Serious business is afoot inside Kforce's four-story headquarters on the edge of Ybor City. So how to explain cubicles topped with a Mexican sombrero, a stuffed Winnie the Pooh, a radio-controlled car and an inflatable toy cactus?

And what about the beach towels and sheets hung across cubicle entrances like so much drying laundry?

They belong to Kforce phone solicitors trying to interest hospitals in using the firm's professionals who specialize in "health information management." Think hospital types who input code on health insurance forms.

But the fun 'n' games has a serious purpose, says Amy Simpson, a Kforce manager whose desk displays a mockup of a golden Oscar statuette. Take the towels and sheets, for example. "It's a visual reminder: 'Don't talk to me. I'm in my space,' " Simpson says.

That mix of the loosey-goosey and tightly coiled — the employee basketball court juxtaposed with the banners touting corporate achievement — summarizes the corporate culture. "Culture is the secret sauce," says senior vice president Michael Blackman, who despite his front-office gig wears no necktie.

Exemplifying the informality-with-a-purpose ethos is the cardboard cutout of CEO David Dunkel dressed as a race car driver. His image confronts employees as they wait at the elevators. "I was once a great recruiter," the cardboard chairman says. "Are you?"