Author: Jon Beck

When people look back at the year 2025, only a few business leaders will confidently say “what a fantastic time for revenue growth.” One of those leaders will be Jon Beck at Ursus.

With a leading technical and creative staffing firm named to SIA’s list of fastest-growing firms for four years running, Beck has seen 29% year-over-year growth and an emphasis on moving upmarket into more consultative and SOW opportunities.

Founded in 2015, Ursus provides talent solutions and workforce expertise for the IT, creative, and life sciences industries. Since the company has been focused on supporting large-scale digital transformation projects for its clients since inception, investing in novel technologies is core to Ursus’s ethos.

“We’re always looking for things that will differentiate us against our competitors,” said Beck, the founder and CEO of Ursus. “We want to deliver the best quality and the highest efficiency for our candidates, our clients, and our internal teams.”

The Problem

When placing technical talent, your first mistake could be your last when it comes to client retention. Fully aware of the critical importance of quality, Ursus had long considered reference checking a mandatory part of their placement process.

However, they conducted them manually. “Our reference checks and subsequent reports were not standardized by any measure and certainly didn’t reflect the professionalism of our team.” Additionally, a manual process introduced risk, especially given how difficult it is to assess whether the skills on a candidate’s resume match their actual capabilities.

Beck, a longtime technology executive prior to founding Ursus, managed the evaluation process for reference checking solution providers himself. It was after a thorough assessment and comparison that he selected RefAssured.

“RefAssured’s workflow is extremely well thought out,” said Beck. “It’s obvious when you look at the interface that the people who designed this have worked in staffing before and really understand how to deliver the type of value and ROI that staffing firms need. It’s intuitive for both candidates and recruiters, really user-friendly, and just makes a ton of sense.”

The Solution

While the team was initially skeptical that automating the reference checking process would generate far greater depth of human insight, the proof is in the pudding. RefAssured has been adopted completely by the internal Ursus team and recruiters once allocating their time to manual phone screens now spend more time doing more consultative and rewarding work.

Beck explained: “When we conduct reference checks manually, the results lack teeth. Everyone says something nice, they go through the motions, and it ceases to have any meaning. RefAssured has designed their proprietary methodology to flip this notion on its head, to challenge people to put real thought and insight into their responses and to provide intelligence that helps us make informed decisions on who to place and where.”

Another issue that Ursus sought to solve using RefAssured was the changing nature of candidate assessment and validation. With the power of RefAssured’s IP address verification and human-generated third-party insight, Ursus can feel confident that it is placing only properly qualified and non-fraudulent candidates. The risk mitigation is a huge advantage.

“Candidate validation is a huge priority for us,” said Beck, “and for every IT staffing agency out there. We’ve all seen the headlines, and we understand that we cannot afford to roll the dice here. RefAssured helps us prevent bad actors from gaming the system, and dramatically reduces our risk while increasing the quality of the talent we place.”

The Result

With RefAssured, Ursus has been able to save thousands of hours of recruiter time and generate almost $70,000 in labor cost savings in just six months. Yet another benefit of using RefAssured has been immediate ROI from sales and talent lead generation and the revenue growth that results from it.

“I think some agencies think candidate quality seems like a nice-to-have. We’ve grown 29% in the past year during a down market because we consider it a need-to-have, and our clients know we only place the best people with them. With the leads we generate automatically from RefAssured, we can grow our pipeline easily and authentically, and increase revenue without a ton of pain or manual effort. Having access to a qualified lead pipeline makes a huge difference in this market.”

Beck continued: “We also use RefAssured reference reports to proactively market our candidates to hiring managers. The earlier we do it, the more they want to talk to us, the bigger our numbers. And because we can customize the reference process based on our client’s needs, culture, core values questions and other things, we know we’re delivering something that they’ll absolutely want to read and consider.”

True to form, the company has been able to advance several candidates, who were previously not in serious consideration, to finalist stage with three customers based almost solely on the strength of their reference reports. These creative, out-of-the-box approaches to candidate marketing are hallmarks of how Ursus innovates to outperform competitors.

