September 2026 | Private Participant Summary 

This month’s Executive Women Roundtable was a candid conversation about the realities leaders are navigating right now—from an uneven staffing market and increasing SOW work to margin pressure, slow-paying clients, and the operational challenges that come with managing through uncertainty. 

Market Check: Encouraging Signs, but Still Uneven 

Participants reported a mixed market, with some seeing meaningful improvement while others continue to experience flat conditions and difficulty generating new business. 

There were signs of increased direct-hire activity and strong contract demand in certain sectors. At the same time, some clients are continuing to reduce full-time headcount while relying heavily on contractors to fill critical needs. This creates opportunity for staffing firms, but also continued uncertainty about the strength and timing of a broader hiring recovery. 

Several participants said existing client relationships remain the primary source of business, while breaking into new accounts continues to be difficult. Gaining access to decision-makers and establishing trust with new prospects remain significant hurdles. 

SOW Is Growing—and Bringing New Risks 

A significant portion of the conversation focused on the shift toward Statement of Work (SOW) and project-based engagements. 

One challenge is that clients define SOW differently. Some are essentially using SOW as another mechanism for securing talent, while others expect true project delivery with fixed budgets, milestones, SLAs, and greater risk transferred to the staffing or solutions provider. 

Participants cautioned particularly against fixed-fee projects when the provider does not control all of the dependencies. Client delays, changing requirements, and scope creep can quickly turn what appears to be an attractive engagement into an unprofitable one. 

Time-and-materials structures can provide greater protection when possible. When fixed-fee work is required, strong project management, clearly defined scope, milestone tracking, and financial oversight become critical. 

Nearshore and offshore delivery models are also becoming increasingly relevant as clients push for lower-cost solutions. Nearshore resources were discussed as one way firms are responding to client cost expectations while maintaining communication and delivery quality. 

Margin Pressure Is Forcing Tough Decisions 

Participants described continued pressure from clients to reduce rates—sometimes substantially—and to accept pricing structures that transfer more financial risk to the provider. 

The discussion raised an important question: When does preserving the client relationship stop being worth the financial risk? 

Competitive pressure can make it tempting to accept work at extremely thin margins simply to maintain a presence within an account. Participants emphasized the importance of understanding the true economics of an engagement and being willing to walk away when the numbers no longer make sense. 

Slow-Paying Clients Are More Than a Collections Problem 

One of the most candid discussions centered on clients that continue receiving services while delaying payment for months. 

The group emphasized that prolonged nonpayment can quickly become a cash-flow, leadership, and operational issue—not simply an accounting problem. 

Strategies discussed included: 

• Establish clear thresholds for when work will be paused because of nonpayment. 

• Build relationships with multiple contacts within a client rather than relying on one person to move invoices through approval. 

• Escalate strategically to finance, procurement, legal, or senior decision-makers when necessary. 

• Understand client approval limits and consider invoice structures that can move through approval processes more efficiently. 

• Maintain strong relationships with accounts payable so potential issues surface earlier. 

• Make sure internal leaders understand the financial impact of continuing to serve a client that is not paying. 

The group also discussed aligning commission timing and compensation structures with actual cash collection and payment terms. Long payment terms have a real carrying cost, and those economics should be considered when pricing business and structuring incentives. 

Reduce Single Points of Failure 

Another important leadership theme was the risk of having too much operational or client knowledge concentrated with one person. 

Whether managing an SOW engagement, a difficult client, or a payment issue, multiple leaders should understand the project status, financial exposure, client communications, and next steps. 

Participants discussed splitting responsibilities among operational and technical leaders, improving knowledge sharing, and creating stronger checks and balances. Succession planning is also becoming increasingly important as organizations rely on experienced, long-tenured employees whose eventual departure could leave significant knowledge gaps. 

Where AI May Help 

AI also entered the conversation as a potential tool for managing increasingly complex SOW engagements. 

Participants were particularly interested in whether AI could help automate burn-rate monitoring, milestone tracking, and alerts when projects begin approaching budget or scope limits. 

There was agreement, however, that these tools should support—not replace—human oversight. Complex contracts and client relationships still require experienced judgment, clear permissions, and strong operational controls. 

Key Takeaways 

The conversation reinforced several themes for leaders to keep in mind: 

Protect the economics of the business. Revenue alone does not make an engagement valuable if margins, payment terms, scope creep, or carrying costs make it unprofitable. 

Know when to draw a line. Whether dealing with unrealistic SOW expectations or prolonged nonpayment, firms need clear boundaries around the level of risk they are willing to accept. 

Spread knowledge and accountability. Avoid allowing critical project, client, or financial information to reside with one person. 

Treat SOW as a different business model. Moving from staffing into project-based work requires stronger scoping, project management, financial tracking, and risk controls. 

Continue leaning on the peer community. The discussion highlighted the value of having a trusted group where leaders can candidly share difficult situations, compare approaches, and learn from how others are navigating similar challenges. 

Looking Ahead 

The next Executive Women Roundtable is scheduled for October 21 at 1:00 p.m. ET. The group is also looking for a volunteer to help facilitate the next conversation. 

Thank you to everyone who participated and contributed so openly. The willingness to share both what is working and what is challenging continues to make this group a valuable peer resource. 

This recap is not for external distribution. This is an exclusive roundtable discussion.