Blogs

Events

Louth Business Awards 2018

The Louth Business Awards takes place Saturday 20th October in the Carrickdale Hotel.

Dundalk Chamber had a record number of entries for the Louth Business Awards. With 20 categories to choose from there really was a great mix for businesses to enter making the task for the judging panel increasingly more difficult.

Servisource are delighted to announce that we have been shortlisted for the ‘Professional Services Award’ this year; AND Recruit island are sponsoring the ‘Employee of the Year Award’.

The Gala Black Tie event starts with a champagne reception, four course evening dinner followed by the awards ceremony.

Local dignitaries, business leaders and fellow members of the Chamber will attend what promises to be one of the highlights of the social calendar in Dundalk with over 600 people attending the Louth Business Awards.

On the night there will be live music from Sugartown Road, prizes for Best Dressed Lady and Best Dressed Gent.

Best of luck to all involved, we can’t wait for a great night!

Events

Newry, Mourne & Down Crossborder Job Fair

Servisource are attending the Newry, Mourne and Down Crossborder Job Fair.

When:Wednesday 17th October between 11am-2pm and 4pm-6pm.

Where:  Canal Court Hotel, Merchants Quay, Newry, Co. Down

Admission: Free

What to bring?

Bring with you several copies of your CV to the job fair, education and professional qualifications, any certs or in relation to construction, any passes you obtain .

Why attend?

  • Looking for a new job?
  • Looking to get back into employment or a change of career?
  • Not happy in your current role?

At the Newry, Mourne and Down Crossborder Job Fair, jobseekers can speak with prospective employers, learn about upcoming jobs vacancies and make job applications.

This event is brilliant for networking.  The biggest advantage, even if it does not convert into an instant employment offer is the opportunity to network with company recruiters and hiring managers. Speaking with hiring managers is also a way of practicing for an interview – make a lasting impression or connection with them (face by face is better than a paper CV) and you could be their first choice if a new role comes up.

GET ORGANISED – Your approach to the fair makes a huge difference on results.

• Get a list of participating companies and choose which companies interest you.
• Identify current openings these companies have and prepare your sales pitch – portray your skills & background, emphasising your unique selling point.
• Stay upbeat, get a name or business card from everyone you talk to and follow up by emailing your updated CV – let them know you can add value to their organisation.
• Keep focused on your job search and try not to get overwhelmed by the number of job seekers in attendance

Interview Tips

Top 10 Healthcare Job Interview Tips

The stakes are high in any job interview, but in a healthcare job interview, the questions can be especially tough.

First of all – Congratulations!! After all your hard work; you’ve got the healthcare job interview! If you are feeling stressed, worried or anxious; don’t worry, everyone feels the same!

A healthcare job Interview can be a very stressful time BUT preparation is the key in order to sound polished and professional – read on for some of our top interview tips.

An interview should be a conversation, a time for you to show your potential employer why they should hire you.

Because healthcare is such an “in demand” field in Ireland, there is quite a lot of competition. If you want to beat your competition, you need to learn how to answer some of the most common healthcare job interview questions.

Common Generic Healthcare Job Interview Questions:

  • Why Do You Want the Job? Why did you choose to work in the healthcare profession?
    This is very specific to the role you choose in healthcare where the employer basically wants to know your motivations; which is often best portrayed using an anecdote.
  • How Do You Handle Stressful Situations? How do you perform under pressure?
    This as an opportunity to show how you can stay calm and logical when faced with a stressful situation – use STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) examples of your previous experience within healthcare.
  • What Is Your Biggest Weakness?
    Don’t put yourself down – try to rephrase this question in order to sound like a strength.
  • Why Should We Hire You?
    Often, candidate do not want to be boastful however we would advise linking in the company values and mission statement & how you would be a good fit.Additionally, provide at least 3 examples of your strengths or achievements within your previous roles.
  • What previous experience or skills have you gained that will help you work in this specific healthcare field?
    Link in any previous experience within the healthcare industry; personally or professionally. Back up what you say with examples.
  • Are you comfortable around people with serious illnesses or death?
    Similarly to the “why did you choose to work in healthcare” question – this is often best portrayed using an anecdote.
  • What valuable impact do you hope to make in the field? What are the specific accomplishments in your career?
    Align your answer around the job specification and any information the interviewer provides around the goals for the person within this role.