Ursus is excited for RefAssured’s upcoming product expansion, including post-hire insight from performance evaluations.

“It’s such an interesting problem to solve,” said Beck, “connecting how you expect a candidate to perform to how they actually perform. It is huge for retention and redeployment and as we look to further differentiate ourselves by moving upmarket into more SOW and consultative work, having the advantage of data that proves our talent is the best is really compelling. We overcome so many hurdles by having that intelligence at our fingertips.”

Final Thoughts

While many IT staffing firms have contracted amid slowing demand, economic uncertainty, and margin pressure, Ursus is thriving.

“We continue to grow because we are focused on adding more value for clients today than we did yesterday,” said Beck. “That means filling more challenging technical roles, moving upmarket and providing consultation and true partnership, and separating ourselves from any competitors who are just order takers.”

Ultimately, Ursus’s uncommon success amidst a challenging environment is testament to their values and drive to be more than just a staff augmentation firm and to offer white-glove service and value that cannot be replicated any other way.

For Jon Beck, balancing tech and trust is an exercise in judgment and strategic thinking.

“In the face of AI where so many staffing firms are just like lemmings rushing to automate all aspects of the staffing supply chain, we stand out as subject matter experts. We understand the segments that we serve, and the skill sets and cultures we’re trying to match and align. We understand the nuances of our clients and what’s happening in the market. We proactively turn to technology to improve our processes without relinquishing our responsibility to curate the entire lifecycle as real people.”

He continued: “It’s astounding to me that so many companies are still doing things manually in spreadsheets or grabbing off-the-shelf AI tools that their recruiters don’t understand how to use. You realize that if you adopt the right tools, the tools that your team enjoys using, you can have more meaningful conversations and make more money, right?”

While it may not be the ethos that every firm ascribes to, it’s worked out tremendously well for Ursus, which has ambitious plans for the future informed by an understanding of where the industry is headed.

“At some point a lot of people started thinking that it’s too much effort to be thoughtful,” Beck concluded. “So they’ll jump on a bandwagon, or they’ll get into legal trouble by trusting experimental tech that hasn’t been vetted, or they’ll drive to the bottom line by cutting corners and then lose their clients as a result. We have proven that it’s possible to move quickly without being reckless. It’s possible to embrace technology that prioritizes quality and human ingenuity, like RefAssured, without just outsourcing everything to a robot. And it’s possible to think a few steps ahead and realize that our job is to make a good match, and that sacrificing quality is the fastest way to tank your business.”

This post was originally published on refassured.com.

California isn’t just a hub for startups; it’s the beating heart of the global innovation economy. A recent Crunchbase analysis shows that California startups have raised over $ 110 billion in venture funding through July 2025. In the first half of this year 68% or nearly two-thirds of all U.S. investment originated from the Golden State.

That’s not just dominance, that’s proof the West Coast is still where the future gets built. At Ursus, we’ve known this from the beginning. This is where our story began.

Ten years ago, we started with a clear vision:
👉 Connect world-class talent with the most innovative companies in the world.

From the start, we saw the challenge: startups scaling fast, enterprises reinventing themselves, and a talent market that couldn’t keep up.
The solution wasn’t just staffing. It was understanding the speed, culture, and ambition of West Coast innovation, and matching it with people who thrive in that environment.

🦾 Why the West Coast Wins

The West Coast and, in particular, California’s dominance isn’t an accident. It’s fueled by:
·     AI and deep-tech pioneers
·     World-class universities & research institutions
·     A culture of risk-taking & collaboration
·     The world’s strongest venture capital networks

🔑 Where Ursus Fits In: We’re not bystanders, we’re part of the ecosystem.

✅ Direct access to curated, elite West Coast talent
✅ Deep roots and relationships within the venture and startup community
✅ Built and operating with the same speed, flexibility, and ambition as our clients

Ten years ago, we believed the right people, in the right place, could drive the future of technology. Today, with California cementing its role as the nation’s VC epicenter, that belief has never been more relevant.  We’re proud of our West Coast roots, our decade-long journey, and the role we’ve played in helping the world’s most innovative companies scale.

