IN THE NEWS

September 4, 2001 | Exeter News Letter (excerpted in part)
New Name, Same Faces - Staffing Sense Buys Moore Staffing

Roy Aboody, President of Staffing Sense in Stratham, dispels the popular notion that the average number cruncher isn't a people person. The former Wall Street financial advisor and commercial bank business portfolio manager bought the Newfields branch of Moore Staffing Services on June 9th, 2001, and is ready to start marketing its personnel services under a new name and from a new location.

Previously, Aboody worked for Wes Moore, managing the Newfields branch of Moore Staffing which also has affiliate and separately family-managed locations in Wilmington and Methuen, MA. When Moore said he was putting the New Hampshire branch up for sale, Aboody didn't hesitate to make an offer. "We don't want to confuse people," he said. "Its only the Newfields locations that is changing its name. While the name and place are different, the services and faces aren't."

Chances are if you are a first-time visitor to the new spot in the Piper's Landing office complex, Aboody will introduce you to his team - Gina Pedroni and Pam Perry, whom he refers to as the experts. A mere two days after the big move from a 850 to a 1,400 square foot office, the women seemed settled in, answering client calls, sending out press releases, and interviewing candidates for temporary, temporary-to-hire and direct hire positions.

Meanwhile, unpacking files, reviewing contracts, launching the company's new website, and planning a trip to Holland were on Aboody's schedule last week. However, aside from commenting on the warm temperature in his office, he remained cool and appeared undaunted. He did admit that over the past three months, he's spent more time at the office, preparing for the transition, than at his Hampstead home with his wife, Allison, and children, Josh and Anna.

Even reports of the country's economic slump fail to affect Aboody's positive outlook. "The Seacoast is built on the small company," he said. "All the national figures show the Seacoast is alive and well. It's important not to get caught up in the panic of Wall Street and corporate America." In addition Aboody said he's selling a product - administrative staffing support - at a time when it's needed more than ever. "In the 80's their was a lot of fat in the structure," he said. "Now they have to trim it. A lot of the growing companies are more cautious." With the downsizing, leaner companies are finding that employee absences or extended vacations are gaps that need temporary filling. About 85 percent of Staffing Sense's customer base is made of companies with 10 or fewer employees.

"The heart of the Seacoast is small business," he reiterated. Meanwhile, the gamut of industries using Aboody's service is wide, ranging from law firms to hair salons to contractors. They share a common trait according to Aboody. "Everybody has an administrative need," he said. In addition, all clients have peak periods. For accountants, it's tax time; for retailers, it’s the winter holidays; and for landscaping companies, it’s the spring and summer months. One industry remains consistently busy despite seasonal and economic cycles. Aboody said that while the need for medical billing professionals is growing, the number of qualified employees isn't. Insurance claim forms and medical terminology are often more difficult to decipher than a doctors scribbling of Latin terms on a patient's chart.

Aboody says said Staffing Sense will capitalize on the administrative need. Teaming up with Reimbursement Operations Resources of Newfields, Staffing Sense plans to offer a medical training program to qualified applicants. Currently, Staffing Sense also offers computer training to employment candidates. The two testing stations are complete with a computer, tutorial software and headphones. "It's very user-friendly," Aboody said. "We've all taken the tests and tutorials," he added, referring to himself and his staff.

Despite effective training, a smooth interview and a clean background check, finding a perfect personnel match for a particular job isn't as easy as it seems. "You can't put a square peg in a round hole," he said. "You're better off not sending anyone, rather than sending the wrong person." Aboody said employment agencies are often accused of sending a "warm body" or somebody that just punches in and out, but isn't qualified for the task. "You can't do that," he said. Aboody said it's better to refer that client to another agency or place advertisements to attract new candidates rather than knowingly coordinate a mismatch.

The pool of employment candidates is large according to Pam Perry, the senior staffing coordinator. Perry said some prospective employees are high school or vocational school graduates, entering the work force for the first time. Others are retirees who aren't quite ready for retirement. Not all applicants are placed, according to Perry, but she adds that there's little risk in faxing or e-mailing a resume. "Someone shouldn't assume we can't help," she said.

There are benefits for contract workers on assignment through Staffing Sense, too. All contract employees are immediately eligible for referral bonuses and Employee-of-the-Month awards, in addition to vacation and holiday pay once a certain number of hours are worked. "That's a key thing," Aboody said, referring to the employee incentives. His philosophy carries over to his full time staff, which is offered a more extensive benefits package. "I know it's going to limit my turnover," he said. "Wes always did that. That's why he attracted good people." Aboody says he hopes to build his customer base with eventual satellite offices in Dover and Portsmouth. As the Vice Chair of the Ambassador Committee with the Exeter Area Chamber of Commerce, in addition to being a member of its Board of Directors, he's not shy about networking. He said while he uses the services of fellow Chamber members whenever possible, many of them reciprocate when in need of staffing assistance.

Aboody said he's usually out of the office about 75 percent of the time, meeting business owners in the community, a luxury not possible in the fast-paced bustle of New York City. "What got me was the small town feeling," he said, recalling his first impression of the Seacoast. "I never felt like I was intruding. People were actually happy to see me when I walked through the door."

Staffing Sense is located at Piper's Landing, 142 Portsmouth Avenue, Stratham, NH, right at the Stratham traffic circle. For more information, call 603-772-1700 or visit their website at www.staffingsense.com.