Workspace Spring Clean

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Minute by minute, the days are getting longer. Day by day, the birdsong grows louder. After what feels like a 2-year long winter, spring is around the corner. Get ready for this hopeful time of year by organizing a spring clean of your workspace!

 

Define your workspace(s). 

Are you working from home in a spare room? Do you have a desk in your company office? Do you make business calls from your car between sales visits? These can all be defined as your workspaces. You may use one or a variety of these spaces. If you use more than one of these spaces, make sure to “spring clean” each one!

 

Throw out rubbish/ bring coffee cups to the kitchen. 

Some people are tidier than others, so you’ll know if this applies to you. If you’re the type of person who brings their second – or third- mug of tea to their workspace without clearing up the mug(s) already there, or if your rubbish bin is constantly overflowing, this tip is for you. A cluttered space leads to a cluttered mind. You will be able to focus much more clearly when you’ve cleared your space. Each time you leave your workspace, have a look around to see if there’s anything you can clear from your space. Soon this will be a habit and your desk will never look better.

 

File away documents and shred what’s no longer needed. 

A place for everything and everything in its place! Now is a good time to set up files for 2022 (if you haven’t done so already) and file paperwork away accordingly- whether you use paper or digitized methods. When you know where all your important documents are located, it saves you time and worry. You should also take the time to see if there is any documentation containing data you should no longer hold on to. Check with your company’s Data Protection Officer and make sure you are up to date with GDPR requirements.

 

Clean your desktop, keyboard, phone, and more. 

This is probably something you’ve gotten into the habit of over the past couple of years. Even if you wipe off these spaces daily, you’ll want to do a more thorough job for your spring clean. Take note of every surface that you touch in your workspace. Get a soft cloth and an antibacterial cleanser and get to work! Don’t forget places like the armrests of your chair or the switch on your desk lamp. Use caution when cleaning electronic items. You can purchase tech-specific antibacterial cleaning kits online or through most stationery supply companies.

 

Make this space your own. 

This is the fun part. Some offices may have rules on what you can and cannot put in your workspace. Please keep those rules in mind! Having said that, most will allow you some personal items. Does a certain colour pen inspire you to write better proposals? Then get yourself that pen. Are you more likely to keep a handwritten diary than a digital one? Then make sure you have a diary on your desk. Are you working towards a specific goal? Then maybe hang up a picture of your dream house to remind you why you’re saving up for a deposit. Do you have a dream holiday location? Print out an image of that beach scene or cityscape. You need items that encourage you to work at your best level as well as reminders of why you’re working so hard.

 

Spring Clean the mind!

Now that your physical space is cleared, time to clear any issues going on in your mind. Are you worried your company won’t offer you a hybrid work scheme? Have you noticed that your salary isn’t quite keeping up with inflation? Are you perhaps ready for a completely new challenge? Contact the consultants at RecruitmentPlus today. The answers to your workplace worries could be just a phone call away.

Focus on 2022

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A Proven Technique to Get More Done in Less Time

 

Was your New Year’s resolution to be more organized and productive? Do you dread the start of each new workday, wondering what lies ahead? Would you like to have more control over your day? Then you need to focus.

 

What Happens When You Lose Focus at Work?

You become a firefighter. No, not the brave people who run into burning buildings when everyone else runs out… What YOU do is react to crisis after crisis after crisis until all you know is last-minute panic and dread. There’s a proposal due at 9 am tomorrow, and you work all through the night to complete it, hitting “send” at 8:59. You have 100 agendas to print out before a meeting 30 minutes from now, and the printer keeps jamming. The payroll is due at the same time each week, and you find yourself coming up to the wire at every payroll deadline. You see, you manage to get things done; however, not before hitting crisis mode.

 

You get a gold medal for procrastination. Interestingly, your procrastination will eventually lead to the above fires you constantly put out. It’s a vicious circle. You know this on some level. So why do you do it? There are many reasons why people procrastinate at work. Some examples are perfectionism, anxiety, lack of focus, fear of failure. But remember I said vicious circle. Are you procrastinating at work because you’re burned out from putting out fires? How are you meant to organize your workload if you are in crisis mode?

