A better job let her help others find one, too

PERSONNEL TOUCH: Joyce Fastino, president of The Personnel People, says the weak job market has brought added significance to her work. / PBN FILE PHOTO/NATALJA KENT
PERSONNEL TOUCH: Joyce Fastino, president of The Personnel People, says the weak job market has brought added significance to her work. / PBN FILE PHOTO/NATALJA KENT

When Joyce Fastino took over as the new owner of The Personnel People more than a decade ago, she brought with her a penny-wise Yankee attitude that might seem out of style to some of today’s entrepreneurs.
The president of the Providence office-placement firm quickly set about chopping costs and boosting efficiency. She moved from a spacious office to a less-expansive one down the hall, cutting her rent in half. She said goodbye to the big accounting firm and found a smaller one with smaller fees. When the bookkeeper left to start a family, Fastino skipped hiring a replacement and took on the chore herself.
Fastino saw profit margins climb for several years. And while the growth spurt stalled in 2009, the company has survived the Great Recession and stayed healthy, thanks largely to her single-mindedness and perseverance.
The company has been operating now for more than 30 years, she said. “I think it says a lot when a small business in Rhode Island is able to last that long.”
The Personnel People specializes in the recruitment and placement of office staffing, both temporary and permanent. Many Rhode Island businesses call when they are seeking an experienced person to work as an executive assistant, administrative assistant, or in some other support position.
What’s more, some companies are now turning to temp agencies as a cost-control measure. “A temp’s wages may be lower, and they don’t have to pay for benefits,” she said.
A placement agency can be a lifeline for job candidates struggling to find their way during tough times. And in good times, a service can provide a way out for workers unhappy with their job situation. That’s exactly how Fastino found her way into the business. She was employed as a store manager, a job that sometimes required her to work nights, weekends and holidays. “I was very dissatisfied,” she recalled. “I gave my two weeks notice. Then I saw an ad for a staffing coordinator at this agency. It was truly serendipity. I didn’t choose this business; it chose me.”
After several years Fastino left her full-time position to start a family, but she stayed with the company as the part-time bookkeeper. She continued to learn more about the business. “The owner was nearing retirement age,” she recalled. “And one day I told her, ‘When you’re ready to retire, let me know.’ ”
Not long after, the owner told Fastino she was preparing to sell the company. “I made the leap,” the now-president said. “I decided to take over the business.”
From the start, she focused on controlling expenses at the three-person office. But those efforts doubled when the recession hit. In 2009 revenue dropped for the first time since she had taken the reins.
She cut overhead by not renewing the company’s Web-hosting contract, and switched to a less-costly provider. She began posting her online job ads on a free site, and found she still received plenty of resumes. She also cut back on staff and took over some employees’ duties herself to reduce payroll costs.
The recession also taught Fastino the value of networking. She’s an active member of the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce, and is constantly forging new contacts.
“Because of our city’s smaller size, you can develop relationships with business leaders and companies more quickly. Everyone knows everyone, and connections lead to repeat and new business.” &#8226

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