Aberdeen Couple Fights Unemployment by Matching People with Jobs

John and Silvia Caravella, a married couple from Aberdeen, know corporate America well.

The two met while working at Morgan Stanley when John was a supervisor and Silvia was quickly working her way up through the company. They married four years later, and John continued at Morgan Stanley while Silvia eventually moved to UBS, where she worked on hedge funds.

The birth of their son changed the playing field for this corporate couple, and John decided to leave his position to be a stay-at-home dad. John picked up a side job as a bartender at La Riviera on Main Street in Matawan, a position he said he enjoys.

When their son was diagnosed with Autism, Silvia also wanted to cut out her hour and a half commute to and from the city in order to be closer to her family and help with the therapy her son would need in the coming years.

Rather than try to find a job locally, John and Silvia decided to put their corporate experience to work and considered several opportunities they could pursue, including opening a gym or a restaurant. They ultimately decided, however, that they wanted to do something that increased their quality of life and let them help others.

"As we started to brainstorm we thought, What do we like most about our jobs? And what we both liked was helping people to succeed in their careers," John said. "I have people who used to work for me and are now in great roles at Morgan Stanley or other businesses. That was always a point of pride for us."

Six months ago, Silvia left her job and the couple decided to take the risk and become franchise owners with Remedy Intelligence Staffing. They opened a location in the Minisink Mall on Route 79 in Matawan in July, and according to John, business has been going well.

Remedy Intelligence Staffing is a franchise that has been in business since 1965. The Matawan office is one of four offices to open between March and September of this year and according to the franchise's website, the Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA) anticipates annual average revenue growth of 5% through 2016, which echoes the 9% unemployment rate in the country.

A staffing agency is much like an outsourced human resources department for businesses. The agency does everything from hiring to firing employees. They interview candidates, complete background checks, check references and match an appropriate candidate with an appropriate business.

"In essence, we're match-makers," John said. "It's challenging but it's motivating. You can see in their eyes and hear it in their voice. They want to get back to work," John said.

The service does not cost the job seeker any money, rather the businesses pay for it. The business pays the agency, who then pays the employee. John used the example that if an employee is hired to get paid ten dollars an hour, the agency will charge the business twelve or thirteen dollars an hour for their services.

John said the first time he successfully placed someone with a business, he was overcome with emotion.

"My wife would tell you I cried, but I would deny that," John said with a laugh.

As the staffing agency continues to grow, John and Silvia hope to be successful while keeping the community in the forefront.

"I see us being very successful in helping the community and giving back to the community. That's my real passion," John said. "We're just doing what we can to put people back to work."