And we’re just getting started.⭐

This post was originally published on linkedin.com.

This week, over three separate coffee meetings with contingent labor leaders from three prominent high-tech clients, a common theme emerged: frustration with commoditization, poor candidate experience, and the increasing pressure to “do more with less.” Those conversations inspired this post, a call to rethink how we define and deliver value in staffing. 

Let’s start somewhere unexpected: Chick-fil-A. 

Walk into any Chick-fil-A during peak lunch hour and you’ll see it: the line out the door, a drive-thru that looks like a maze, and yet somehow, everything moves with remarkable speed, precision, and, maybe most shockingly for a fast-food chain, genuine warmth. 

Now consider this: Chick-fil-A, open six days a week, generates more revenue per location than any other fast-food restaurant, by a long shot. 

Their secret? It’s not just the chicken. 

Chick-fil-A invested in service. Not just better training or nicer uniforms, they hired consultants from the Ritz-Carlton to teach their teams how to deliver white-glove service in a red polo shirt. “My pleasure” isn’t just a tagline; it’s a cultural reset in a category dominated by transactions, not experiences. 

Chick-fil-A is also meticulous about whom it selects to run its restaurants (operators and team leaders) and work in its restaurants (team members). The company receives about 20,000 franchise applications annually and awards only about 100 new stores—a 0.5% acceptance rate. How many institutions do you know with that kind of selectivity? For context, Harvard University accepts around 5%, or ten times as many. That level of care and discernment in selection is a business strategy, not just a staffing decision. 

So, how is all of this chicken talk related to the staffing industry? 

Historically, staffing has done the opposite of what Chick-fil-A has. Across the entire ecosystem, suppliers, MSPs, VMSs, HR Tech, and the clients they serve have found ever-more-creative ways to devalue ourselves. We’ve cut costs, underbid competitors, devised new business models to disintermediate candidates and hiring managers, and leaned hard into the idea that the lowest price wins.  We’ve automated away not just inefficiencies but relationships. And in the process, we’ve commoditized something fundamentally human: matching great people to meaningful work. 

The result? A race to the bottom that no one wins. 

Now, with the rise of AI and increasingly “new and improved” impersonal hiring processes, the cracks are becoming more visible. Candidates are ghosted. Hiring managers are frustrated. “High-touch” has become “no-touch.” And the cost? Quality, loyalty, and long-term value. 

But there’s an opportunity here. A Chick-fil-A moment for staffing if you will.  

What if, instead of continuing to compete on cost, we doubled down on the experience? 

What if our recruiters acted more like hospitality professionals, greeting candidates with respect, anticipating client needs, and offering service worth remembering? What if our industry invested in training not just to check boxes, but to build loyalty? What if we recognized that a better experience creates better margins? 

Because just like Chick-fil-A proved to us, people will wait in line and pay more for a better experience. 

To the contingent program and procurement leaders, those managing the MSPs, vendor lists, and cost-saving mandates, this is your moment too. Your responsibility isn’t just to reduce costs and stay compliant. It’s also to ensure that every contingent worker experiences your brand and culture in a way that makes them want to stay, contribute, and speak highly of your company. In today’s fiercely competitive talent market, experience is retention, and reputation is currency. Ask yourself: are your contingent workers proud to wear their “red shirts”? 

The staffing industry doesn’t have to be the fast food of professional services. 

We can be the Chick-fil-A. 

But it requires a shift in mindset: from solely cost reduction to value creation, from transactions to relationships, from automation-only to intelligent, human-centered service. 

Service is not a commodity. Talent is not a transaction. And if we want to remain relevant and profitable in the future of work, we’d do well to remember that. 

It’s our pleasure. 

I started in tech infrastructure over 25 years ago, when “Internet” was still a novelty and your dial-up connection sounded like a small robot screaming into a blender and Al Gore was taking all the credit. 
 
My first job was at Netcom, one of the first four internet service providers in the country. That was back when data centers were… let’s just say “functional,” in the loosest sense of the word. After Netcom On Line Communications, I joined ISI, which became GlobalCenter, then Exodus, and ultimately was absorbed into Equinix. If you’re a data center historian, you know that path well. 
 