What would we advise you to do – Top Tips for a healthcare job interview:

  1. Learn about the company – this is key, know the company inside out, check out their website, tap into any industry contacts you have and find out the company values to ensure they align with yours.
  2. Interview Preparation – Part of your preparation must involve looking for specific questions related to the career or role you are applying for within the healthcare field.For example, doctors would have different interview questions than nurses, but there could be a cross over with nurse questions and healthcare assistant questions. Make sure you cover everything.
  3. Arrive before time – don’t be sitting in traffic anxious that you are going to be late, have your research done for how long it is going to take you to get there and add on some time in case of traffic or road works, we all know that roadworks are everywhere these days

If it’s a skype or telephone interview – ensure all technology is ready and working, do you have enough coverage and battery, are you in a quiet secluded area?

Overseas Nurse applying for roles in Ireland – The Skype Interview

  1. Dress for the occasion – As with any interview, your first impression a healthcare job interview is important. Dress professionally, make sure your shoes are polished, your clothes are ironed and that your accessories are low key.
  2. Stay on topic & clarify questions if needed – Listen carefully to the interviewer’s words and answer the question as specifically as you can relating your background, experience and skills to the position requirements.

Focus on accomplishments appropriate to the role – don’t go off topic & if the question is vague, ask the interviewer to clarify the question.

Practice, practice, practice – practice your answers, get a friend or family member to ask you some questions, ask them to be honest in their feedback and work on their feedback

  1. Try to remain calm – Because healthcare is so important, employers in a healthcare job interview want to be sure they’re getting the best of the best, so they could potentially throw some curveballs to see how you handle a pressurised situation.

Take deep breaths before you go into your interview, slow down your speech, pause if necessary to compose yourself, confidently answer the question posed to you as best you can.

  1. Body language & eye contact – a lot of interviews nowadays are an interview panel – thus remember to look at the person that is asking you the question. Avoid slouching, no chewing gum, avoid touching your face/hair. Maintain eye contact throughout the interview.
  2. Communicate slowly and clearly – its very easy to speak quickly when you are nervous, but you want the interviewer to understand and hear your answers, speak clearly – no mumbling
  3. Ask questions – Within your healthcare job interview, have questions prepared to ask the employer which align with your career plan; such as:
    1. What training programs are available to the person in this position?
    2. What are your goals for the person within this role?
    3. Are there currently any obstacles for the person in this position that must be overcome in order to succeed?
    4. Are there opportunities within your company for growth or progression within the next 12 months – 2 years?
  4. Closing the interview – Always express your appreciation for the interviewers time. If you feel like the interview may not have gone your way; a good closing question to ask the interviewer is:“Thank you for providing me with additional information about the role and the company; I feel I have the qualities and values that align with what you are looking for. Based on our discussion today – is there anything you would like me to expand on or do you have any concerns that I wouldn’t be a good fit for this position?”

This gives the interviewer the opportunity to be honest with you and also provides you with an opportunity to squash any doubt in their mind that you are the perfect candidate for this role.

Now you are ready to attend your interview so best of luck in securing your dream role!

Don’t forget that everyone gets interview nerves before an interview, so remember that this is normal.

If you are unsuccessful don’t worry, learn from the interview you have had and use it to prepare better for your next one, there will be other opportunities in the future.

For 12 common nurse interview questions – please click here.

Servisource Healthcare provides cost effective solutions; helping our long-standing clients manage budgets, reduce workloads, maintain staffing levels and deliver premium patient care.

Click here to view all open roles in Healthcare

If you would like to accelerate your healthcare career, please contact us today on healthcare@servisource.ie

Article Written By:
Deirdre Treanor | Permanent Nurse Recruiter
Email: DTreanor@servisource.ie

DD: +353 42 936 8395    | Tel: +353 (0) 42 93 52723  

Events

Recruit Island take centre stage at Dundalk Stadium

Recruit Island Has Launched!

Dundalk Stadium launched its Friday night series of floodlit horse and greyhound racing on Friday, 28st September and looks forward to horse and greyhound racing every Friday and Saturday night up until the end of 2018 and resuming for the same approach in early 2019.

Friday, 28th September featured the €63,000 Recruit Island Diamond Stakes (Group 3), won by Mootasadir in a Winning time of 2m 12.52s, rid by Jockey P Cosgrave.

Established by Servisource Recruitment, Recruit Island specialises in permanent, temporary and contract placements across Healthcare, Construction & Engineering and Administration and Finance; from entry level positions to senior level and professional positions.