 

You use multitasking as a shield. Admit it. Saying you are a multitasker is code for “not only am I a busy person, but I’m busy doing a few things at once.” It’s time to drop the act. Gone are the days where multitasking was considered a skill. Now we know better. Not only is it impossible for you to focus on more than one task at a time, but studies have shown that multitasking can affect your memory as well as cause anxiety. Did that lapse in memory mean you forgot to print those 100 agendas until the last minute? Is that anxiety causing you to procrastinate? I’ll say it again: a vicious circle.

 

How Do You Break Free?

You need to focus. A good plan will help you do more in less time. Below are some steps to take to ensure you’re stepping into 2022 on the right foot.

 

Get comfortable with change. Be gentle with yourself and trust the process. Take each step as it comes and allow for the fact that you might be so used to firefighting, procrastinating, and multitasking that changing to a more focussed process will seem strange at first.

 

Get rid of distractions and multitasking. One option is to set up “focus” time in your MyAnalytics dashboard if you use Microsoft applications. This will show people on Teams and in your calendar that you are focusing and unavailable for meetings. If you are not using Microsoft, many other online apps will assist in helping you focus on the task at hand. You can find these by googling “online focus apps” and choosing the one that is the right fit for you. Many apps are free of charge, or you can pay a small fee to upgrade additional features.

 

Set goals and prioritise tasks. Now that you are free of distractions, how do you spend your focus time? First, you need to identify your work goals. You can break your goals down by week or quarter or even think big and come up with lifetime career goals. Once you know your goals, you can see the roadmap to where you want to go. The next thing you’ll want to do is list all the tasks you will need to complete to attain those goals. Have a good look at your list. Are some of those tasks time-sensitive? Do some seem more arduous than others? Can you delegate any of these tasks? Prioritize accordingly and make a to-do list.

 

Find your flow. Some call it flow. Others call it being in the zone. It’s that feeling of being perfectly focussed on one task and working on it to your best abilities. With the help of your focus app, you’re not being distracted. Working from your prioritized to-do list, you’re only working on one task at a time. The last piece of the “flow” puzzle is finding your peak hours during the day. When do you feel most energized? When do you feel creative? When do you prefer to do analytical work? Are you an early bird or a night owl? Do you hit the ground running at 9 am but fall victim to the 3 pm slump? Then schedule your most significant tasks in the morning. Do you feel most lively after lunch? Maybe that’s the perfect time to plan your sales calls. Know yourself, recognize your patterns and find your flow.

 

Are You Ready for 2022?

Hopefully, the above tips will help you keep your New Year’s resolution of being more productive and organized in your job. When you go through the step of writing your long-term career goals, keep RecruitmentPlus in mind. Our consultants can help you focus on the next stage of your career with their proactive approach to recruitment. Contact us today.

Christmas 2021

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Best Wishes for a Wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year

RecruitmentPlus will be open and operating as usual through Thursday 23rd December at 1pm. Our offices will then be closed until we re-open at 10am on Tuesday 4th January 2022. In case of emergency or urgent queries, you can contact Anne Fanthom on 086 831 4668.

We hope you are winding down after another very strange year with your sights on what’s in store for you in 2022.

Please see a selection of our best advice blogs from 2021 below. We hope they give you some business inspiration for the New Year. We look forward to working with you again then!

 

The Hybrid Working Model

Advice on the National Remote Working Strategy

8 Silver Linings of Working from Home

Recruitment Trends 2021

The Hybrid Working Model

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Change is on the horizon. As we begin to slowly come out of an incredibly challenging fourteen months, some significant changes are occurring in the way in which we work, not only in Ireland but globally. I’m sure we could all do without reliving the past with businesses being forced to either shut or drastically change all aspects of the day to day running of their processes, workforce, IT and more. 

 

The doors closed on physical businesses and employees across the country were faced with adjusting to remote working, perhaps for the first time. It was unfathomable to most of us. Surprisingly, many started to embrace this new way of working and living. Not only were employees’ minds changed about working from home but employers started to see the benefits of having a fully remote team. 

