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Topâ€"notch people at Drake International ADVERTISING FEATURE usan Jones, manager of Drake International in Oakville, says she‘s encouraged by recent economic growth. "The level of activity in terms of hiring has really increased in the last two to three months, compared to the past three years," she says. "We‘ve seen a steady increase in staffing requests, particularly in the manufacturing sector." Jones says employers are looking for workers with a variâ€" ety of skills, and are placing more emphasis on behavioral profiles â€" a service offered by Drake, under its ‘P3‘ division. "Companies are no longer simply looking for somebody who‘s done a job for a certain period of years and wants a change. They‘re now looking at their organizational makeâ€"up, and wHether that person fits the needs of their organization. ADVERTISING FEATURE akville Place is already gearâ€" O ing up for that most chaotic yet magical time of the year: Christmas. "The mall is already fully leased, and we‘ve got all kinds of activities and special events planned," says Penny Deathe, marketing director for Oakville Place. That‘s because kids are a big part of the many communityâ€"oriented activities planned each year, such as the highly successful day campâ€"like Nuts About Kids program which ran this summer. "We had a lot of response to the program; it went over very well," Deathe confirms. One notable Nuts About Kids event was a Teddy Bear‘s hospital â€" young children, with Teddy Bears in tow, met with medical staff ‘rom the Oakvilleâ€"Trafalgar _ Memorial Hospital in the mall. The purpose of the event was to help reduce the potential fear and uncertainty that many children experience during their first visit to a hospital or docâ€" tor‘s office. Teddy patients underâ€" went a variety of treatments, includâ€" ing vaccinations, xâ€"rays, and banâ€" dages. "The Teddy Bear‘s Hospital went very well, and we will bring it back next year. We‘ve forged relationships with a lot of community groups." Next up is Hallowe‘en, featuring a giant haunted house, which will be staffed by members of the Halton Child and Youth Foundation. The Foundation is a fundraising organizaâ€" tion affiliated with the Halton Children‘s Aid Society. Rockport GIFT WITH PURCHASE "All of the proceeds from the Haunted House will go to that organiâ€" zation," Deathe says. Another bonus â€" pintâ€"sized ghosts, goblins and witches will be able to trick or treat within the mall, in a safe, controlled environment. A "Monster Band" will provide the appropriate spooky music. "People are concerned about takâ€" ing their kids door to door, and this is a service that we are proud to provide for the community." As a proactive measure, Deathe says she is also in the early stages of planning a "mall parent" program. "The security issue is coming up a lot with shopping centres. We don‘t have a problem at Oakville Place, and we want to make sure that the mall remains safe for everyone." Deathe has planned something very special for Thanksgiving: a dinâ€" ner for the Halton Mental Health Association, for 50 people. The mall will be closed that day, and dinner will be served by several Oakville Place tenants, many of whom have already volunteered their time. Entertainment will also be provided. The event will be the first of its kind for the mall. Lots of plans for Christmas Christmas brings the popular Festival of Trees by the May Court Club of Oakville, and the return of a special Christmas store for children onlyâ€" run by ‘elves.‘ "The gifts are all ten dollars and under, and are supplied by the mall tenants on consignment. It‘s ‘No parâ€" ents allowed,‘ and a portion of the proceeds go to the Halton Children and Youth Foundation, Deathe QUALITY. COMFORT. ROCKPORT GIVES YOU BOTH. (NOT TO MENTION STYLE). AND IF YOU COME IN TODAY, YOU‘LL RECKIVE A GIFT WITH EVERY PURCHASE.