Declan Murphy, CEO of Servisource said:

“We where delighted to sponsor the prestigious Recruit Island Group 3 Diamond Stakes at Dundalk on Friday 28th September and used this great platform to launch our new job site -Recruit Island.

The recruitment process is becoming more automated and prospective candidates are more mobile when accessing information; therefore the Recruit island brand and website will become a ‘go to’ portal for candidates and clients to source the best opportunities; whether it be via desktop, tablet or mobile. It offers both job seekers and employers a new approach to the traditional model and we are excited to share with existing customers and the public”

Employers – sign up to Recruit island now and receive free job slots for a limited time, we are offering employers 1 free job slot for 30 days.

Contact our team to post your job for Free Today!

Emma Meehan, Sales & Marketing Manager of Dundalk Stadium said: “We where thrilled that Recruit Island were on board and welcomed the Recruit Island team and their many clients to our venue on Friday 28th September for an exciting night of racing, great food and entertainment.”

 

 

Construction

Construction Industry Federation Annual Conference 2018

Are you attending this years Construction Industry Federation Conference?

CONSTRUCTING IRELAND 2040: HOW THE INDUSTRY WILL SHAPE COMMUNITIES, CAREERS AND COMPETITIVENESS IN THE NEXT 25 YEARS

This year’s Construction Industry Federation conference will be held in Croke Park stadium on the 2nd October.

What is this years objective?
The fundamental objective of the Construction Industry Federation conference is to deliver the vision of Project 2040 which aims to build a better society, boost our economy and create large scale employment.

As the Irish population is estimated to grow by one million by 2040, we will have increased demand for homes, transport, education and employment.

Project 2040:
Project 2040 will provide Ireland with a future of wellbeing, equality and opportunity for everyone, however we are inevitably facing a continual housing and infrastructure crisis.

Project Ireland 2040 estimates that 550,000 homes will be required over the next 20 years, and the National Development Plan commits €11.6 billion to providing 112,000 new social homes by 2027.

How can we meet the requirements of Project2040 and how will the Construction leaders of Ireland overcome these barriers?

Following the crash in the property market, employment in the building & construction industry fell which led to many skilled workers emigrating in the search for work.

The latest SCSI/PwC Construction Market Monitor Report 2018 states that skill shortages remain a serious challenge for Ireland’s construction sector.

The key focus for industry leaders needs to be a huge hiring drive, such as outreach programmes in school, but also a recruitment drive in order to attract skilled labour back to Ireland.

If you are thinking of coming (home) to Ireland to work in the Construction Industry, Read our blog!

What will be discussed at the conference?
On the day, the Construction Industry Federation have an amazing line up – we will hear from notable Construction industry members including:

Brian Morrisroe-Founder and CEO, Morrisroe Group and member of the Construction Leadership Council, UK on the topic of ‘What does the future hold for the construction workforce?: Future-proofing our industry’.

We will have an industry panel discussion on ‘Solutions and challenges to improving productivity and competitiveness’ with Ann Dooley (MD, Winthrop Engineering and Contracting Ltd) Gordon O’Regan (CEO, L&M Keating) Tara Flynn (Director, Paul Flynn Construction) Fergal Murphy (General Manager, Kingspan Insulation Ireland)

And many others discussing topics such as:

  • Ireland’s key capital infrastructure priorities
  • The challenge of mega infrastructure projects
  • Diversity, inclusion and skills development
  • The intersection of technology and infrastructure
  • The economic outlook and impact of Budget 2019

Who will be attending?
Construction Industry Federation members, Developers, Planners, Engineers, Contractors, Policy-makers and Service providers to the construction sector will attend and exhibit at the anticipated Construction event of the year.

Come by and say hello to us at our stand at the Construction Industry Federation conference on the 2nd October.

Industry News:
According to the Construction Information Services research team, ‘11,752 Republic of Ireland Construction projects valued above €38.9bn have been added or updated on their online database to date this year.

The Irish Times have conducted their monthly survey of cranes in Dublin. For the month of September, 93 cranes have been counted across the Dublin skyline, a record number since the newspaper launched their crane survey in February, 2016.

This is an increase of 13 more cranes since the last highest number recorded of 80 on December 1st, 2017.

According to Derry Scully’s (Group President at Linesight) review of the Irish construction industry performance thus far in 2018, he states that construction will continue to grow strongly into 2019. Looking back to the beginning of the year, Linesight predicted that construction activity would reach €20.1 billion. However, now in September it is looking like it will be closer to €21 billion.