 

Referring to the Remote Working Strategy initiative documents released by the Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment, 94% of people asked in a survey voiced that they would like options to work from home after the pandemic. The strategy’s main action is to mandate that home and remote work should be the norm for 20% of public sector employment. 

 

Three Pillars for The National Remote Working Strategy 

 

One main objective of the initiative is to ensure that remote working is a permanent feature in the Irish Workplace. 

 

Pillar One: Create a Conducive Environment

Pillar Two: Develop and Leverage Remote Working Infrastructure

Pillar Three: Build a Remote Work Policy and Guidance Framework

 

Find out more information about the National Remote Working Strategy. 

Companies Are Starting to Embrace Change  

        

It seems as though we are on our way to this new hybrid working model with some companies such as BOI already publicly announcing their plans. 

 

BOI is offering their staff much more flexibility in how and where they work. 

 

“This working model will allow colleagues to work from a combination of home and central office locations, and will also offer colleagues access to a network of 11 remote working hubs by the end of 2021.” – BOI website

 

Bank of Ireland goes on to say that this new hybrid working model will allow workers to have not only greater flexibility but also reduced time spent commuting and a more positive work-life balance. 

 

Benefits of Hybrid Working 

 

Work-Life Balance 

 

A common grievance among employees is not having a healthy work-life balance. Long commutes every day can add on several hours to the workday, leaving little time to spend on personal activities throughout the workweek. 

 

Flexibility 

 

Providing employees with options as to how they work will give them more flexibility. It will allow employees to make personal plans and structure their workweek in a way that suits themselves and/or their family. 

 

Productivity 

 

Having a more flexible and less rigid workweek can improve employee morale and therefore boost productivity. 

 

Cost-Effective 

 

A very appealing benefit of the hybrid working model is that it can be a cost-effective option for both employees and employers. Employees will have reduced commuting costs as well as other costs such as lunches. Employers will have fewer overheads with fewer people in the office. 

 

Wider Talent Reach 

 

With no restrictions on geographical location, employers have a wider reach when it comes to recruiting new staff. 

 

Challenges of The Hybrid Working Model  

 

Although there are many benefits of this new way of working, it is understandable that there are some concerns. Managing both remote and in-house staff may take some careful planning and consideration especially regarding collaboration and IT requirements to ensure that there is cohesive and streamlined communication among the company as a whole. 

 

It will be up to employers to guarantee that the best processes possible are put in place to support employee welfare, motivation and productivity. 

 

Conclusion 

 

Many companies have started to embrace the new hybrid working model and many more will follow. Time will tell the full advantages and challenges they will face. However, it could overall have a highly positive impact on the Irish workforce. 

 

It is unclear as to whether such an initiative or model would materialise had the pandemic not forced businesses globally to reevaluate everything. Perhaps it will show itself to be one of the few silver linings. 

 

Are you an employer looking for resources to support your staff? Here are some articles you may find useful: 

 

8 Silver Linings of Working From Home

Supporting Field-Based Workers

Supporting Employees Remotely

 

Advice on the National Remote Working Strategy

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We all breathed a sigh of relief at the announcement that Level 5 restrictions have been eased somewhat across the country. It was a welcomed piece of good news that I think we all can admit, couldn’t have come too soon. Although we still have some way to go, it has certainly instilled hope that there are better days ahead and that this is the beginning. At Recruitment Plus, we are seeing a steady pick up in recruitment trends.

 

As employers, this might be news you are waiting to hear in order to start planning for the remainder of the year. You may have started to think again about adding to your headcount.

 

Have you considered how you will accommodate the government’s recently launched “Remote Working Strategy”? An initiative that, without COVID, would have taken decades to implement and has now been propelled into the forefront of every industry across Ireland.

 

Whether you’ve read the strategy document yet or not, you probably have questions about how this will affect your workforce structure, recruitment plans and just about every other aspect of recruiting and managing staff.

Here are some of the main takeaways from the Remote Working Strategy document to equip you with the knowledge to take your next steps.