Now, don’t get me wrong, the data centers back then didn’t look quite as bad as a broom closet filled with servers and a floor fan, but they weren’t far off. No cages. Questionable security. Cooling and power systems that would make a modern facility manager weep. It was the Wild West of digital infrastructure. 
 
Fast forward to today, and we’re living in the age of hyperscale. Data centers are smarter, greener, and more secure than ever before, and growing at a pace that most industries can’t match. AI, edge computing, cloud proliferation, it’s all driving demand for infrastructure at a scale we once couldn’t imagine. 
 
And here’s the thing: none of it works without great people. 
 
That’s where quality hiring comes in. Despite starting a staffing company 10 years ago, (I can still hear my colleagues and peers… “You’re starting a what company?? Staffing? Ewww! Yuck!”), my interest in infrastructure has never waned. In fact, it’s no coincidence that data centers and infrastructure have become one of the strongest technical verticals we support at Ursus, Inc.  
 
Because the modern data center is a different beast. It requires engineers with hybrid skillsets, security specialists who understand both physical and digital threats, and operations teams who can scale and adapt to new workloads with precision. This isn’t a place where you can plug in a warm body and hope for the best. 
 
Hiring for data centers today isn’t just about filling a rack. It’s about futureproofing. It’s about investing in people who understand the complexity of today and the demands of tomorrow. 
 
We’ve come a long way from server closets and shared T1 lines. But the next generation of infrastructure won’t build, or run, itself. Let’s make sure we’re hiring like it matters. 
 
Because it does. 
 
Jon Beck 
Founder & CEO, Ursus 
Data center fanboy since 1997 

Ten years ago, Ursus was nothing more than an idea and a lot of hope. I still remember those early days—pulling cash out of the ATM to cover payroll, juggling every hat from salesperson to recruiter to IT support, and wondering if we’d make it through the next month or quarter or year.

Fast forward to today…

We’ve hit many exciting milestones and made plenty of mistakes on our way up, but along the way, we built a national, remote-first team that has been recognized four years running as one of the fastest-growing creative and technical staffing firms in the country.

None of this happened by accident.

To our management team, your leadership, resilience, and commitment to doing things the right way, the Ursus Way, is the heartbeat of our company. You’ve weathered storms, solved what at the time seemed like impossible problems, and built a culture that puts people first, helps to make them better staffing professionals, their jobs easier, and hopefully has resulted in a lot of fun winning along the way. Cristina De La Cruz Raser Lori Kwan Cheryle Peikert Keith Coffman

To our investors, board of directors, and advisory board, thank you for believing in this company, our team, and our vision, long before it was easy or obvious. Your guidance, patience, and strategic insight helped shape every step of this journey. Michael Panico R. Doug Cain

To our clients and partners, thank you for your trust. Thank you for choosing us again and again, as well as referring us to your colleagues and friends. There is no greater endorsement than an introductory referral. You’ve pushed us to be better, faster, more innovative, and efficient, and we’re stronger for it.

To our consultants, you’re the face of Ursus every day. Your talent, professionalism, and hustle represent everything we stand for. You make us proud.

And to the entire Ursus team, past and present—you’ve made this place more than a company. You’ve made it a community built on GRIT, heart, humor, and a shared belief in building something great together, with the attempt at doing it the “right way” every day.

It hasn’t always been easy, but it’s always been worth it.

Here’s to the last 10, and to the next in front of us!

Let’s all take a moment to act surprised. AI is disrupting tech hiring, and companies are realizing that remote interviews might not be as foolproof as they thought. Candidates are using AI tools to generate code, refine answers, and, in some cases, completely outsource their technical interviews. The response? Some companies are thinking about bringing back in-person interviews.

Anyone who didn’t see this coming a mile away must have been living under a rock—or, more likely, reading one too many “AI will solve everything” think pieces.