We are seeing continual rapid growth, however we are only at 55% of the 2007 peak output of €38 billion, but it must be emphasized this peak was unsustainable and detrimental.

The economy is approaching full employment but we are still experiencing a construction skills shortage crisis. Recruitment is a concern for main contractors, sub-contractors, as well as the design professions.

With a smaller pool of young people entering skilled trades, Irish Construction needs to employ more women in construction if the industry is to have a sustainable future.

Read our Blog: Women in Construction – Barriers & Importance of Gender Inclusiveness

All of the above-mentioned activity is generally providing confidence for the country that we are moving in the right direction, but we certainly have a lot more work to do.

Click here to view all available jobs in Construction and Engineering.

If you would like to have a conversation about opportunities in the construction sector – please email Amy on abradley@servisource.ie or Joe on joe.kenny@servisource.ie

Job Search

Job seeking on your Mobile Device and Social Media

With the improved economic climate, and the increase in job prospects; many workers are considering career or job changes; making competition rife. If you are serious about finding your dream job, you must be ready to apply for a job instantaneously – on your mobile device and social media!

Mobile device use in Ireland:

It is not hard to tell, Ireland is mobile mad! 90% of Irish adults (three million people!) have a mobile device. The numbers of people with access to a tablet has increased from 64%  to 71% (higher than the European average (Ipsos MORI on behalf of Deloitte).

smartphone use in Ireland
37% of Irish people access the internet most often via a mobile device. In 2018, more people accessed the internet on a mobile device than desktops.  52.2% of all website traffic worldwide was generated through mobile phones, up from 50.3 percent in the previous year (Statista 2018).

The dominance of smartphones and their usage is only going to increase in the coming years which means that activities that we conventionally used PCs and laptops for; including work & job seeking, will migrate onto the mobile device.

43% of mobile device owners in America have used their mobile to look up information about jobs and 39% have used their phone to submit a job application (Pew Research Centre, 2015).

Today, job seekers expect to view jobs seamlessly on their mobile device and apply to them quickly and easily. A copy of your resume must be easily accessible.

Is the CV Dead?

Because of this increase in mobile device usage, many are insinuating that “In the game of getting noticed, the CV is dead”.

Let’s not get carried away with this – the CV is no longer THE ONLY way of securing an interview; with many job seekers using various relevant channels to get noticed; interlacing a coherent story to promote themselves.

The online age has shifted a lot of information online into digital form; where applicants enter their work and educational history into a form which allows employers and recruiters to find top talent.

Additionally, with the increase in AI tools, employers can use specific software to weed out the no-hopers.

The A.I. Paradox:

Because of the pace of technological advancement and innovation, there is an argument rising that robots will eventually take our jobs. However, “technological change leads to job creation as well as automation, and these two effects are interdependent: History has repeatedly borne this out”(Cisco, Oxford Economics, 2017).

Technology, whether it be “workforce science”, “data aggregation” or “Big Data” has already changed the way people find jobs. Look no further than the way job recruitment has changed.

Traditional routes of job seeking such as sending a CV to 25 recruiters or companies and waiting, is over. Companies are harvesting and interpreting online activities of potential candidates; availing of large databases of candidate information; using data aggregation and keyword analysis to find suitable candidates in order to identify the candidate with the “perfect fit”.

That being said, we may have to assume that with the increase in A.I, work in the future may not be full-time equivalent spanning a person’s lifetime – there is already a shift in full time to contract or agency work, which is likely to become the norm.

Tell the story of your brand – YOU!

Of course, none of this means that a well-thought out, up-to-date CV is useless. Self-assessment provides invaluable information to enable career decisions; where you can identify the match between your acknowledged values & skills to the requirements of career fields and suitable companies.

Even if you don’t upload your CV in full to a website, the process of writing a CV will have helped you focus on how best to present your strengths and your brand – YOU!

Be Successful in Your Job Search – Tips for Success

What can Recruit Island do for you – the job seeker?

Recruit Island is a huge repository of information about job seekers and the skills they have. It is a platform where people can advertise their talents, store their work personas in a searchable, communicable form showcasing a lifetime of work.

How do I apply via mobile?

