paul@franserve.com

$3.7 Billion in Revenue and Robust Franchise Growth Underscore a Year of Remarkable Achievements

2024 Highlights

• Revenues of $3.7 billion in the U.S., Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand
• Office Count: 870
• Employed 427,000 people
• Client Partners: 66,000

OKLAHOMA CITY — With $3.7 billion in revenue and 427,000 associates employed across 870 franchise locations globally, Express Employment Professionals marked 2024 as its fourth-best sales year in more than four decades of operations.

Franchise expansion consisted of awarding 48 franchise development agreements, including locations in California, Ontario, Texas and South Carolina.

“Our franchise owners and their teams have shown exceptional dedication and resilience in the face of challenging market conditions,” said Bill Stoller, CEO of Express Employment International. “Their unwavering commitment is the cornerstone of our success. I am incredibly proud of their achievements and the positive impact they have on our clients, job seekers and communities.”

Express received numerous accolades in 2024, earning spots on prestigious lists, such as:

• Entrepreneur: Franchise 500 List and Best in Category for 13 consecutive years, Franchise 500 Hall of Fame, Fastest Growing Franchises, Top Global Franchises, Top Franchises for less than $150,000, Top Brands for Multi-Unit Owners and Top Franchises for Veterans
• Forbes: America’s Best Professional Recruiting Firms and America’s Best Temp Staffing Firms and America’s Best Large Employers
• Staffing Industry Analysts: Fourth-Largest U.S. Staffing Firm, Third-Largest U.S. Industrial Staffing Firm, Second-Largest U.S. Office/Clerical Staffing Firm, Largest U.S. Direct Hire Firms, Largest Direct Hire Staffing Firms Globally and 13^th-Largest Global Staffing Firm
• Franchise Business Review: Top Franchise Culture, Top Franchises for Women, Most Innovative Franchises, Most Profitable Franchises, Top Franchises for Veterans and Top Franchises
• ClearlyRated: Best of Staffing® Talent and Client Diamond Award
• Franchise Direct: Top 100 Global Franchises
• Franchise Times: Top 400 (#28)
• Franchise Research Institute: World Class Franchise Since 2006

Starting 2025 on a high note, Express has once again been recognized as the Top Staffing/Recruiting Firm on Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500 list. Additionally, the company earned a spot as Franchise Direct’s 10th Top Franchise, ClearlyRated’s Best of Staffing Talent Award and maintained the Diamond Award for ClearlyRated’s Best of Staffing Client.

“At Express, the human connection is what truly differentiates us,” Stoller said. “Our ongoing commitment to linking exceptional companies with top talent ensures we remain a trusted partner in the industry, driving us to new heights and solidifying our position as industry leaders.”

Ready to join a winning team as a business owner? Visit ExpressFranchising.com to learn more about the proven Express model. With more than 100 territories available across North America and several resale opportunities, there’s never been a better time to seize this incredible opportunity.

If you would like to arrange for an interview with Bill Stoller to discuss this topic, please contact Sheena Hollander, Director of Corporate Communications and PR, at (405) 717-5966.

How Connections Improve Morale and Productivity

OKLAHOMA CITY — Over the past few months, many major companies have instituted a return-to-work policy for their employees, with some citing the change as a way to foster a stronger culture and a more productive workforce. However, according to a recent Express Employment Professionals-Harris Poll survey, workplace friendships may be the accelerator for these elements.

Nearly all U.S. hiring managers (97%) feel there are benefits to employees forming friendships in the workplace, including:

• Improving employee and company productivity (67%)
• Increasing employee morale (55%)
• Strengthening company culture (51%)
• Improving employee mental health (50%)
• Reducing turnover (44%)
• Reducing employee burnout (40%)

Friendships may help retain current employees, as 89% say employees are more likely to stay with a company if they have friendships in the workplace, with 42% strongly agreeing with this statement.

Encouraging Friendships in the Workplace
Companies appear overwhelmingly confident in their employees’ ability to form friendships in the workplace, with a strong majority (85%) believing it is easy for employees to do so. More than a third report it is very easy (34%). This perception may be attributed to the number and variety of ways companies encourage employees to establish these relationships. Nearly 9 in 10 companies (87%) use methods to encourage/help employees form friendships, most commonly through:

• Lunch events (46%)
• Encouraging meetings among peers/those at the same job level (43%)
• Hosting company retreats/get-togethers (40%)
• Mentorship programs (32%)
• Happy hours (29%)
• Group volunteer days (28%)

Interactions Outside the Workplace
Outside of the workplace, more than 95% of hiring managers believe employees at their company interact in a variety of ways, including:

• Texting/phone calls (76%)
• In-person get-togethers (59%)
• Social media interactions (53%)
• Attending events for one another (45%)

Sixty-nine percent report their company actively encourages such employee interactions outside of work. Creating a welcoming and communicative workplace may encourage friendships, and this appears to be the case for many. However, there seems to be a fine line, as 70% feel workplace interactions should be kept strictly professional.

