Opportunities in crisis’

WITH several companies resorting to job cuts to cope with the economic slowdown, an entrepreneur has decided to venture into staffing and consultancy services to help displaced workers find work somewhere else.

Ava Duremdes-Echevarre, Staff Linx general manager, said that the present economic turmoil provides many opportunities.

“There are always opportunities. It’s a matter of finding them and the willingness to work hard to tap those opportunities,” she said in an interview following the formal opening of Staff Linx, which holds office at the North Reclamation Area, Cebu City.

She noted that the tourism and health care industries continue to grow despite the global financial crisis that has affected many industries in the country, particularly the manufacturing and exporting sector.

“There is no better time for this venture than now. I believe that when a door closes, a window will open. (Besides), it’s not just about tapping opportunities; we can also help those who have lost jobs,” she said.

A few days after it began operations, Staff Linx is accepting and evaluating applicants for positions like production workers, product promotion personnel, hotel staff, accountants and other posts that need qualified professionals.

Evaluation

Echevarre said Staff Linx has deployed nine production workers and is in the process of evaluating applications for 31 others for various positions. Among its first clients are Fortune Tobacco, Laundry Express and a foreign non-profit organization.

She said the company is also negotiating with one of the major hotels in Lapu-Lapu City to supply the latter with qualified personnel.

She said the need of business organizations to cut costs amid the challenging times also presents an opportunity for Staff Linx’s consultancy services.

At present, Staff Linx offers bookkeeping and accounting consultancy services to local companies. Echevarre said though the company is planning to expand its consultancy portfolio and is also studying its chances of going international—both in its consultancy and staffing departments.

While companies can easily advertise their staffing needs, Staff Linx takes out the hassle of evaluating applicants, Echevarre said.

“We also train those whom we have assessed to be qualified for a certain job so when they join a certain company, they are prepared for their tasks,” she added.

Staff Linx human resource manager Winston Montecillo said the company can advance the training cost incurred by applicants. “We can later deduct the training cost from their salary, pero (but) staggered lang so that the worker will not feel it,” he added.

A human capital management firm like Staff Linx is also beneficial to professionals, even those who merely want to engage in freelancing, and skilled workers.

“Professionals and skilled workers can go out on their own to find jobs—or engage in freelancing as in the case of many bookkeepers and accountants—but they might find that exhausting and frustrating during these times. We find the right jobs for them,” she said. She added that Staff Linx also makes sure that their client-companies pay the right salaries and benefits to protect workers.

Echevarre said she is hopeful that global economic recovery will start soon. She noted that the assumption of office of President Barack Obama creates a lot of optimism in the United States, the country’s major export market.

“Obama’s presidency brings the hope of recovery (in the US), which will also pave the way for our (Philippines) economy’s rebound,” she said. (LAP)