Erika Diaz

Since entering the staffing industry on a temporary assignment at Manpower, Erika Diaz’s attention to detail and ability to manage complex contracting processes made her a valuable asset to her employer, its accounts and the industry. She is passionate about understanding clients’ businesses, what they are trying to accomplish and why they might be struggling.

She learned early on to ask clients the tough questions to drill down into what they are trying to achieve. “In some cases, they may not have been used to that approach,” she explains, “but breaking down the barriers … and building the trust is ultimately what enabled me to get them solutions and meet their needs.”

After nearly 10 years with Manpower — where she was the go-to leader for managing and recovering its largest accounts when they faced challenges — Diaz joined TalentWave, a People 2.0 company, in late 2019 to manage its strategic accounts. In her first year, the portfolio grew 25% year over year and some accounts became top-10 clients of the employer-of-record, agent-of-record and workforce compliance provider. And Diaz accomplished this during a worldwide pandemic and also having a baby.

Diaz is driven by a passion to advocate for both the client and candidate. “I think sometimes when you have been in the industry for so long in different roles you forget that at the end of the day, we are connecting people to jobs and helping people out,” she says.