  1. On your browser, go to our website recruitisland.wpengine.com

Tip: for instant access to jobs, add Recruit Island to your Homescreen

Add Recruit island to your homescreen on Mobile device
Mobile device
Add Recruit island to your homescreen on Mobile device
Mobile device

 

  1. If you are browsing Recruit Island for career opportunities on your mobile and find the perfect job, click the ‘Apply Online’ button.  You will first be asked to fill out your contact details then add your CV.

Attach your CV to your application from your cloud storage application (Google Drive/Dropbox/Box/One Drive) or upload your CV from your mobile device or tablet.

  1. Once uploaded, complete the remaining fields and hit “Send Application”

How do I sign up to text alerts?

If you are searching for jobs mainly from your mobile device, let the jobs come to you! Sign up for text or email alerts whenever a new, relevant, job is posted on Recruit Island.

  1. Click here to sign up for weekly job alerts & enter your contact details
  2. Choose the most relevant category for your dream job
  3. Click the Subscribe Now button.

What can Recruit Island do for you – the employer?

Online platforms are fast becoming the quickest way to shortlist quality staff and if an employer knows what they want, they can make a sound recruitment decision quickly and effectively.

Click here to register your employer profile

We are offering, for a limited period, FREE 30 day job posting for employers and companies hiring.

Escape the recruitment nightmare, visit Recruit Island where we have thousands of profiles already live, make your next recruitment process an easier and more rewarding experience.

 

Article Written By:
Donna Farrell

Construction

Women in Construction – Barriers & Importance of Gender Inclusiveness

A common question in this industry is why are there so few women in construction in Ireland?

  • Why should women work in construction?
  • What are the perceived barriers for women in construction?
  • What is the #BuildingEquality Campaign?

With a smaller pool of young people entering skilled trades, Irish Construction needs to employ more women in construction if the industry is to have a sustainable future.

Jean Winters, Director of Industrial Relations with CIF, said that increasing the number of women in construction will produce significant increases in terms of output and productivity.

This is ever more important as the latest SCSI/PwC Construction Market Monitor Report 2018 states “skill shortages remain a serious challenge for Ireland’s construction sector”.

Without female talent, any effort to deliver critical Governmental housing and infrastructure strategies will most likely fall short.

Read: Thinking of coming (home) to Ireland to work in the Construction Industry?

The CSO estimates that women in construction-related jobs sectors only account for 5.5% of the workforce, with the Construction Industry Federation (CIF) survey indicating that only one in 10 employees in their organisation is female.

The Importance of women in construction:

Construction is a universal language of global commerce, where you are able to obtain and secure work around the world. Within the construction industry itself, the variety of interesting career paths are endless, in addition to on-site trades.

The skilled trades require agility, endurance, balance and coordination – not a specific gender.

More and more women are entering trades and proving themselves to be productive, capable and reliable workers.

What are the perceived barriers for women in construction?

From the literature survey the major barriers for women in construction have been identified as:

  • Previous perceptions or stereotype that construction is male dominated and women have no place in this sector.

With many using the symbol of ‘builders bum’ to represent the construction industry; it is thought to have a ‘macho image’ and a male-dominated organisational culture; exposing women to a hostile environment and potential discrimination.

A gender-inclusive environment is required to entice women in construction.

  • Women are often deterred or laughed at during education from considering a career in construction or engineering.

It is significantly important for the construction industry to concentrate on gender inclusiveness by participating in outreach programmes to schools across Ireland.

Educating career guidance teachers and students about the range of career opportunities available to both men and women.

  • Perception that you require significant physical strength in this industry.

Many employers consider women unsuitable for some traditionally male dominated jobs, such as in the manual trades where workers need a reasonable level of strength and fitness, with some job requiring above average upper body strength for lifting and heavy operations (Greckol, 1987)

  • Inflexible working practices / Family commitments

As in most industries, the conflict between work-family obligations can deter women. Within the construction industry, male values are the ‘norm’ such as long working hours, competition, full-time working which could be seen as a barrier or preventer for women. Going forward, the construction industry needs to be society friendly with work life balance better for all, both men and women.

Source:  https://usir.salford.ac.uk/9877/ Amaratunga, RDG, Haigh, RP, Shanmugam, M, Lee, A and Elvitigalage Dona, NG (2006)

#BuildingEquality Campaign:

The Building Equality Campaign is aimed at increasing the number of women working in construction. This is a key objective for the CIF.

The campaign encourages women to become role models for girls and women considering a career in construction.  By sharing their stories women are highlighting their importance of women in construction.

