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MINDING YOUR
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| YOUTH
IS A PRETTY PICTURE; AGE IS A WORK OF ART By Mike Ashley |
John Iezzi
(pronounced Yut-zee) has the best news for older
executives since Viagra. Iezzi's company -- Fifty-Plus Temps -- specializes in the placement of professional men and women age 50 and older. This is no ordinary temp service. Employers
come to Fifty-Plus looking for executives,
managers, CPAs, engineers, salesmen, supervisors
and architects, to name a few. |
| "Historically,
temp services haven't been identified with these
kinds of jobs," says Iezzi. "But we're
trying to change that. People don't think in
terms of needing a personnel director for six
months or a graphics designer to do start-up work
for eight months to a year. But it makes a lot of
sense to bring in someone with the kind of
experience we offer." Typically, Fifty-Plus provides high-level temps to Richmond area banks, insurance companies, law firms, accounting firms and several other businesses within a 50-mile radius. The company has a database of over 250
potential workers and, according to Iezzi,
they've turned away many more applicants who
don't really fit into the "high-end"
placement the company envisions. |
 artwork by Michael Goodman |
| Iezzi opened the doors to
Fifty-Plus last July, and he's had success
placing his displaced executives. These
candidates may have been "downsized,"
may have taken early retirement or simply may be
looking for a change. To market his time-tested
temps, 60-year-old Iezzi, a CPA himself, points
to studies that show age and experience are major
assets in the workplace. Mature workers, he says,
tend to have higher morale, a stronger work ethic
and a greater sense of commitment to the job.
Iezzi should know: He also owns Iezzi Management
Group, which provides management consulting to
the legal profession, and Alliance Business
Services, which provides accounting and
management services to non-legal organizations. But Iezzi's other companies don't have the demographic upside that Fifty-Plus anticipates. Within the next 10 years, 38 percent of the U.S. population will be 50-plus. Aging Baby Boomers already come to Iezzi looking for more control of their working future and more flexibility and are often very interested in working in a temporary environment. Some of the Fifty-Plus temps are looking for a lot more. "We have a job requirement for a company right now that wants to hire a CFO for one year on a temporary basis," says Iezzi. "If he works out, they're going to hire him full-time. We have another requirement for a human resources director for four months to come in and set up a department." "Our goal is to get these people out on three, four-month projects where they can really make a difference and where they have an opportunity to get a full-time job, if that's what they want." The agency's hourly rates range from $15 to $50. "We mark up about 50 to 60 percent, depending on the level of expertise and length of project," says Iezzi. The company also charges a fee when a temp is hired on a permanent basis. Fifty-Plus has even let a couple of under-50 temps onto its books, largely to expand its base of women, who account for only 15 percent of its temps. "We've looked all over the country and there's no one really doing what we're trying to do," says Iezzi. "Our goal is to have a franchise in every major city in the country."
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