Women's History Month Q and A with Shelly Hubble, SVP of Operations
Published on: Mar 28, 2023
Updated on: October 8, 2026.
Shelly Hubble, CSP, is Senior Vice President of Operations at Frontline Source Group and one of the firm's first four hires. Her advice to women building careers is direct: take the risk, accept a role you are slightly underqualified for, and step away from people who do not show you respect. Over a 20-year tenure, Shelly has helped build a firm that has completed 5,619 placements, holds a 98.94% executive placement retention rate, and backs every direct hire with a 5-Year Placement Warranty.
Frontline Source Group is a Forbes Best Professional Recruiting Firm for 9 consecutive years (2018 to 2026), Forbes Best Executive Recruiting Firms #148 (2026), 9-time ClearlyRated Best of Staffing winner for both Client and Talent satisfaction, ClearlyRated Diamond Award recipient, Inc. 5000 honoree, Expertise.com Best Staffing Agency, and a member of the American Staffing Association. The firm holds a 5.0-star Trustpilot rating across 683 verified reviews.
I sat down with Shelly for Women's History Month, which is observed every March in the United States. Her answers have held up so well that we refreshed this conversation in October 2026 with current data on women in staffing and leadership. Her responses below are lightly edited for length and clarity.
How did Shelly Hubble's career at Frontline Source Group begin?
Shelly's career at Frontline began almost by accident. She applied for a role with one of our clients, and while she was not the right fit for that position, I thought she had what it takes to be a great recruiter. She had never heard of a staffing firm. She has now been here for two decades.
How did an underqualified applicant become a recruiter?
Tell us the story of your career up to this point.
"I actually started my career at Frontline. I applied to a position with one of our clients, and then Bill brought me in to interview, but I was definitely underqualified for the role. So he told me about Frontline. I didn't even know what a staffing firm was, but he ended up selling me on being a recruiter. I really loved working with clients, so I took more of that side of the business on as I progressed in my career."
How did Shelly grow into Senior Vice President of Operations?
"I am now the Senior Vice President of Operations. I handle a lot on the client side, and our management team has really grown over the years. I was maybe the fourth person hired, so I really have been here since the beginning."
Today Shelly leads day-to-day operations and the firm's executive recruiting team. Her client work spans C-suite executive search, accounting and finance, oil, gas, and energy, health, safety, and environment (HSE), and dental searches.
Who inspired Shelly Hubble's career in business?
For Shelly, the answer starts at home. Her mother owned her own company, and that example of energy and independence shaped how Shelly saw herself as a professional long before she joined a staffing firm.
Who are your role models or people who have inspired you in your career?
"First and foremost, my mother. She is a very energetic, strong, business-minded person. She has always owned her own company, which I found to be really inspiring. Even though I never really saw myself doing that, I feel like her influence inspired me to be a businesswoman."
What advice does Shelly Hubble give women starting their careers?
Shelly's advice runs against the familiar "wait until you are ready" guidance. She tells early-career women to take the risk, back themselves, and accept that real growth tends to happen in a role that stretches them.
What advice do you have for women who are beginning their careers?
"I think you have to be willing to take a risk and believe in yourself. A piece of advice I once heard was that you should almost be underqualified for the position that you take. That is how you grow."
Shelly Hubble, CSP, Senior Vice President of Operations, Frontline Source Group
Why does taking a role you are slightly underqualified for help you grow?
A role that already matches every skill you have rarely teaches you much. A role that asks for a little more forces you to learn the client side, the numbers, or the leadership piece on the job. Shelly is living proof. She arrived without knowing what a staffing firm was and learned the business from the recruiter seat up. In my experience, the professionals who grow the most are the ones who say yes to the stretch and then do the work to close the gap.
What does believing in yourself look like in practice?
It looks like applying for the role before you check every box, raising your hand for the client meeting, and asking for feedback early instead of waiting for an annual review. Shelly's point is that confidence is often the result of action, not the prerequisite for it.
What is the best career advice Shelly Hubble has received?
Two lessons stand out for Shelly. One is about protecting your standards in the workplace. The other is about the value of having a mentor in your corner.
What is the best piece of advice you have received in your career?
"Do not be afraid to step away from people who do not show you respect. That mindset really helped me as a young woman in my career."
Shelly Hubble, CSP, Senior Vice President of Operations, Frontline Source Group
"And from Bill Kasko: he has been a great mentor to me. He is someone I look up to in my career and has empowered me in many ways."
Why does mentorship matter so much for women in staffing?
Mentorship gives you a person who will tell you the truth about your work and open doors you cannot see yet. Watching Shelly grow from recruiter to Senior Vice President of Operations has been one of the most rewarding parts of building this company, and her success is entirely her own. If you are early in your career, find someone a few steps ahead of you and ask for honest feedback. We cover the practical side of that in our guide to the role of mentoring in career development.
How many women work in staffing, and how many lead it?
Women are the majority of the people working inside staffing firms, but their share drops at the very top. According to the Women Business Collaborative's Insights on Gender Parity in the US Staffing Industry 2023 report, produced with analysis from Staffing Industry Analysts and published in December 2023, women make up a median of 66 percent of staffing firms' internal workforce, about half of executive positions, 40 percent of CEO positions, and 33 percent of staffing industry board seats.
How does women's representation compare across U.S. occupations?
Across the broader U.S. workforce, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that women held 47.1 percent of all jobs in 2025, 41.8 percent of management occupations, and 33.0 percent of chief executive roles. The picture changes sharply by function. Women held 53.7 percent of financial manager roles, 59.1 percent of accountant and auditor roles, and 79.6 percent of human resources manager roles. Those are the same disciplines Frontline recruits for every day, which means the candidate pipeline for many leadership searches is already deep with qualified women.
