Episode Overview:

In this special holiday edition of the Staffing Buzz Network, host Bob Pettke is joined by Michelle White, Director of Customer Success at Automated Business Designs, to close out 2025 and celebrate a milestone year for Ultra-Staff EDGE.

Bob and Michelle dig into ABD’s recent recognition on G2, including the 2026 Winter Badge for Best Support in Staffing and 19 total badges spanning categories like Highest User Adoption, High Performance in Staffing ATS CRM, and Onboarding. Michelle shares what sets the ABD support team apart, from deep industry experience to a genuine partnership approach with customers, and walks through the three customer service best practices her team lives by, starting with active listening.

The conversation also highlights other standout achievements from the year, including ABD’s 10th consecutive Best and Brightest in Chicago win, 9th year as Best and Brightest in the Nation, the ASA CARE Award for participation in the Madonna Scholarship Program, and a Gold Stevie Award for Best Digital Recruitment Solutions, recognizing the Ultra-Staff EDGE AI Suite.

Looking ahead to 2026, Michelle offers a sneak peek at what’s coming for Ultra-Staff EDGE, with a strong focus on expanding AI tools and automation to give staffing professionals time back for higher-quality candidate and client interactions. She also shares her outlook on where the staffing industry is headed, emphasizing strategy, solid partnerships, and balancing speed, quality, and candidate experience.

The episode wraps up with a lighthearted holiday exchange, as Bob and Michelle trade favorite Christmas movies (Elf vs. A Christmas Story) and holiday songs, ending the year on a warm and festive note.

Listen to the Episode:

Episode Transcript:

Bob Pettke: [00:00:00] Hello, everybody, and welcome back to the Staffing Buzz Network. I am Bob Pettke. I am your host of the Staffing Buzz Network, and I am also the chief sales officer here at Automated Business Designs, and we are a full-service ATS CRM staffing company. So we provide a software solution, both front and back office, from beginning to end for companies just like yours.

Now, today is a special Christmas or holiday edition of the Staffing Buzz Network because I am joined by one of my colleagues, Michelle White who is our director of customer success. She’s started her fifth year here with the organization, and prior to that over 15 years in the staffing realms.

Bob Pettke: Michelle, [00:01:00] welcome to the Staffing Buzz Network.

Michelle White: Thank you very much.

Bob Pettke: Glad to have you. Glad to have you here. And today’s episode is gonna really be about some things that are happening that are very exciting within our organization as far as some of the accolades that we’ve received for just being able to be successful in what we do and providing that full service solution to our partners.

So we’re announcing right now that we’ve received a 2026 Winter G2 Badge for Best Support in Staffing. So you might wonder, what does that mean, G2 Support in Staffing? Michelle, can you talk to us a little bit about that award and what the G2 part of it all means?

Michelle White: Yeah, certainly. So G2 is a software review site where users can go online and give some feedback on their experience with their software.

All different kinds of software, certainly. And you know what’s really great about winning [00:02:00] this acknowledgement is really all the hard work that my team puts in into making the customer’s experience that much more enhanced. We have really great industry experience on our team here. We also have folks that really care about our users, about our customers’ success, a real true partnership on bringing them forward.

So I think that really drives a lot of the success that we have as a team. Because of that interest in getting the customers where they need to be.

Bob Pettke: So, you know, you talked about the success and the team and the dedication. You know, are there some things even to elaborate a little bit further on is what makes our support team, ’cause, you know, I’m part of the organization, right?

Bob Pettke: What makes, you know, the team that you work with and that, you know, these folks are working with and as you’re their leader. What makes that support team, what are the attributes that team that makes them different?

Michelle White: You know, it’s really the fact that they [00:03:00] are understanding the why behind what our customers do.

And that goes from, you know- Simple you know, training type of questions- and support sessions. It’s all throughout our organization and what we offer on our webinars and our social media posts, all the touchpoints with our clients to try to get them exposed. And really, our support team has great insights into what’s going on in the staffing world.

They see trends of, you know, what we receive in from our customers and can give feedback to our development team to keep enhancing the product.

Bob Pettke: No and, you know, there’s one of the things that you touched on with our webinars, there’s one of the things that I, you know, hang my hat on and that I am personally proud of as an organization is the way that we communicate. We’ve constantly got updates that are going out to the, our partners. You know, I don’t know, in the support world, if there is a such thing as [00:04:00] over-communication.

So always having the latest and greatest technology, you know, at their fingertips, and I think that’s just one of many reasons why we’re a little bit different and, you know, we’re positioned to be recognized by G2 for these badges.

Bob Pettke: You know, with that in mind you know, for our listeners, you know, one of the things that I think they would really like to know is- Now, what are some best practices that we are doing as an organization when it comes to customer service?