 

National Remote Working Strategy

Main actions that will be taken by the Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment:

  • “Mandating that home and remote work should be the norm for 20 per cent of public sector employment
  • Reviewing the treatment of remote working for the purposes of tax and expenditure in the next Budget
  • Mapping and investing in a network of remote working hubs across Ireland
  • Legislating for the right to request remote working
  • Developing a code of practice for the right to disconnect
  • Doing what we can to accelerate the provision of high-speed broadband to all parts of Ireland”

 

Interesting Statistic Regarding Employee Attitudes & Remote Working

According to research carried out in October 2020, 94% of those who partook in the survey said that they would like to work remotely after the pandemic. This was an  increase of 10% on results from a similar survey carried out the previous May.

 

Three Pillars for the Remote Working Strategy

 As stated in the strategy, the initiative will be broken down into three pillars with one main objective “Ensure Remote Work is a Permanent Feature in the Irish Workplace”

 

Pillar One: Create a Conducive Environment

Pillar Two: Develop and Leverage Remote Working Infrastructure

Pillar Three: Build a Remote Work Policy and Guidance Framework

 

Resources for Employers

So, what should employers be doing to prepare?  Knowledge is power. Take a look at the full strategy document and the remote working checklist for employers below to have a better understanding of what to expect.

It will also allow you to put in place policies and strategies to facilitate employee needs and future rights.

 

National Remote Work Strategy

Government of Ireland Remote Working Checklist for Employers

 

 Recruitment Plus’ Promise & Your Next Steps

 

Recruitment Plus has a strong track record in finding flexible solutions for clients and candidates. Our positive approach to Remote Working will be no different. We believe that this flexibility will only expand the pool of talent beyond candidates that traditionally would be more fixed on location.

What you choose to do now will directly affect your workforce structure in the third and fourth quarters of this year.

Contact our office to find out more about how the Remote Working Strategy will affect your business. We will find the best possible solution and provide you with the knowledge and assurance for smooth recruitment moving forward.

 

STILLORGAN OFFICE

01 2788610

jobs@rplus.ie

DUNDALK OFFICE

042 9356910

careers@rplus.ie

 

Supporting Remote Employees

 

Here are some of our most popular reads which you may find useful in further supporting your employees.

8 Silver Linings of Working From Home

Supporting Field-Based Workers

Supporting Employees Remotely

 

 

An Interview with Bernice Brennan

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The 8th March was International Women’s Day. We’ve so many wonderful and talented women working at Recruitment Plus, so we decided to interview one of them! 

Meet Bernice Brennan. Bernice has over 20 years of experience in the Irish recruitment market across diverse disciplines. She is a dog lover and an avid reader.  

We asked Bernice a couple of questions about women in the workforce and about her hopes for the future: 

  1. What is your current job role?

I am primarily Business Development Manager for the Group, supporting consultants in our Dublin, Dundalk and Limerick offices.

  1. What industries do you work closely with?

I have a broad remit and work with existing and potential clients in the Pharmaceutical/Medical Devices, Property, Finance, HR, Sales/ Marketing, Engineering and Office Support.

  1. What challenges do women face in the  profession/ academia?

There still seems to be a lack of social encouragement and self-perception in young women,” said Fionnuala Meehan, Sales Director for Google, gender coding competition last year. Only one girl out of 1,500 girls who took part advanced to a further round.

It is the 21st century. The world talks about progression and creating an environment where all people are treated equally. 

But, why does it stop when it comes to women? 

Why does it happen that women are expected to balance between their career and home while men are supposed to be the breadwinners of the family?

While there are men who have come forward to support women in all their endeavours, why is the word “feminism” branded with, in my opinion,  contempt? 

It’s time we shatter toxic masculinity and make people understand that feminism’s goal is to reduce gender gaps and achieve political, economic, personal, and social gender equality.

It is good to see that this can be industry-specific. There are industries that have a gender preference though this is not a “hard and fast” rule. I believe that mandatory shared parental leave, more affordable childcare and initiatives to tackle gender stereotyping are amongst the measures needed to address the gender pay gap in Ireland.

