A Resource Hub to the Staffing Industry
With more than 25 years dedicated to servicing independent staffing firms, we’ve built a business grounded on the desire to authentically want our clients to succeed.
We know how to ask the right questions. We are interested in what the business is doing and how they are operating. We’re prepared to share value and information up front. We communicate our passion and enthusiasm. We are professional and sincere and want to help our clients to the utmost degree.
How We Got Started
“I Got into the Staffing Industry Because I Drew the Shortest Straw.”
I was looking to make a career change, so I contacted my father-in-law, who owned a staffing business. I thought to myself, ‘Mike owns an employment business, he would be a great person to speak with about making a career change.
Mike and I talked about my situation, and off we went. He introduced me to an entrepreneur from Cincinnati that taught some business classes and owned a small networking organization called The Chief Executive Network. The CEN got presidents and owners of small manufacturing plants together a couple of times a year to share ideas and solve common problems. He wanted to expand, but didn’t want to hire people, manage people or make the financial investment. So, we struck a deal. Mike would become the financial backer and I would become the builder of the business. The entrepreneur from Cincinnati would give us the recipe and we would offer him a percentage of our revenue with him.
It should be noted that with an MA in Psychology and a Master of Divinity degree, I had experience facilitating retreats and teaching classes at various levels. And I was inexperienced in terms of growing a business.
But Mike never thinks small. He hired three other facilitators.
There we were, in a conference room determining who will focus on what job title in the new organization. One person said, “I will take VP of Engineers.” Another one said, “I will take VP of Operations.” And a third guy said, “I want CFOs.” That left me emptyhanded. Mike looked at me and said, “Tom, all that is left is staffing. It looks like you are going to facilitate RoundTables for staffing firms.”
I’ll admit I didn’t know any difference or any better. But I was lucky that the staffing industry was growing at 12% a year. I sent out marketing letters, responded to inquiries with faxes and followed up with phone calls … lots and lots of phone calls. Three years later, I had over 100 independently owned and operated staffing firms in 8 different Presidents’ RoundTables.
That’s how Visus Group started.
Tom Kosnik
Tom Kosnik, founder and president of Visus Group is the staffing industry’s leading expert offering a unique combination of business consulting acumen and experience to independent staffing firms. Tom advises on all aspects of running a staffing firm including organizational performance; change management; strategic planning; financial analysis; compensation plan design; process and profit improvements and business value enhancement to help staffing firms across the country improve operations and the bottom line.
In 1995, Tom started Presidents’ RoundTables to improve leadership capabilities of independent staffing firms’ management through creative idea generation, sharing, collaborating and addressing industry challenges. The RoundTables have expanded to include CFOs, COOs, and CMOs.
Tom is the only consultant for independent staffing firms with a degree in Organizational Development (M.A. from Bowling Green State University) and a B.A. in psychology from Seattle University. He has a Masters of Divinity degree from Catholic Theological Union and is also certified with the Center for Creative Leadership. This specialized educational and professional background equips him with a unique skill set for guiding independent staffing firms.
Catherine Kosnik
As Director of Business Development with Visus Group, Catherine applies her extensive finance and administrative background to Visus Group operations including RoundTable logistics management; new member acquisition; customer relations, sales support and marketing implementation management; financial analysis and compensation work; and all company operations.
While in college, Catherine sold and recruited in the staffing industry. After graduating from Bellarmine University, Louisville, with a BA in business management and finance, she spent a number of years teaching English to French high school students at Lycée in Paris.
Upon returning to the US, Catherine joined PNC Bank first in commercial lending and eventually assuming a VP Commercial Lending position. As a Senior Manager in IT Project Management at Kemper Financial, she also added professional training and development to her responsibilities.
Later, as Executive Director of the Down Syndrome of Louisville organization, Catherine revitalized the group by introducing new and improved educational programs, support groups for parents, golf tournaments, and other fundraising initiatives.
Our Process is to Guide You
As the “hub for the staffing industry”, we strive to find the perfect fit whether it’s as a client or RoundTable member. Your process involves learning your business to ensure we can provide the best solutions. For our consulting clients, we work with industry-leading experts to support whatever business needs you may have. For our RoundTable members, we’ll work with you to ensure you get the best networking experience from our in-person meetings and virtual calls to our connection with industry leaders.