Spring is here, and that means more than just great weather and blooming flowers. Soon, a new crop of jobseekers – college and high school graduates – will enter the market. That could mean even more competition for jobs in a tight job market. But some surveys indicate this new wave of jobseekers doesn’t seem too worried: 42 percent of recent college graduates aren’t even sure when they’ll start looking for a job.

Maybe they haven’t been keeping up with the news. Although the broader economy has shown signs of turnaround, it’s still tough out there – as many of you know. Still, we’ve been matching a lot of jobseekers with opportunities over the past several months, so there’s reason to be optimistic.

Speaking of news, you may have seen Gdovin Personnel in the media lately. Over the past month, we’ve been featured in the Central Penn Business Journal and the York Sunday News. (I guess we’re not the “best-kept secret” in staffing anymore.) Keep looking for Gdovin in the news over the coming months. We’re continuing to work with the regional media to provide employers with key information on the job market and employment issues.

In closing, please feel free to email me with your comments, feedback, or questions. I’d love to hear from you.

Sincerely, Ann Gdovin-Hake

Articles of interest for May 2004...

Women in the Workforce: A Recipe for Jobseekers - Last weekend, I attended the York County Women’s Fair. I was there partly because 75 percent of the jobseekers my company serves are women, and partly because I wanted an up-to-the-minute snapshot of women’s attitudes about work.

Read more ...
http://www.gdovin.com/about/newsarticles/womenworkforce.php

Entrepeneurs and temp workers - Increasingly, entrepreneurs are hiring temporary employees. The agency handles recruitment, training, payroll, and more – “all of the stuff you don't have time for and can't afford to deal with…” In addition, you'll never have to say you're sorry if things don't work out; letting an ineffectual worker go is the agency's responsibility. On the other hand, if things do work out, you'll have an inside look at a potential new hire. “What could be better? Not much.”

Read more ...
http://www.usatoday.com/money/smallbusiness/2004-04-15-entre-2-apr_x.htm

“The employees who work for your company are naturally motivated. All you need to do is to utilize their natural ability, which you can do without spending a dime.” Check out these tips for getting the most of your workforce …
http://www.employer-employee.com/howtomot.htm

If your team needs training in Microsoft Office products, don’t send them to an inconvenient off-site session. Let Gdovin come to you. We’ll provide everything necessary for several training programs – all at your place. Click for more information:
http://www.gdovin.com/employers/trainingprograms.php

• For York County, the unemployment rate held steady at 4.7 percent for March. That’s down from 5.3 percent last March. We may see some influx of workers for summer and entry-level employment when college- and high school-graduates enter the job market.
• Over half of college graduates (53 percent) had not started looking for permanent employment as of April, according to a survey by Yahoo HotJobs. At the same time, 34 percent are confident that they will find a job within three months. About 18 percent of respondents are ready to start their job search during spring, while 42 percent are still not sure when they will start looking for a job.
• The vast majority of companies using temporary workers -- 81 percent -- cite labor force flexibility as the overriding reason.

Needless to say, Houseman is busy. She often turns to Gdovin Personnel for her staffing needs, which include medical front desk and medical assistant personnel. Hiring qualified employees for a dermatology practice entails a rigorous applicant review, and Houseman likes Gdovin’s approach to the process.

”The quality of candidate is by far superior to any other agencies,” Houseman says. “Gdovin’s screening process is very similar to mine, so they do a lot of my work for me. They just make it easier.”

Houseman also relies on Gdovin’s ability to test for data entry and software skills – an added benefit of working through an agency. And she appreciates the personal touch offered by Gdovin and its president, Ann Gdovin-Hake.

“Ann gets to know her clients,” Houseman said. “She’s able help with that intangible – that ‘fit’ thing.”

Gdovin has successfully found a number of employees who “fit” with Dermatology Associates, and is actively involved in helping to staff the new Center for Cosmetic Dermatology.