Your Business To learn more about how to Partner with RISE [https://work.themomproject.com/risepartnerform?hsCtaTracking=933b484c-66a6-4154-b389-2537d6dd1a44%7Caca7bad5-f49e-4ef4-8d28-722418b04657], message Rocki Howard on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rockihoward/] or email her directly at rocki.howard@themomproject.com. Connect with Rocki: Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rockihoward/] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/rockihowardsphr/?hl=en] Twitter [https://twitter.com/rockihowardsphr?lang=en] Connect with SSi People: LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/ssipeople/] Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/SSIpeople] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/ssipeople/] SSi People's Job Board [https://www.ssipeople.com/careers/#/]

A Beginners Guide to Conversational AI featuring Jeff Collins

In this installment of Off The Cuff Christina was excited to welcome Jeff Collins to the podcast for an informative guide to understanding the basics of conversational AI and Natural Language Processing. (NLP) refers to the branch of computer science and more specifically, the branch of artificial intelligence or AI concerned with giving computers the ability to understand text and spoken words in much the same way human beings can. This technology is the backbone of applications such as ChatGPT and Google Bard that have been making headlines over the past few months. Jeff currently serves as the Chief Strategy Officer/CISO for Lightstream, a Global Solution Innovator focused on application delivery leveraging unique infrastructure solutions tightly integrated with Next-Generation Global Intelligent IP Networks. Jeff is the ideal guest to explain to listeners the basis of how this technology is revolutionizing so many aspects of research, communication, software development, and so much more. With over fifteen years of diverse experience transforming brands, companies, and cultures by creating business solutions that drive profitable growth, Jeff is passionate about leading disruption through an insight-driven strategy that activates brands and companies by attracting customers, inspiring stakeholders, and creating community. Before joining Lightstream, Jeff led the sales and engineering organization for EarthLink's Cloud and Managed Services Division. Prior to this, he held strategy, sales engineering, and network engineering leadership roles at XO Communications and Concentric. Jeff has extensive experience designing and implementing infrastructure, application, and security convergence solutions for Fortune 500 companies worldwide. In this chat, Jeff guides us through the basics of this powerful new technology while also pointing out some of the limitations and possible abuses of applications like ChatGPT and Bard. Christina and Jeff also discuss some of the basic ways that you can protect yourself from potentially nefarious uses of this new technology and the possible need for further protections or even regulation. Topics Include: * Defining Artificial Intelligence * Understanding ChatGPT and Bard * Differentiating NLP From Search Engines * The Practical Uses of ChatGPT & Bard * The Potential Dangers of ChatGPT & Bard * Tips For Protecting Yourself & Your Family * Speculations On What The Future Holds Connect with Jeff: Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmcollins/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmcollins/] Lightstream: https://www.lightstream.tech/ [https://www.lightstream.tech/] Connect with SSi People: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ssipeople/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/ssipeople/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SSIpeople [https://www.facebook.com/SSIpeople] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ssipeople/ [https://www.instagram.com/ssipeople/] SSi People's Job Board - https://ssipeople.com/careers/#/ [https://ssipeople.com/careers/#/]