Staffing services provider sees rising demand in Cebu

CEBU, Philippines - Seeing the growing market in Cebu for human capital, John Clements Consultants, Inc. (JCCI) recently opened its second office at Cebu IT Park to cater to more clients who are based in the province.

JCCI is a pioneer and innovator in the staffing services in the Philippines among major multinational companies and large-scale local firms for more than three decades.

The Manila-based company has been present in Cebu for six years already. Before, they usually process the requirements of the clients in Manila until they decided to put up an office in Cebu in 2006.

JCCI vice president and managing director Grace Sorongon said they observed that the Cebu business community is continuously growing for the past two to three years, thus feeling the need to expand its presence in the area.

“We decided that it is about time,” she said.

Before, JCCI only offers recruitment services in Cebu that vary in direct recruiting and managed recruiting exclusive to one client.

Sorongon shared that with the opening of its second office, JCCI shall also aggressively introduce more products and services of the company in Cebu all within this year.

These include leadership development programs in partnership with Harvard Business Publishing, customized learning programs, executive coaching, 360-degree feedback assessment services and other trainings.

They will also conduct recruitment operations and job fairs in Cebu and in the Visayas.

“We envision Cebu will become just like Manila where all of the products of the company will be marketed here. More products, more services, more clients,” she said.

In Cebu, JCCI attends to the recruitment of supervisory and mid-management positions since local companies can usually manage those from the entry level.

Sorongon shared how the company’s professional staffers go all over the country and find those worthy of the positions, adding that they do not have much struggle in sourcing employees nationwide.

“We look for the best,” she continued.

She also reminded Cebu-based companies who are typically investment-conscious that the recruitment process is a capital-intensive asset if one chooses to operate expansively.

Although she declined to disclose the exact amount of the investment for the second office, she said that the company poured a “big investment” for such expansion.

She said that the new office will handle only one client for now.

The two existing hubs of the company in Cebu will also house the increasing number of JCCI clients across all industries such as business process management, construction, manufacturing and telecommunications.

Sorongon further revealed that they are eyeing to expand in Iloilo and Davao hopefully next year.

JCCI has six offices in Manila.

It was founded in 1974 by the late Leocadio Dominguez, a Harvard graduate and an accomplished corporate executive, and John Clements, a well-known psychology consultant in Australia.

It specializes on management consultancy, recruitment and placement, psychological assessment, service contracting management, outsourcing, and staff augmentation to both domestic and foreign markets. (FREEMAN)