For an insight into last years CIF Digital Construction Summit click here

The sole reason for this campaign is to improve the gender balance of the sector and reduce the perceived barriers for women entering and working in the construction industry.

In today’s construction industry, men and women work alongside each other as respected members of the same teams and earn the same rates. If you’re still skeptical, check out the link below of females talking about their experiences and the value of women in the construction industry (CIF, 2017).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xp5mzhNlJPY

Construction and Engineering is an exciting sector for the permanent and temp recruitment division at Servisource Recruitment, due to client demand and skill shortages in sourcing suitable candidates to match specific roles.

Below are some of the professions we work with (not limited to):

  • Quantity Surveyors
  • Site Engineers
  • Project Managers
  • Contracts Managers
  • Planners
  • Building Services Engineers & MEP Coordinators
  • Site Managers/Foremen

Click here to view all available jobs in Construction and Engineering.

If you would like to have a conversation about opportunities in the construction sector – please email Amy on abradley@recruitisland.ie or Joe on joe.kenny@servisource.ie

Article Written By:
Donna Farrell

Events

Servisource Healthcare to attend SECAD Partnership’s Employment Fair

SECAD Partnership’s Employment Fair will bring together employers and job candidates under one roof!

When and where?
SECAD Partnership’s Employment Fair will take place on:

When: Thursday 20th September, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Where:  Midleton Park Hotel, Old Cork Rd, Glebe, Midleton, Co. Cork

What to bring?

Bring with you several copies of your CV, education and professional qualifications. Serisource Healthcare will also have application packs available on the day!

Why attend?

At the SECAD Partnership’s Employment Fair, jobseekers can meet prospective employers, learn about upcoming jobs vacancies and make job applications.

SECAD will also have a CV and cover letter clinic on the day to provide practical advice to help you improve your job applications

This event is FREE both to employers and members of the public seeking employment or career change.

What are Servisource Healthcare looking for?

Healthcare Assistants in Cork!!

If you have completed a relevant FETAC Level 5 qualification – we want to talk to you!

As a Healthcare Assistant working with Servisource Healthcare, you can work in a range of facilities including hospitals, nursing homes and intellectual disability facilities.

If you join us as a Healthcare Assistant in Cork; you’ll have the following job benefits to look forward to:

  • Excellent rates of pay and accrued holiday days.
  • A weekly wage.
  • Your work-life balance is important to us; with full and part-time options available, as well as flexible working days.
  • Servisource provides its Healthcare Assistants with full training such as Safeguarding Vulnerable People, among others.
  • Working as a Healthcare Assistant in Cork with Servisource is a fantastic opportunity to work as part of an enthusiastic & caring team that’s making a difference in a person’s life.

Click here to view all open roles in Healthcare

 This event is delivered through the Social Inlcusion Community Activation Programme 2014-2020

The Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) 2018-2022 is funded by the Irish Government through the Department of Rural and Community Development and co-funded by the European Social Fund under the Programme for Employability, Inclusion and Learning (PEIL) 2014-2020

 

Construction

Thinking of coming (home) to Ireland to work in the Construction Industry?

 

You’ve looked at the positives and thinking about making the permanent move – coming (home) to Ireland to work in the construction industry, but you want to ensure there are opportunities.

Following the crash in the property market, employment in the building & construction industry fell from 236,800 in 2007 to 83,400 in 2012.

If you were working in construction , you more than likely emigrated when the construction sector collapsed.

While some big issues are still in place; such as:

  • Brexit and its potential impact on new construction project demand,
  • Labour shortages, resources and tender price inflation;

The challenges today reflect the continued growth of the Irish economy itself; which can only be a good thing if harnessed.

If you are thinking of coming (home) to Ireland to work in the Construction Industry, you will be wondering:

Who is hiring?

The latest SCSI/PwC Construction Market Monitor Report 2018 states that skill shortages remain a serious challenge for Ireland’s construction sector. There is an under-supply of skilled tradesmen and industry experts – hovering between 53% – 84%.

The increase in construction output (expected to increase by 14% to approximately €19.5 billion in 2018) is positively linked to foreign direct investment. However to benefit from these investments; progressive infrastructure across housing and transportation are required.

The simple fact is, Ireland will need more construction workers/tradesmen if our building sector is to fully recover and our housing crisis is to be solved.

Due to it’s populous, Dublin has recovered significantly. In order to meet the demand of urbanisation; the government increased its capital expenditure on infrastructure development by 6.3%, from EUR3.3 billion in 2014 to EUR3.5 billion in 2015.