How does Frontline Source Group support women in staffing leadership?
How do you strive to support women in your role at Frontline Source Group?
"Women make up 66 percent of the staffing industry workforce and about half of the leadership, which is great. I think it is important to share advice with women from day one of being at Frontline. That open communication is not a once-a-year review, it is constant communication."
At Frontline, support for women in leadership comes down to the habits Shelly described: advice from day one, constant communication instead of a once-a-year review, and leaders who have come up through the recruiter seat themselves. Shelly's own path, from a first-time recruiter to Senior Vice President of Operations, is the clearest example of what that looks like inside our firm.
That same approach carries over to the clients we serve. When a company asks us to find a CFO, a controller, an HR leader, or a dental practice manager, our recruiters present the most qualified people for the role, and every direct hire is backed by our 5-Year Placement Warranty, 20 times longer than the 90-day industry standard guarantee. If a placement leaves within the warranty period, the client receives a pro-rated credit toward a replacement search. For a broader look at the leadership traits we screen for, read what is the most important quality of a leader.
Who is Shelly Hubble, CSP?
Shelly Hubble, CSP, is the Senior Vice President of Operations at Frontline Source Group, where she leads day-to-day operations and the firm's executive recruiting team. She holds the Certified Staffing Professional (CSP) credential from the American Staffing Association and is an alumna of Southern Methodist University (SMU). Her 20-year tenure at Frontline spans accounting, finance, energy, dental, HSE, and C-suite executive search. Her full bio is on the Shelly Hubble page, and her articles are collected on her author page.
How can employers and candidates work with Shelly Hubble's team?
Employers can submit a hiring request through the employer request form or call the national hire line at 877-780-3822. Engagement models and fee ranges are published on the pricing page. Candidates can apply through the secure application on the how to apply page, and a Frontline recruiter will follow up when there is a match with an open search. More background on the firm is on the about us page, the corporate office page, and the staffing awards page.
What are the most common questions about Shelly Hubble and women in staffing?
Who is Shelly Hubble at Frontline Source Group?
Shelly Hubble, CSP, is the Senior Vice President of Operations at Frontline Source Group. She was one of the firm's first four hires, started as a recruiter, and has spent 20 years at Frontline. She leads day-to-day operations and the executive recruiting team alongside Founder, President, and CEO Bill Kasko.
How did Shelly Hubble start her career in staffing?
Shelly applied for a position with one of Frontline's clients and was underqualified for that role. Bill Kasko saw her potential and recruited her to Frontline as a recruiter, even though she did not yet know what a staffing firm was. She grew into client work, management, and eventually Senior Vice President of Operations.
What advice does Shelly Hubble give women starting their careers?
Shelly advises women to take risks and believe in themselves. She shares advice she once heard: you should almost be underqualified for the position you take, because that is how you grow. A role that stretches you teaches more than one that matches every skill you already have.
What is the best career advice Shelly Hubble has received?
Shelly's best career advice is not to be afraid to step away from people who do not show you respect, a mindset she says helped her as a young woman in her career. She also credits Bill Kasko as a mentor who has empowered her throughout her time at Frontline.
Who inspired Shelly Hubble to pursue a career in business?
Shelly names her mother as her first and most important role model. Her mother has always owned her own company, and her energy and business sense inspired Shelly to see herself as a businesswoman, even though she chose to build her career inside a growing firm rather than start her own.
What percentage of the staffing industry workforce is female?
Women make up a median of 66 percent of staffing firms' internal workforce, according to the Women Business Collaborative's Insights on Gender Parity in the US Staffing Industry 2023 report, produced with Staffing Industry Analysts. The same report found that women held about half of executive positions at staffing firms.
How many staffing firm CEOs are women?
Women held 40 percent of staffing firm CEO positions and 33 percent of staffing industry board seats, according to the Women Business Collaborative and Staffing Industry Analysts 2023 gender parity report. For comparison, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that women held 33.0 percent of chief executive roles across all U.S. industries in 2025.
What is the Certified Staffing Professional (CSP) credential?
The Certified Staffing Professional (CSP) is a credential from the American Staffing Association that recognizes knowledge of the employment laws, regulations, and ethical practices that apply to the staffing industry. Shelly Hubble holds the CSP credential.
How does Frontline Source Group support women in leadership?
Frontline supports women in leadership through mentorship and constant communication rather than a once-a-year review. Shelly Hubble emphasizes sharing advice with women from day one at Frontline, and her own path from recruiter to Senior Vice President of Operations shows how the firm develops leaders from within.
Which industries does Shelly Hubble recruit for?
Shelly Hubble's expertise spans C-suite executive search, accounting and finance, oil, gas, and energy, health, safety, and environment (HSE), and dental searches. As Senior Vice President of Operations, she also oversees day-to-day operations across Frontline Source Group's nationwide office network.
What is Frontline Source Group's 5-Year Placement Warranty?
Frontline Source Group backs every direct hire with a 5-Year Placement Warranty, 20 times longer than the 90-day industry standard guarantee. If a placement leaves within the warranty period, the client receives a pro-rated credit toward a replacement search. The warranty is supported by a 98.94% executive placement retention rate across 5,619 completed placements.
How can I apply for a job through Frontline Source Group?
Candidates can apply through the secure application on the how to apply page. A Frontline Source Group recruiter reviews each application and follows up when there is a match with an open search. Frontline holds a 5.0-star Trustpilot rating across 683 verified reviews.
