Finding the right person for the job—it’s all in a day’s work

MARIO COSTA President of Select

AT 10 million, the population of Portugal is small in comparison with the major European economies. This can make recruiting suitable staff a challenge, so using a professional service can be a good idea.
Finding the right people and putting them in the right job is all in a day’s work for Mario Costa, President of Select, the largest human resources company in the country.
Part of the Dutch Vedior group, Select operates in 28 countries in Europe, as well in the United States, Asia and Australia.
Specialist staffing services generate higher margins and have greater growth potential. Select specializes in several areas including IT, education, healthcare, administration and merchandising, as well as traditional fields of work such as construction, industry, and the hotel and catering trades.

The company has grown both organically and by acquisition, and in Portugal has 20 percent of market share. The Select and Vedior brands occupy first and second market positions, respectively.
“We go more for organic growth, but you can only grow so far,” says Mr. Costa. “We reckon that every year we must branch into new areas.”
With continuous change in the employment markets across Europe, there is an increasing demand for flexible labor forces.
At the same time, European Union legislation has provided greater protection for employees, whether on short-term contracts or working part-time, which has forced companies to tailor their needs more exactingly.
Select has 15,000 temporary workers on its books. A new Select company, called Fairplace Outplacement, was established in October to “help people move out of one company into another.”

Mr. Costa says the worldwide economic slowdown has meant that staffing and recruitment agencies have had to adapt to new conditions as well as provide better-trained employees. As more Portuguese companies have been privatized, employers have become more selective and demanding.
Portugal has been isolated to a certain degree from the mainstream European economies because of its geographical location and its language. Mr. Costa says the country is still catching up with other EU member states in many respects.
“We have to be practical. We cannot compete with Spain in every industry. So where can we compete? We can compete in services and in tourism. But we need capital and training for that, because the Portuguese are not used to service businesses. They are very open, but they must become professionals, and that’s what we are lacking. We have to change people’s mentalities.

“We want to show the big multinationals that we really want to make our country competitive,” he adds. “We have been able to take advantage of funds from the European Union, but more could have been spent on training.”
Many Portuguese companies are family-run and there is still a need to modernize business methods and practices, he believes.
“The Portuguese are very good workers. But you have to train them and you really have to help them take up challenges because they are used to being government-oriented.”

Mr. Costa is optimistic about Portugal’s future and emphasizes its investment potential. “The government is trying to change things from the past. You must understand that our democracy is only 25 years old,” he says.
“Americans should come and invest in Portugal because I think the country is really going to leap forward. It is an old country with a lot of young people. It is a very pleasant country and we are very open.”