  1. What are your hopes for women in the workforce in the future? 

I hope that the next generation has even more opportunities and experience and increases the value of their contributions as women. I hope they will help take us all to the next level in achieving gender equity. I already see a level of strength and vulnerability in the next generation that I believe has the power to make great strides forward.

We wish we could show off and celebrate all of our staff this week. However, Bernice is an excellent example of the women we are lucky enough to work with every day.  

 

Recommending Reading: An Interview with Mhairi-Therese Gallagher

 

An Interview with Mhairi-Therese Gallagher

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On International Women’s Day 2021, we had a chat with Mhairi- Therese Gallagher about her career as an Electrical Design Engineer.

 

 

 

Q1. What would you say to girls in school/college who may be considering Engineering as a career choice/study option?

Go for it, it was the best decision I’ve ever made and wish I made that leap right after secondary school. But life got complicated for me at that time and I decided to focus on my family.

 

Q2. How or why did you choose Engineering as a career path/area of study?

I have two reasons, first, I grew up as the shadow of an amazing Engineer, my dad. I would stand beside him in his workshop and help him with electrical work when I was as young as 6 until I got to work with him in the factory where he was the head engineer. Secondly, I finally made the decision to take that leap when I saw my 10-year-old son building his own website from scratch and telling me he wanted to be a computer engineer, as my son had special needs I knew if he was to follow his goals I would need to do this first in order to be able to support him in following this path. Not only did I graduate with an honours degree in computer engineering but my experience helped him get into the same course I studied in. He’s now a second-year engineering student. And I’m an electrical design engineer.

 

Q3, What challenges do women face in Engineering professions/academia?

Professionally I haven’t felt that I have had any challenges specific to women, like everyone, once you have proven your ability any doubts disappear. In our factory, the men are the ones who brag about our female engineering operatives, how they are the best at wiring and fitting smaller fitting, how organised and meticulous they are in their work. Everyone is appreciated for their skills here. The only challenges I faced were personal- I had to study Engineering while raising four children as a single mum, I suffered health issues and family loss. But through sacrifice, perseverance, motivation and focus I managed to graduate with my honours degree in electronics and computer engineering.

 

Q4. What are your hopes for the future of Engineering?

I hope to see more female engineers joining us. There is a big difference in the numbers of female students attending university to study Engineering, This was something I was glad to see when teaching Engineering at DCU and hope the numbers continue to rise.

Supporting Employees Remotely

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Supporting Employees Remotely

There is no denying that we’ve all experienced both professional and personal challenges this year. Continued ambiguity hangs like a cloud over our heads. Providing adequate support, having a proactive approach and ensuring the correct procedures and plans are in place, no matter what happens, is going to be vital to ensure overall employee well-being and business success. Whether you are looking to hire new team members or looking for ways to support and encourage your existing employees, keep reading.

REMOTE ONBOARDING

Does the thought of hiring new staff in 2020 make you a tad anxious? It’s understandable. Most companies have a tried and tested onboarding process which HR and employers are used to and are confident in implementing. Onboarding is a vital stage of the recruitment process which shouldn’t be overlooked. Onboarding remote staff doesn’t mean that hiring new employees remotely can’t run just as smoothly as before. Here are some ways that you can make the process a little easier.

Welcome Your New Employees

Make new employees feel welcome even before they start. Send an email introducing the new team member to the rest of the company, encouraging them to say hello. It can be a daunting experience starting a new position, so breaking the ice before they start can be a positive gesture. Suggest 1:1 Zoom or team calls with the new employees closest working colleagues so they get to make a connection with them initially.

Share Essential Information

Here is a list of some important material that you should share with your new team member. We recommend using a file-sharing tool such as Dropbox or Google Drive.

  • Usernames and passwords
  • New email login
  • Communication tools
  • Documents (how-tos)
  • Company staff contact sheet
  • Company policies

It is going to be more difficult for new staff to ask questions remotely, so be comprehensive in the information you provide to them.

