Illinois Search and Staffing Association

There are many good reasons to be a member of the Illinois Search and Staffing Association! ☑ Your company listing in the ISSA Member Directory on our website ☑ Event registration for your entire team at the member rate ☑ Access to resources and information that support your business ☑ Legislative alerts and industry updates ☑ Industry-specific training in sales, recruiting, and management ☑ Networking to gain valuable insights for your business Join today at www.issaworks.com

Attention law firms: We have 3 Legislative Sponsorships available for 2025. Package inclusions: 1) 12-month ISSA Membership, 2) Panel speaker opportunity at the Midwest Conference, 3) Virtual presentation to ISSA Members, and 4) Ticket to the Owners Retreat in the fall. Email info@issaworks.com for more information!

Thank you to all of our members for supporting the Illinois Search and Staffing Association over the past year! We have an exciting lineup of top-tier content coming in 2025. Now is a great time to join and take advantage of member discounts throughout the year. Email info@issaworkscom for more information. #ISSA #2024Recap #JoinISSA #Staffing #Recruiting #HappyNewYear

Welcome to the Illinois Search and Staffing Association Board of Directors, Kelly Gillespie! Kelly is a franchise owner at Express Employment Professionals in Dekalb, IL. We're delighted to have her join our leadership team! More about Kelly: I'm a driven entrepreneur and passionate staffing professional with a story that’s anything but ordinary! What began as a modest start in outside sales over 10 years ago, knocking on doors and building partnerships from scratch, has blossomed into a thriving staffing agency. Over the years, I have developed an eye for talent, a knack for business strategy, and an unshakeable belief in the power of human connection. But it's not all about business. Along the way, I discovered the joy of transforming lives—whether it's helping a job seeker land their dream role, guiding a company to build their dream team or most importantly, forming new and cherished friendships while out in the field. Each challenge, each success, has been a step forward to creating something bigger than just a staffing agency; it's become a place where businesses and people grow together. While building my agency, I understood that to stay ahead in the staffing world, continuous learning and community involvement were key. That’s when I first became aware of the Illinois Search and Staffing Association (ISSA), a vital resource for staffing professionals looking to stay informed, involved and connected. After attending one of their events, I recognized the immense value of networking with other staffing industry experts and engaging on the latest trends and best practices in staffing. Through the ISSA, I have strengthened my agency’s reputation, gained invaluable insights, formed lasting relationships with peers who share my commitment to excellence and been able to live out the Express Employment Professionals tagline of helping people succeed. As an introverted personality, when I am not working on innovative staffing solutions, you’ll find me working on renovation projects around my house, spending time with my children and grandchildren or smooching my beloved puppy Valentine G. #ISSA #2025BoardofDirectors

It was cold outside but welcoming inside, at the ISSA Roundtables and Holiday Event at Alter Brewing Company! Great conversations, apps, beverages on tap and a raffle rounded out the evening. We recognized two extraordinary ISSA volunteers, Victoria Hill, MHRM, CSP, PHR, CDE and Lance Snider for their enormous contributions to the association 🏆 and we thanked Joseph Gallelli, our President for the past two years. The ISSA is fortunate to have had your leadership. Thank you to all who came out to support the ISSA and enjoy a little holiday fun with us! 🎄 Extra-special thanks to everyone who brought items for Sharing Connections in Downers Grove. Your donations of toys, family games and gift items will go a long way toward making the holidays bright for families and individuals in need. For more information about this wonderful organization and the items they collect all year long, visit their website at https://lnkd.in/ggfwfq9w Happy holidays to you and your families! See you in 2025! #ISSA #holidayevent #holidaygiving

Please welcome Monica Guillory, joining the ISSA Board of Directors for 2025-2026. We are thrilled to add Monica to the Board; she brings a wealth of leadership experience to the Illinois Search and Staffing Association. More about Monica: "I’m currently Sr. Vice President HR, People and Culture with SURESTAFF LLC, a full service staffing firm headquartered in Itasca, IL.  I joined Surestaff after 20+ years with RRD Donnelley (RRD) leading corporate Diversity & Inclusion as well as Human Resources Sr Director of its $1B Logistics division. After leaving RRD, I founded Back Pocket Wisdom Consulting to continue the work I’m passionate about – enabling Leaders to lead inclusively and employees to grow and thrive in the workplace! I hold certifications by SHRM, CSP, and EQ-i. My experience equips me to work effectively both strategically and practically with C-level executives, middle managers and individual contributors. I lead with integrity and cultural humility as it’s important to “walk the talk” and I strive to do so at all times. I’m also an unapologetic promoter of FUN at work! I know that people tend to meet organizational goals to the extent their own needs too are met. We get there, together. I also speak publicly and have been recognized for my work; most recently being named a 2025 Top Honoree for Leadership and DEI Impact in workplace, community and board service by DMBA. However, I am most proud of creating a Mentoring framework which has enabled many others to use their voice, find their strengths and lead. Afterall, it is unique individuals coming together committing to common goals that form teams to create business success. It’s always about the People. Surestaff is committed to making people and business work! Thus, in 2022 when I was asked to join Surestaff’s executive team to strengthen the HR function and build an inclusive Culture, I enthusiastically said YES! Outside of work, I delight in spending time with my huge family, great friends, reading and traveling. Deeply experienced in HR, but new to staffing, after joining Surestaff I began volunteering with ISSA to learn about the industry from leaders in this space. The excellent, experienced staffing leaders and members in ISSA welcomed me and generously shared their knowledge and insights. I’m very grateful for the opportunity to serve on ISSA’s Board and contribute to advancing the staffing industry, building meaningful relationships and helping our members succeed as we look ahead to 2025 and beyond." #ISSA #2025BoardofDirectors

The ISSA welcomes Kari Kravish (Shoufer) to the Board of Directors! We're grateful to Collinwood Technology Partners for the introduction, and so fortunate to have her talents "on board"! Here's a little more about Kari: As most recruiters say, they "fall into" recruiting and that statement rings true for my experience. I always knew I wanted to work with people, and my background in customer service led me to my current role as a professional recruiter. My corporate recruiting career started off at a major e-commerce solutions/digital marketing agency and then transitioned into recruiting for clients in various industries here at Collinwood.    During my first week at Collinwood, I was asked to attend an ISSA Young Professionals event. I immediately made some new network connections (that would eventually become close friends) and I knew this was an organization I wanted to be a part of. After another year of going to the ISSA events, meeting new people, and learning about our industry, I joined the ISSA as a Board Volunteer and aspired to become an official Board Member.   My husband and I welcomed our first child earlier this year- a boy! When I'm not focused on recruiting and staffing, I enjoy snuggling him and our two rescue pups, as well as traveling, playing video games, and engaging in creative pursuits like photography or art. I absolutely love hiking and am a huge National Parks nerd. We're looking forward to sharing our future adventures with our newest little traveler. #ISSA #2025BoardofDirectors

Join us December 4th for great conversations, food and beverages and a prize raffle too! Here's a preview of the Holiday Event Roundtable topics: Delegating Difficult Conversations Leadership Turnover/Work-life Balance Engaging and Retaining Workforce Improving Communication With Your Clients Utilizing Tech and Process for New Business Development Improving the Candidate Experience Dos and Dont's of Social Media