Let’s be real: Hiring, especially for higher-skill roles, has never been about just checking if someone can write a few lines of code. It’s about problem-solving, creativity, adaptability, and (dare I say it?) actual human interaction. If you thought you could fully automate talent acquisition, well… AI just proved you wrong in the most ironic way possible.

This is why the human element in hiring—real recruiters, real referrals, and real conversations—matters more than ever. A solid resume or a perfectly executed coding test doesn’t guarantee success. The best talent isn’t just about what’s on paper (or on a screen). It’s about how they think, communicate, and collaborate.

At Ursus, Inc. , we’ve always believed in the power of relationships in hiring. A great recruiter can sniff out red flags, assess soft skills, and match candidates to roles beyond just their ability to pass a test—whether AI-assisted or not. And while technology will always play a role in hiring, it should be an enabler, not a crutch (or a cheat sheet).

So, if you or your company want to bring back in-person interviews, maybe it’s less about going backward and more about remembering that hiring isn’t just a transaction—it’s a human process. And no AI is going to change that. What do you think?

If you’ve worked with Ursus, you know we’re all about connecting quality talent to the right opportunity. But in today’s fast-moving tech landscape, finding the right person for the job isn’t just about filling a role—it’s about delivering results. That’s why we’re expanding our consulting services to tackle the growing demand for specialized, project-based expertise.

Companies aren’t just hiring—they’re building. They’re rolling out large-scale data initiatives and leaning hard into AI. To do all of that, they need more than just talent. They need a partner who understands their challenges, finds the right experts, and delivers solutions. That’s exactly what Ursus Consulting Services is here to do.

AI, Data, and the Talent Behind the Magic

Data is the foundation of AI, and the companies that harness it best will define the next generation of innovation. But here’s the catch: managing data isn’t just about storing it—it’s about structuring it, analyzing it, and making it work for real-world applications. That’s where our new Data Consulting practice comes in.

We’re helping businesses build the data strategies that fuel AI, from governance frameworks to analytics pipelines. And we’re not just advising—we’re delivering the talent that makes it happen. As AI and large language models (LLMs) continue to evolve, organizations need specialized experts—LLM data labelers, analysts, engineers—to process, clean, and refine the data that powers AI-driven decision-making. We’re making sure they have access to the best in the field.

Why This Matters

At Ursus, we’ve always been about more than just staffing. We’re about creating value—whether that’s by helping companies scale their teams, supporting major technology transformations, or sourcing the talent behind today’s most complex projects. Our team is comprised of subject matter experts, not “I.T. generalists” who understand the technologies and keep up with the pace of evolution.

Expanding into consulting isn’t just an evolution for Ursus—it’s a reflection of where the industry is headed. Companies need flexibility. They need specialized expertise. They need partners who can deliver both.

That’s why we’re excited to roll out Ursus Consulting Services. We’re here to provide the skills, the strategy, and the execution to make sure businesses don’t just keep up with change—they lead it.

If you’re launching a data-driven AI initiative or need top-tier consulting talent for your next big project, let’s talk. We’re ready to help.

Visit ursusinc.com to learn more.

The staffing industry is often a balancing act between efficiency and personalization. At its core, this boils down to two distinct approaches: transactional staffing and consultative staffing. While both models have their merits, understanding when to leverage each is critical, especially in today’s “down” or company-driven market. Let’s explore the differences, advantages, and considerations for these two strategies. 

Transactional Staffing: Volume and Velocity 

Transactional staffing thrives on efficiency. This model focuses on filling roles quickly, often at scale, using standardized processes and technology-driven tools. 

In a company-driven market, where job seekers outnumber job openings, transactional staffing can be highly effective. The surplus of available candidates simplifies sourcing, and companies can focus on processing applications quickly to fill roles at lower costs. AI pattern-matching technologies have further streamlined this process, enabling recruiters to sift through thousands of resumes in seconds to find apparent fits for a job description. 

Why It Works in Today’s Market: 

• Speed and Cost Efficiency: With a high volume of active candidates, transactional staffing fills roles rapidly, reducing time-to-hire and costs. 

