Staffing expert Mark Leupold of Express Employment Professionals in the Fox Valley says he has watched the region’s hiring landscape whiplash from pandemic exodus to overcorrection.
On this week’s episode of NEW Manufacturing Insights, Leupold hits the reset button with co-hosts Kate Bruns of Insight Publications and Ann Franz of the NEW Manufacturing Alliance and unpacks how the latest business trend, AI, is reshaping recruiting in Northeast Wisconsin manufacturing.
On the podcast, Leupold shares where AI truly adds value — speed, consistency, and better candidate matches, where it can go wrong through bias or bad implementation, and why human oversight and continuous learning are non‑negotiable. Along the way, he also offers practical advice for HR leaders on getting started with AI.
Using AI tools in his business has been a game-changer, Leupold tells the co-hosts.
“I think the biggest positives we’ve seen, and you know, reasons to implement it, is just that speed to the candidate,” he says. “When we have a job posted, someone applies to it, they are getting a response as soon as they apply. Granted, it is not from a human, but it is when they apply, which can be at any time of day … that’s the number one complaint of job seekers, is ‘I applied to 100 jobs; I haven’t heard a single word.’ Anybody who applies with Express, they’re hearing right away and engaging in a conversation [with an AI agent] if they choose.”
For more on this topic, as well as Leupold’s best leadership insight, be sure to listen to this week’s full episode everywhere you get audio podcasts, including Apple and Spotify (just search NEW Manufacturing Insights).
NEW Manufacturing Insights is distributed by Spreaker and produced by Woodward Community Media. The show is sponsored throughout 2026 by Stoke RGA. Learn more at stokerga.com.