Shifts in Employee Demeanor
Interestingly, companies have taken note of a shift in employees’ demeanor over the past few years. Forty-two percent say employees today are more extrinsically motivated (i.e., motivated to perform well for a raise, promotion or bonus) than three years ago. Nearly a quarter report employees are more confrontational (24%) and less excited about connecting with colleagues in person (24%).

Friendships in the Workplace Benefit Job Seekers and Companies
Most employed U.S. job seekers’ companies encourage friendships in the workplace, and many report the methods their companies use to encourage friendships are effective. Even though most job seekers agree that workplace interactions should be kept strictly professional, that does not necessarily mean “no” to friendships. A majority report that there are specific benefits to friendships in the workplace for themselves and their company.

Perception and Benefits of Companies Fostering Workplace Friendships
Job seekers report leaning toward being professional at work but also believe there are benefits to being friends with coworkers. Specifically, many job seekers believe there is a wide range of specific benefits they experience when they form friendships in the workplace:

• Improved mental health (47%)
• Improved productivity (46%)
• Increased desire to stay with the company long-term (45%)
• Increased morale toward the company (41%)
• Reduced burnout (39%)
• Decreased desire to quit/leave the company (34%)
• Reduced interpersonal conflicts in the workplace (33%)
• Improved opinion of company culture (33%)
• Improved opinion of the company, in general (29%)

The Value of Friendships for Job Seekers
The benefits and value of friendships in the workplace for job seekers manifest in other ways. More than half of employed or unemployed job seekers who have ever been employed (59%) report they could not get through a workday without the friendship(s) they’ve formed at work. About half of all job seekers (49%) are worried about being able to create a friendship(s) at their next company.

Employed or unemployed Gen Z job seekers are more likely than their millennial, Gen X and boomer/senior counterparts to agree they could not get through a workday without the friendship(s) they’ve formed at work (71% vs 57%, 56% and 50%, respectively). Gen Z job seekers are also more likely to be worried about being able to form a friendship(s) at their next company (67% vs 48%, 43% and 25%, respectively).

Friendships and Employee Retention
Friendships in the workplace can also benefit the company by keeping job seekers there longer. More than three-quarters of job seekers (76%) would be more likely to stay with a company if they have friendships in the workplace.

Among job seekers who have ever been employed, nearly two-thirds (65%) have stayed at a job longer than they intended because of their friendship(s) at a job. Thirty-six percent left a job they liked because they could not form friendship(s) at work.

Employed or unemployed Gen Z job seekers who have ever been employed are more likely than their millennial, Gen X and boomer/senior counterparts to have left a job they liked because they were not able to form friendship(s) at work (49% vs. 36%, 32%, and 23%, respectively).

Compared to three years ago, 31% of job seekers report employees today are less excited about connecting with colleagues in-person. Companies need to explore practical ways that work for their employees or risk losing out on the benefits of workplace friendships among job seekers.

Companies Fostering Workplace Friendships
Many job seekers report their company allows or even fosters space for friendships in the workplace in different ways. Sixty-nine percent say company culture welcomes employees sharing details of their personal lives during work hours if they are comfortable doing so.

Fifty-seven percent report that their company actively encourages employees to interact with one another outside of work. Further, about 7 in 10 (71%) employed job seekers indicate that the methods their company uses to encourage/help employees to form friendships in the workplace are effective.

Overall, job seekers are open to different methods for companies to encourage/help build friendships in the workplace. Among all job seekers, almost 9 in 10 (87%) report specific methods that have or would encourage/help them make friendships in the workplace. Specifically, the most popular methods include:

• Lunch events (42%)
• Encouraging meetings among peers/those of the same job level (42%)
• Hosting happy hours (32%)
• Hosting company retreats/get-togethers (31%)
• Affinity/social groups (28%)
• Encouraging group volunteer days (27%)
• Mentorship programs (25%)

Personal Experience and Actions
While about half of job seekers report they try not to engage with anyone that they work with outside of work (47%) and do not feel the need to be friends with those they work with (53%), the majority (76%) believe it’s easy for them to form friendships in the workplace. This ease of forming friendships is bolstered by the extent job seekers have interacted with colleagues outside of work, with texting (66%), getting together in-person (54%) or phone calls (53%) being the most common.

“In today’s dynamic work environment, fostering genuine friendships among employees is not just a nice-to-have, but a strategic imperative,” said Bill Stoller, Express Employment International CEO. “These connections enhance morale, boost productivity and significantly improve retention rates. By creating a culture where friendships can flourish, companies are investing in their most valuable asset: their people.”

Survey Methodology
The Job Insights survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Express Employment Professionals Nov. 11 – 26, 2024, among 1,001 U.S. hiring decision-makers.

The Job Seeker Report was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Express Employment Professionals from Nov. 21 to Dec. 10, 2024, among 1,039 adults ages 18 and older.

For full survey methodologies, please contact Sheena.Hollander@ExpressPros.com, Director of Corporate Communications & PR.

If you would like to arrange for an interview to discuss this topic, please contact Sheena.Hollander@ExpressPros.com, Director of Corporate Communications & PR.