• Tech-Driven Solutions: Platforms leveraging AI and machine learning automate much of the sourcing and screening, freeing up recruiters for higher-value tasks. 

• Commodity Roles: Positions requiring repetitive skills or low specialization are well-suited to this model. 

Consultative Staffing: Relationships and Results 

On the other hand, consultative staffing is about depth and understanding. This approach focuses on building relationships with clients and candidates, diving deeply into job requirements, company culture, and candidate motivations. It’s a long-term play, emphasizing quality over quantity. 

In a candidate-driven market, where competition for top talent is fierce, consultative staffing becomes essential. High-demand, specialized skill sets aren’t commodities; they’re often unicorns, purple squirrels, or whatever you want to call them.  Finding the right match requires nuanced sourcing, selling the opportunity to candidates, and, often, creating a tailored strategy for each role. 

The Consultative Difference: 

• Deep Expertise: Skilled recruiters understand both the technical requirements of the role and the soft skills that make a cultural fit. 

• Customization: Every search is unique, and time is invested in curating a pool of talent, often well before the job is posted. 

• Higher ROI: Though consultative staffing may take longer, the payoff comes in retention, productivity, and long-term client satisfaction. 

The Role of AI: A Tool, Not a Panacea 

I’ll admit—I don’t begrudge the advancements in AI pattern-matching technologies. These tools have transformed our industry, driving incredible efficiencies in transactional staffing. However, as impressive as these systems are, they can only take you so far, especially when dealing with high-end technical or creative talent. 

AI can identify candidates with the right keywords in their resumes but often misses the subtle indicators of potential or the unquantifiable traits that make someone a perfect fit. When you’re seeking the person who will develop your next breakthrough product or lead a critical transformation project, you need more than an algorithm—you need human intuition, expertise, and storytelling. 

Choosing the Right Approach 

The key to successful staffing in any market is knowing which model fits the situation: 

• In a company-driven market: Transactional staffing excels for roles that need to be filled quickly and don’t require extensive vetting. 

• In a candidate-driven market: Consultative staffing shines for positions requiring specialized expertise, cultural alignment, or long-term strategic value. 

At Ursus, we pride ourselves on knowing when to deploy each strategy. While we embrace technology and the efficiencies it brings, we never lose sight of the human element that makes staffing an art as much as a science. 

In a rapidly shifting landscape, the ability to adapt—whether by scaling up commodity hiring or engaging deeply to win over top talent—defines success. As the market continues to evolve, so too must our approach, ensuring we meet the needs of both clients and candidates in the most effective way possible. 

Which approach do you think best fits your hiring challenges today? Let’s discuss. 

The idea of a ready bench is like those mythical creatures: it sounds great, but it’s hard to believe when you take a closer look. Some consulting companies sell clients on the notion of a deep bench of high-end technical talent, just chilling on standby like athletes waiting to sub in. But picture this: the top cloud architect, or data scientist with 10+ years of experience, just waiting around, collecting dust? Hardly. These pros are either snapped up by companies hungry for their expertise, or they’re going directly where the action (and pay) is.

A Continuous Talent Pool vs. The ‘Bench’

At firms like Ursus, we’re not pretending to have talent just waiting around. Instead, we’re constantly curating a talent pool: tracking who’s coming off projects, who’s ready to work, and what rates are competitive based on skills and location. That way, when clients need talent, we already have a real-time understanding of availability and rates, without playing a game of “musical consultants.”

Think of it this way: if staffing firms are chefs preparing fresh ingredients daily, the “bench” mentality is like the fast-food approach. Fast and cheap may seem appealing, but it rarely serves up the quality or customization clients need.

Markups? Oh Yes, They Markup

Here’s the best part—when high-end consulting firms finally admit they don’t actually have the talent they pitched, they call specialized firms like Ursus. And here’s the kicker: they don’t stop at a friendly introduction. They bring our talent to the client, then mark up the cost, sometimes significantly. The “bench” turns out to be a mirage, while the real deal is sitting under the logos of specialized staffing firms.

The next time a consulting company waves around its “bench” of talent, remember: great talent rarely waits around.