* PERFORMANCE, INNOVATION and STYLE It‘s the overall package." Businesses also rely on behavioral profiles to keep staffing costs under control. â€" "Staffing is still tight, and companies are being a lot more choosey," she says. ‘"‘They‘re really paying closer attention to the quality of the people they‘re hiring. Interviews are more inâ€"depth, and companies are seeing more people when they have a position to fill." Job performance is another hiring factor which is becomâ€" ing more prevalent, she notes. "Performance was never really measured very carefully in the past, and that is changing. With our inâ€"depth testing, we discover whether there is a gap between what the applicant claims, and their actual ability. They must know the program cold. That way, when temporary help is required by a compaâ€" Oakville Place: Nuts About Kids explains. The Gingerbread House, as the store is called, will be open the whole month of December. Adults get their own Christmas store as well this year â€" the new seaâ€" sonal venture features home decoratâ€" ing items and opens Oct. 1. It remains open until early January. "The merchandise is gorgeous," Deathe promises. Also new for Christmas will be the appearance of 24 ornamental trees throughout Oakville Place, decorated by Sheridan College visual merchanâ€" dising students as part of a class proâ€" ject. "The kids did a fabulous job," she says. "They‘re responsible for the designs, sourcing the materials, and coming up with a budget. We chose from a dozen designs they presented to us." s The marketing director says the project is part of an initiative on the part of Sheridan College to do more handsâ€"on work in the community. Oakville Place has recently welâ€" comed new tenants Please Mum â€" a children‘s clothing store Deathe says is doing very well; Kids Are Worth It â€" which sells games and educational toys, and the Home Furnishing Outlet. The new Thomas Gallery on the upper level is another attractive addition to the diverse tenant mix. Deathe and her staff are always open to new ideas. "We welcome suggestions, in writing or taped on our ‘UTV‘ video camera. We want to continue to strengthen the good relaâ€" tionship we‘ve built with the commuâ€" nity." CHABRLES AUSTIN Oakyville 184 Lakeshore Road East 8$45â€"5582 *APPLIES TO ALL MEN‘S AND WOMEN‘S REGULAR PRICED ROCKPORT SHOES, WHILE QUANTITIES LAST. 389 Pearl Street Burlington 639â€"1372 ny; they get good people from us." h en t 200 o + THE OAKVILLE BEAVER September 28, 1994 GOOD NEWS â€" 3 Industrial placements are up, and in the white collar sector, permanent and temporary placements are steadily increasing, reports Jones. "Temporary work is on the fastest growing areas, and that‘s encouraging for us; we‘re very excited about the way things are moving." Jones advises potential applicants to continually upgrade their skills; she says one of the biggest challenges for personâ€" nel firms is to meet the demand for "quality people." In demand are office and clerical applicants who are comâ€" fortable with such tasks as desktop publishing, and knowlâ€" edgeable about operating in an advanced Windows environâ€" ment. "WordPerfect 5.1 used to be the standard, but that has changed completely." Jones also predicts a potential shortage of "good, reliable people" as unemployment decreases. No matter what the future holds, Drake Office Overload will continue to provide a number of services â€" temporary help under the Office Overload and Industrial Overload divisions, fullâ€"time placements through Drake Personnel, and behavioral testing through "Drake P3." "Our ultimate goal is to provide our clients with good service and good people," Jones comâ€" ments. Drake International, 700 Dorval Drive, Tel: 845â€"6663. GUIDELINES FOR HIRING In this changing business climate, Drake understands the importance of maximizing productivity. Having the right person in the right job at the right time can be crucial to your organization‘s success. Whethr you need temporary or permanent staff, Drake has the right solution for your company. DRAKE OFFICE OVERLOAD AND PERSONNEL A vast resource of screened, tested and trained personnel for temporary assignment or permanent positions. Clerical, secretarial, through to word processing and office management personnel. Experience the Drake Difference."" DRAKE SERVING OAKVILLE FOR 30 YEARS 845â€"6663 700 Dorval Drive, Suite 312 Oakville, Ontario L6K 3V3 Raising money for charity... El bazaar! C ome to Oakville Place and help the community help itself. The Annual Charity Bazaar offers up homemade crafts, baked goods, books, clothing and so much more. There‘s even raffle tickets for a beautiful hand made quilt and tickets for a Christmas performance of the Canadian Orpheus Male Choir on December 3. Come out on Saturday. Because there‘s nothing bizarre about supporting our local charities. SA PARp @AKVILLE DLACF * rour 110 Fine Stores and Services. Just north of the Q.E.W. and Tralaigar Road. 842â€"2140 Open Mon.â€"Fri. 930 12