Tech Set-Up

It may be tempting to skip or hurry in aspects of the onboarding process to save time. Make sure that technology set up for new staff is not one area you skip. Valuable time could be lost if new staff aren’t properly trained to use the essential tools and technology required. Whether it is you or a tech support employee, make sure to allocate time to run through all the technology needed to fulfil the job.

Outline Clear Objectives and Goals

It has been proven that it takes 90 days for a new employee to learn the “ins and outs” of a company. Take this time to set clear objectives and goals which can be monitored. Having clear communication about expectations will help your new employee stay on track and feel supported.

Provide an Open Channel for Communication

Create a community environment, even when your staff are working remotely. Using tools such as Slack or Asana can help all staff feel connected. Be sure that new employees are aware of how they can contact their line manager or fellow employees, this is vital particularly in the early days in their new position.

MOTIVATING YOUR STAFF REMOTELY

As employers, we must always be thinking about our staff’s well-being. Happy, motivated and focused staff are what keep businesses going. We all know this year has been tough. Showing your staff that you understand and that you care about them is going to boost morale as they’re going to feel supported. Here are some ways to continue to keep staff motivated.

Proactive Adaptability

As employers, you need to be ready for whatever is thrown at you. With forever changing restrictions and guidelines, it is vital that a business is seen to be rolling with the punches and doing whatever is necessary to adapt. Keep employee trust and faith by using a proactive and communicative approach – no matter what.

Stay Connected

Ensure there are open channels of communication with the entire team. It can be easy for staff to feel disconnected as they’re not physically in the office. There are many platforms available that are specifically for team management. A popular option is Slack which allows you to have different “channels”. Each channel can be for a different topic such as a project update or something more casual so that all staff has somewhere to go to chat.

Be Sensitive & Understanding

All employees are without a doubt going through their own experiences and challenges. Showing compassion and patience to all staff will help to improve overall morale and well-being. It may also boost motivation and overall job satisfaction if your employees feel supported.

Goal-Oriented

Create clear and obtainable goals for each employee. These goals should be tracked and monitored weekly. This will not only keep staff motivated and focused, but it will also provide them with a sense of achievement. Without clear task intention, employees may lose their drive and interest which are both so important to keep a business going.

Suggestion Box

Why not create an anonymous suggestion box? There are free online tools that you can use to facilitate this. Not all employees are outspoken or confident enough to bring up issues and woes. This is a perfect way to not only show your staff you care but to also improve in areas that are needed.

 

A happy and supported workforce will only benefit the company and helps to create a great reputation as somewhere that employees are listened to and respected.

 

Do you need 2020 recruitment advice? Contact our offices here.

Rethinking Redundancy

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Redundancy: it’s a situation you never thought you’d face, yet living in unprecedented times leads to circumstances you could not have previously imagined. While being made redundant may feel like a blow to your ego, it’s important to remember that it’s the job being made redundant. Economies ebb and flow and so does the job market. As the old saying goes, when one door closes; another opens. In fact, in the future, you may look on the day you were made redundant as the day you started to forge your own path.

 

It’s all well and good talking about the future, but even with the promise that things will get better, the sting of redundancy hurts. And it hurts NOW. Below are some immediate steps you can take to ease your transition from your old road to your new path.

 

  1. Go easy on yourself! Familiarise yourself with the Kübler-Ross change curve (pictured below). That “sting” you’re feeling? It’s most likely shock and it’s completely normal to feel that way. Being aware of your feelings during this time will help you keep a clear head. If you can predict your reactions to this big change in your life, you’ll be able to adapt more easily.

 

 

  1. Use this as an opportunity for training and personal development. Are you interested in a different industry than the one you recently left? Perhaps you were in the same role for a long period and want to study up on advances in that area. Going forward, you don’t want to settle for just being competent in your career; you will want to excel in it. Actively pursuing training and development ensures that your knowledge and skills are always relevant. There are many courses available online and across Ireland to brush up on your skills and indeed learn new ones.

