AtWork Hires Franchise Veteran Sarah Goehring as VP of Development

AtWork has named Sarah Goehring, a franchise industry veteran, its Vice President of Franchise Development, according to an announcement carried by Franchising.com.

The hire puts a seasoned franchising operator in charge of one of the most growth-sensitive roles at the company. AtWork, a staffing and workforce solutions franchisor, relies on franchise development to drive its footprint of locally owned offices — and Goehring now owns that pipeline.

Who is Sarah Goehring?

Franchising.com describes Goehring as a franchise industry veteran. That label carries weight in a sector where development chiefs are typically judged on units sold, franchisee retention and speed to open. The announcement positions her hire as a signal that AtWork wants development run by someone who has done it before, at scale, inside the franchise model.

Her new remit as Vice President of Franchise Development covers the recruitment of new franchisees — the engine of top-line growth for any franchisor that expands through local ownership rather than corporate branches.

What does the move say about AtWork's growth plans?

Companies don't install veterans in development roles to stand still. The staffing franchise category is competitive, and franchisors compete for a limited pool of qualified franchise candidates against concepts in home services, fitness, food and business services.

A dedicated VP of Franchise Development typically means:

• A push to expand the count of franchised locations
• Sharper screening and support for incoming franchisees
• A more aggressive presence in franchise recruitment channels

AtWork has not disclosed specific unit targets in the announcement, so the scale of the ambition remains an open question. The title alone, though, tells you where the company expects its next chapter of growth to come from: selling more territories.

Why franchise development matters in staffing

Staffing franchising lives or dies on local execution. Franchisees win contracts by knowing their local employer base, and the franchisor's job is to keep the pipeline of capable owners full. That makes the development function a direct lever on revenue — every new franchisee signed is a new office selling staffing services into a local market.

Goehring's appointment concentrates that lever in one accountable role. For a franchisor, that's the structure you build when you plan to sell franchises faster.

What comes next?

Watch AtWork's unit count and development announcements in the coming quarters. Goehring's track record in the role — measured in franchises sold and opened — will be the number that tells you whether this hire was about acceleration or succession.