So who exactly is hiring?

If you are thinking of coming (home) to Ireland to work in the Construction Industry, most organisations in the construction industry, in all regions of Ireland are hiring, and these skills shortages offer you the perfect opportunity to make that move (home).

Regulatory changes

If you are thinking of coming (home) to Ireland to work in the Construction Industry, it is important to mention regulatory changes that have been implemented since the economic downturn (when you potentially left Ireland).

The Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2014 (SI 09 2014)

This regulation introduced a system of mandatory certificates of compliance at various stages in a construction process; where the building owner will be required to appoint competent designers, a competent builder, and a new entity, known as the assigned certifier; ensuring that the construction sector operates to a higher standard.

Get yourself up to date on these changes on the following link:

https://www.housing.gov.ie/housing/building-standards/building-regulations/building-regulations

Salary expectations

If you are thinking of coming (home) to Ireland to work in the Construction Industry – salary may not be in line with Sydney, London, Dubai etc. However, Dublin is moderately cheaper to live in; and if you make the move (home) to Ireland now, prove your worth, you can reap the benefits of the upturn in the economy

Effective from 19th October 2017, A Sectoral Employment Order (SEO) for the general construction industry has been signed into law by the Minister for State at the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation, providing for mandatory terms and conditions in the construction sector, including pay, pensions and sick leave. (Notably electricians and plumbers are not included).

Most companies are taking direct action to address skills shortages where companies are running campaigns to attract engineers, architects and other construction professionals to come back to Ireland.

Salaries will differ dependent on what sector of the construction industry you are in however follow this link to give you an idea:

https://www.irishjobs.ie/careeradvice/construction-salaries/

Cost of Living

The Dept. of Foreign Affairs carried out a survey which reviewed the worst problems affecting Irish construction workers who had emigrated & returned home.

Findings from this survey revealed the main challenges are:

  • housing (43.4%),
  • car insurance (41.4%),

Housing:

It has been reported by the Employment Conditions Abroad that Dublin is now a more expensive place to live than the Silicon Valley.

A major factor in Dublin’s unwanted rise in the report is due to the rise in the value of the euro and a weaker dollar; as well as the fact that not just Dublin, but 10 European cities are now in the top 100 most expensive places to live category.

In the Action Plan for Housing, the Irish Government commits to a number of measures to increase the supply of housing to 25,000 units every year by 2020.

The plan also aims to improve the supply of units at affordable rates in the rental sector through measures such as the introduction of Rent Pressure Zones and the Living City and Rent a Room initiatives (IDA Ireland, 2017).

If you are thinking of coming (home) to Ireland to work in the Construction Industry, the reality is Ireland is an expensive country.

Workers should be compensated accordingly in terms of salary and with tax cuts last year, and government investment; these trends should afford you disposable income bringing stability to our public finances and to people’s homes.

But we would advise to get ahead of the curve and start looking now, get in touch with old friends, colleagues, everyone in your network and you’d be surprised what housing/rental opportunities are out there.

Car Insurance:

Despite recent research conducted by the Central Statistics Office, which indicated that the cost of motor insurance has dropped by 12.8% in the past 12 months, motorists are still seeing a rise on the rate of their premiums (AA Ireland).

If you are thinking of coming (home) to Ireland to work in the Construction Industry, the good news is there are insurance companies who are grabbing this opportunity.

Various companies are offering insurance policies to those with low or no, no claims bonus, especially those returning from overseas. Some companies to check out:

  • Quote Me
  • XS Direct
  • Non Standard Insurance
  • Chill Insurance

Although they are offering to insure, be warned you could expect to pay a little more than those who stayed in Ireland, but it will get you on the road which is advantageous in the construction industry.

The overall outlook is bright – if you are thinking of coming (home) to Ireland to work in the Construction Industry, there is copious work and salary opportunities in the this sector.

Ireland is ranked as the third most competitive economy and another plus – leading tax refund specialists say that they would guesstimate that 50% of returnees could have left money behind in the form of tax refunds.

Click here to view all available jobs in Construction and Engineering.

If you would like to have a conversation about opportunities in the construction sector – please email Amy on abradley@servisource.ie or Joe on joe.kenny@servisource.ie

 

Article Written By:
Donna Farrell

Career Guidance

Benefits of Agency Work in Ireland

Have you ever thought about the benefits of Agency Work?