Michelle White: So I think it really comes down to three things. So one is active listening, and we know the difference, right? If your ears are open – Yeah … but you’re not paying attention- That’s not gonna make you successful. So it’s that active listening to really understand what the true need is, and even asking clarifying questions to make sure we understand. And then being able to translate that into the support that’s needed and the follow-up.

And that relates over to the staffing [00:05:00] industry just the same, right? Staffing has customers that we need to ensure we understand their needs, we follow up on those needs, and deliver the expectations of that partnership.

Bob Pettke: Yeah. You know, it’s one thing because people come… When they call us, you know, they’ve got an urgent need, right? There’s something going on and they need you know, our support. And oftentimes it’s just something of looking at it at a different perspective, and that’s what our team does. And you talked about active listening and I’ve talked about this recently. You know, oftentimes because we’re sitting on a pile of knowledge, you know, instead of our team listening to figure out what they’re gonna say next, they’re listening to learn, and they’re listening to disseminate the information and come up with the appropriate response, which I think is fantastic.

You know, another thing I wanted to bring up here is that, you know, with Ultra-Staff EDGE, you know, we’ve been featured in some other areas, you know, when it comes to the Winter Badges that we talked about, the G2. You know, can you tell us a little bit more about, you know, some of these other badges? I think collectively it’s something [00:06:00] like 19 badges in all.

Michelle White: Yes. We were quite flattered by the response of so many badges. So, it’s really great to know that our users are able to give those reviews. But not just that, they’re really learning the product. They understand the product. They understand how it helps them in their, you know, daily work, their long-term goals, and that’s really what we attribute that to.

Bob Pettke: Right. And I just wanna highlight some of the badges that we’ve gotten here. So- Some of the highlights are, you know, the highest user adoption badge in staffing, CRM and candidate relationship management. You know, we got a high-performance badge in staffing ATS CRM, you know. And then, you know, there’s this client relationship management and the onboarding.

These are the things where we shine. We successful. And this is, and I say that we and shine, this is gonna be that one time of year where we get a chance to kind of, you know, see how far our arms reach behind our back because I think that it’s worth noting. And the benefactors [00:07:00] of that are the people that utilize our software every day.

You know, there are thousands of people that are logging into our system every day to put people on assignment, get them paid, invoice the clients, collect it, and you know, it’s part of what the makes, makes the world go round, and it’s the beauty of staffing. You know, my question for you is this. You know, if someone is evaluating staffing software, you know, wh- why are, why would you think that these particular badges are important?

Michelle White: So you want to know that your staffing software is active in the industry. Yeah. You want to know that they’re progressing, right? As fast as technology moves, I think of when I started back in staffing, I didn’t even have a smartphone, so you know, goes to show you- Right … how fast things move. And so the accolades that we’re receiving here from G2 [00:08:00] really speak to the progression and how ABD is focused on moving technology forward.

Bob Pettke: No and it makes sense. And we’ve got some listeners that, you know, we talk about not having a smartphone and these folks will tell you, you know, they didn’t have a computer on their desk. They, you know, they were using tickets and papers and all kinds of things of that nature, so. You know, this is our last podcast of the year, so we’re celebrating the holidays.

Bob Pettke: You know, what are some achievements or accomplishments that you’re personally proud of?

Michelle White: I am personally proud of our Best and Brightest awards. So we have won for 10 straight years “Best and Brightest in Chicago”, and nine years “Best and Brightest in the Country”. So those are exciting for me. I also hire for my department, so that’s something we certainly like to promote in our recruiting efforts.

So that’s definitely something [00:09:00] that I’m proud of. Also, at Staffing World this year, we were awarded the ASA Care Award for our activity in the Madonna Scholarship Program that’s based here in Chicago, so super proud of that as well. And this year we got a Gold Stevie Award for best digital recruitment solutions for Ultra-Staff EDGE AI Suite.

Bob Pettke: Alot of this, you know, our peers were getting a chance to respond, you know, when we’re looking at these G2s in particular. And you know, we get constant feedback from our folks. And, you know, we have a team that’s dedicated. It’s here. It’s in our offices. And you know, I think these are some of the things that make us different than maybe some of the other organizations that are trying to do the same thing because it’s getting more and more challenging to try to provide.

You know, we’re in such a, like, I need something and I need it now answer. [00:10:00] And the fact that, you know, we’ve been able to deliver, you know… and again, if I had that hat, I would take it off. No need to. I take it off for your team because I think it’s just a tremendous job and the support and the customer success that you guys are bringing.

Yeah. You know, with that in mind, as we kind of conclude here, you know, I’d like to talk a little bit or kind of get your insight on, like, a sneak peek of, you know, what’s to come with Ultra- Staff EDGE in 2026.

Michelle White: Yes. We’re very excited to see the industry continue to be successful into 2026.