 

  1. Take up a new hobby so work doesn’t define you, or perhaps revisit an old hobby. Our time in lockdown reminded us that having a well-rounded life is important and a real boost to our mental health. In the same vein as personal development, there are courses for a range of hobbies available online. Lose yourself in the latest best-seller; dust off the acoustic guitar; learn a few phrases in a foreign language. Remember that you are more than your job and taking time for yourself to enjoy your favourite pastime is time well spent.

 

 

  1. Work on your narrative. You want to forge your own path? Then you need to start by telling your story in your own words. Before long, you will be interviewing for a new job and you will want to be able to showcase what you enjoyed in your last role, what you learned in your last role, and what you want now. Beyond traditional interviewing, you will also want to take advantage of your own personal network. Does your best friend’s brother work at your dream company? Take this time to perfect your “elevator pitch”. Before you can get what you want, you need to know how to ask for what you want.

 

 

  1. Take control. Create an action plan and set goals. Update your CV. Decide on how many job applications you will send per day and make sure you send them. Check in with 3 new contacts per week. Keep on top of your LinkedIn profile. Has your old company included an outplacement service with your redundancy package? Take advantage of that service. Be proactive and work with your outplacement co-ordinator.

One day soon, you’re going to look back on this period of your life and be so glad that you never gave up. You may be in a new job or a different career altogether and realise that, while redundancy is a difficult thing to face, this was a turning point in your life. It forced you to take stock of who you are and build a version of yourself based on your own personal values. Change, while unnerving, is an invitation to opportunity. Before today, you were sitting in the passenger’s seat, being driven down a road you were familiar with, but it wasn’t a route of your choosing. Take this time to identify your values, take the wheel, and forge your own path.

 

Click here for more information on Proactive Outplacement.

Hiring Staff in 2020

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This year has brought with it some significant changes to most sectors around Ireland. There is no doubt that with such change comes uncertainty as to what’s going to happen. Many employers are not in a position to make long term recruitment decisions, leaving them at a loss. Other trends that are appearing this year are shorter work days, extended remote working and virtual recruitment processes.

As a recruitment agency, all of our consultants are monitoring these trends as we come into the final quarter of the year. As we approach 2021, there are still a lot of uncertainties for the future. However, working with a recruiter can at least keep you up to date and prepared for whatever could happen.

 

Working with a Recruiter

It is crucial that any employer has the knowledge to make informed decisions that are the best option for them. Recruiters pride themselves on their extensive expertise in their specialised sector. Working with a recruiter will ensure you’re equipped to make important hiring arrangements. We understand that you may not be in a position to make long-term commitments or decisions right now. Nevertheless, planning ahead and looking at all your options may solve your short-term problem. For example, you may not be in a position or have the approval to hire a full-time staff member. There are other options which may solve that problem. Contract and part-time staff are becoming more prominent across various sectors/ industries around the country. Recruitment agencies have access to a wide scope of candidates looking for short or long term positions.

 

Recruitment consultants are there at hand to advise you on all options available to you. Staying informed of all insights and changes in the market is going to keep you one step ahead. We believe that an honest and upfront approach is what is working best. These are unprecedented times; they call for for transparency and vigilance to keep up to date.

 

New Hiring Methods

It’s the year of Zoom. No matter how technologically inclined you are, 2020 had everyone picking up a device and using the video call tool. The way in which we approached many aspects of both our professional and personal lives changed. The process of screening and recruiting staff has had to make a shift with interviews being conducted over Zoom. The onus was and is on the recruitment agency to ensure that all consultants are fully equipped with the knowledge to carry out these interviews. For us, it was important that we have advanced IT infrastructure that guarantees that all interviews with candidates run smoothly and without issues.

 

So, what can a recruiter offer you?

  • Consultants will keep you up to date with new trends and insights, so that you can make the most informed decisions.
  • They can offer multiple solutions for both short and long-term positions.
  • They can assure you that the interview process runs smoothly, even though no physical screening can take place.

Adapting to our new norm and avoiding complacency is how we can make it through these trying and unsettling times. Work with a recruitment agency to plan for the future and make informative decisions for current and future hires.

 

To speak to one of our consultants, click here. We have our team at the ready in Stillorgan and Dundalk to facilitate your employment needs.