Traditionally, people viewed agency work as being for people who are relatively young and have low levels of training while overlooking the benefits of agency work. They looked on agency work as a negative due to the lack of job security and perceived low income.

A common argument to the traditional viewpoint was “What good is no gap in your CV, or different acquired skills and exposure, if it can’t pay the rent?”

In the years since the global economic crisis, standard jobs were destroyed while part-time employment continued to increase (OECD, 2015).

The reality is, a weekly increase in income for many people during the economic crisis was a result of the benefits of agency work.

In fact, over the last decade, agency work is becoming ‘the new normal’,  not out of necessity or a last resort – they’re typically exciting opportunities that will become more and more common; with more people realising the benefits of agency work.

Statistics highlight that in 2016 just over 7% of workers were in some form of temporary or agency employment, the majority having been working part-time. This is 5,000 more part-time temporary employees than there was in 2008 in Ireland.

benefits of agency work

Source: Irish Congress of Trade Unions (2017)

In recent years, a more modern view on temporary employment is that it provides increased flexibility for all demographics, with wages generally reflective of the value of their skills to an organisation.

Agency workers can quickly go from one environment to another with transferrable skills and increased experience; especially in healthcare.

If you are struggling to find a permanent role, or don’t want to be tied to a specific role for a long period of time; we have put together the top benefits of agency work.

Benefits of Agency Work:

Flexibility

  • If you are working around a significant other who does shift work, or you want to spend more time with the family, then agency work is for you.
  • Agency work provides you with control over your availability which enables you to work around any other commitments you may have such as family, education or perhaps even other employment.
  • Agency work gives you the option to work as many hours as you like or even as little as you like. You provide us with your availability and your flexibility and we work around that to fill our client shift requirements. Our clients generally offer various working patterns from ad-hoc to whole time equivalent hours.

Opportunities

Agency work provides an excellent opportunity for you to gain a substantial amount of new contacts and networks in the sector, through working in a variety of healthcare settings simultaneously.

  • It is looked upon as getting ‘your foot in the door’: It helps you make more connections and build relationships with professionals.
  • It also allows you to gain more experience and learn to adapt to different environments. This is particularly good for newly qualified healthcare professionals; or those who may have been working in the same area of healthcare throughout their career.
  • It also allows you to build on your skillset and makes you more employable to future organisations.
  • Offers you a favorable working environment, allowing you to choose the correct career path for you in the future.

With the unemployment rate at an all-time low now, temping work always looks very well on your CV too which may offer you the upper hand in job applications down the line.

Ongoing Training

As a member of agency staff, we keep on top of all your mandatory certs. We remind you when they are due to expire and ensure you sit them in advance to keep you continuously fully compliant.

The Servisource Training Department run mandatory healthcare training courses monthly across four locations in Ireland.

Note: For the small administration of €2.50 a week, our training department and compliance team ensure that all your training certification is kept up-to-date. This also prevents you from any big up-front payments.

Pay

Agency workers tend to be offered competitive rates of pay and verified experience always works to your advantage. We do our best to offer Servisource employees the same rates of pay as those who would be working alongside you.

  • You receive your pay on a weekly basis which can enable you to budget and monitor finances effortlessly.
  • You are entitled to holiday pay, which provides you with the same benefits as those in fulltime employment.

Note: under the Temporary Agency Work Act you are entitled to regulated pay as well as accrued holiday pay. You are also given the same quality of working conditions as your permanent colleagues.

Application Process

We have a very easy and straightforward process within Servisource whereby you can:

  • Upload your contact details,
  • Let us know the type of work it is you are looking for and where,
  • Then the relevant recruiter in that specific area will be in contact with you in due course.

The recruiter is your direct point of contact from initial commencement of the application process; stright through to final placement providing as much support and assistance as possible.

Servisource Healthcare are a leading international supplier of high quality and innovative healthcare staffing solutions, enabling continuity of care during peaks in demand, by supplying fast, flexible and reliable staff at short notice.

Servisource Healthcare provides cost effective solutions; helping our long-standing clients manage budgets, reduce workloads, maintain staffing levels and deliver premium patient care.

Click here to view all open roles in Healthcare

If you would like to accelerate your healthcare career, please contact us today on healthcare@servisource.ie

Article Written By:
Lisa Curran  | Recruitment Consultant DNE
Email: LCurran@servisource.ie

DD: +353 42 936 8343    | Tel: +353 (0) 42 93 52723