Some things that we’re looking forward to is really beefing up our AI tools- Yeah … and assisting in not just AI, but automation. We wanna make the experience for the users easy. We wanna give you that time back to have more quality interviews, more quality conversations with your customers, and so that’s gonna be a big focus that we’ll see throughout the program next year.

Bob Pettke: No, it’s [00:11:00] fantastic. And, you know, again, we talk about time, and being able to have a tool and be, being able to use the AI technology to do those things, it just puts our end users in a space and place where they can free up their time and spend more time with their candidates and their associates on assignment, and their clients, and driving in new business.

So, we’re gonna wrap it up with just a couple of more things here. If you had a crystal ball, you’ve been in staffing for a while, you’ve also been now on this side as a valued partner, you know, with the ATS CRM solution Ultra-Staff EDGE. If you got questions about it, you can always reach out to bob@abd.net.

But back to you, Michelle. If you had a crystal ball and again, you know, we’ve been doing this for a while, what are you seeing as far as, like, like a prognostication for 2026 in the staffing world?

Michelle White: Yeah. It’s looking good. You know, there’s gonna be that focus on a strategy and having those solidified partnerships to understand their business and move that forward.

Of [00:12:00] course, the technology is going to drive a lot of our activity, so it… even some things that are yet to come are going to be very impactful to the industry. And really keeping that speed, quality, and candidate experience very tight and, like we were just talking about, kind of, you know, giving back to our day a little time, maybe a little less stress.

Michelle White: Yeah, for sure. And benefiting from that.

Bob Pettke: Yeah. I say it all the time, if staffing was easy, anyone can do it. It takes a unique person, it takes the people that are listening to this podcast, it takes the people that are on the end of our system to be able to utilize our system and do it well. And it takes folks like you and I who have done this for a while, both in staffing and as this side, on the support side as well.

All right, last question. We have some fun. It’s the holiday season, so I got a fun question for you. You can answer it one or two, or both. So what is your favorite holiday song and/or movie? [00:13:00]

Michelle White: Well, the movie is easy because I’ve been a fan of Elf. I don’t even know when it came out. I feel like I watch it 10 times a year, Christmas season or not.

Bob Pettke: Fact check it. I think it’s 2003, ’cause I just watched it this weekend myself. It’s in my top five. It’s not my number one. It’s in the top five.

Michelle White: But that’s- What’s your number one?

Bob Pettke: My number one, again, it’s, you know, probably the little boy, “You’re gonna shoot your eye out.” It’s gonna be Christmas Story. So I’m a big fan of Ralphie, and you know, that just, I just can’t help myself on that one.

It’s just, I love that one. How about a Christmas song?

Michelle White: You know, to pick one song out of Mariah Carey’s Christmas album, All I Want for Christmas Is You.

Bob Pettke: Not me. It’s gotta be. Not me. Not you. Okay. Let the record show. You,

Michelle White: the viewers.

Bob Pettke: You.

Michelle White: Yes.

Bob Pettke: Yeah Well, and you asked, you wanna know what my favorite Christ– No, she didn’t ask, but- Yes, I did.

Michelle White: I actually, yes Do you know what my favorite Christmas song is? You’ve been singing a lot around the office, but many [00:14:00] different songs

Bob Pettke: It’s you know what? It’s kind of a crazy song, but it’s Mele Kalikimaka by Bing Crosby. You guys- Nice … do you know the song?

Michelle White: Yeah.

Bob Pettke: How does it go? Mele Kalikimaka is the Mele Kalikimaka is the- There we go

Michelle White: thing to say. Okay.

Bob Pettke: Nice. Well, there was our duet that we talked about prior to doing this podcast. Michelle, thank you for being with us on the Staffing Buzz Network. Congratulations to you, your team and the whole organization, and you know, just cheers to 2026. We’re expecting another good year as far as the solution that we provide.

We’re gonna continue to upgrade it constantly. You know, Disney talked about Disneyland was always gonna be never complete, never finished. And that’s really Ultra-Staff EDGE, always enhancing, always growing, always getting better. So thanks for being here today.

Michelle White: Thank you.

Bob Pettke: Absolutely. So again, Bob Pettke here for our holiday edition of the Staffing Buzz Network.

We’re so glad you listened. Hopefully, you had some fun along the way. And you know, remember, as I commandeered just a part [00:15:00] of Michelle’s segment, if you wanna learn more about Ultra-Staff EDGE and our organization, I’m the guy you talk to. If you’re looking to see a solution that’s out there that can best suit your needs, you don’t have to look any further.

You can email me at bob@abd.net. That’s bob@abd.net. And with that, the conclusion of our 2025 series of the Staffing Buzz Network this year. And again, thanks to Michelle for being here today. Thanks to Jennifer Mikels behind the camera, who we couldn’t do this without her making it possible. And until next year, make sure everybody has a great holiday season, and we look forward to seeing you again.