We keep you posted on recruitment and HR issues on this site. We also report on job loss and redundancy in Ireland.
If you need outplacement services why not contact Measurability.
Measurability offer outplacement services across all industry sectors in Ireland – Manufacturing, Construction, Retail, Pharmaceutical, IT, Banking & Finance and more. They provide services nationwide in regions such as Dublin, Cork, Waterford, Limerick, Galway & Sligo.
The internet and technology has changed many areas of life including recruitment. Initially it was the introduction of online jobboards but now it is Bebo, Blogs and Second Life.
Many companies are now considering Second Life as a platform to attract, meet, provide information and provide open days to potential employees. Yes virtual questions and answers!! Sounds mad BUT if you don’t explore this option you could be missing out on a wealth of talent. Many progressive companies have started – have a look for your self. There are company offices and even recruitment agencies. I hope they are better than the agencies in the real world.
I find it hard to get many clients to use psychometric testing when recruiting so I don’t know how I could get them to log into Second Life.
More bad news for gloom for the construction industry BUT there was positive jobs news in Cork. Depuy Ireland announced that it is to set up an innovation centre in Ringaskiddy, Cork. DePuy develops and manufactures orthopedic products. This announcement will bring 20 new jobs to the region. Employees will require PhD, Msc, Degrees in Materials, Quality and Biomedical Engineering.
Depuy set up operations in Cork in 1997. They introduced the Supply Chain function to Cork in 2002. They currently employ 600 staff in Ireland.
None of the government transport 21 projects will come in on time. Hmmmmm… I guess this reflects the daily commuting experience.
Key projects delayed include
a) City center Luas link up – Due 2008 – now no completion date
b) Metro from city to airport – Due 2012 – now 2013
c) Luas extension Connolly to Dockland – Due 2008 – now 2009
d) Luas extension Tallaght to Citywest – Due 2008 – now 2010
Looks like commuter hell in Ireland will continue for the foreseeable future.
Is this a change of Business in Ireland as we know it.
I could never see the attraction of firms locating in central Dublin. High costs, congestion, expensive sarnies and coffee. Do they pay for expensive offices in city center Dublin to get the staff??
Hmmmmmmm
I though most employees were living in Navan, Cavan, Kinnegad, Drogheda, Dundalk, Naas, Newbridge, Wicklow, Gorey, Bray ….. basically everywhere except Dublin.
Looks like there is even more incentive for firms to locate outside the capital as survey today announced that most commuters from Wicklow would be willing to take a paycut to work closer to home. This means that all commuters would be willing to do so.
Commuters spend on average 2hrs per day on trains planes and automobiles. I guess the penny has actually dropped that the extra 10k for working in Dublin is not worth 10-15 hours a week.
I am going to start a bring the jobs to the people campaign encouraging employers to relocated to the leafy suburbs cutting stress, traffic congestion, costs and improving life for us all.
Are you recruiting staff and need more help?
Psychometric Testing can provide objective information to help you make more informed recruitment decisions. A key provider of assessment tools is SHL. SHL is a global provider and probably the most used tools by Irish employers. The most popular tools are the ability/aptitude suite and the OPQ32 personality questionnaire. Many of the tests are now online which can help your recruitment process. SHL has many business partners across the UK and Ireland. Measurability is a key partner in Ireland and offers a full range of SHL psychometric assessment tools. For more information about psychometric testing check out SHL website as it will provide information on the benefits of assessment and information on SHL’s full range of tools.
Did you know that the average smoker spends almost a full year of their working life having smoking breaks? That’s a lot of cigarettes. The average smoker takes three 15 minute breaks per day which equates to 195 hours per year. The introduction of the smoking ban has meant that many smokers now have to travel further from their desks (I guess the exercise will help).
Anyway this is a huge cost on employers. I do know of some employers who have started to monitor this more and put in measures to reduce smoke breaks. Many employers see them as negative and a breeding ground for gossip. Fellow non-smoker employee will also not be too happy with these finding as the will carry the additional workload.
Why do we smoke?
Could it be that 1 in 4 workers find their job stressful? A combination of increased working hours and commuting hours has seen stress levels rise in Ireland. Over a third of Irish workers are spending more time working and commuting than they used to. Well work life balance day will soon be upon us to resolve all this stress.
I posted previously about Psychometric Testing and the benefits of using testing as part of your recruitment and selection process. Tools like Personality Questionnaires and Ability Tests can greatly reduce the chances of hiring the wrong staff. If you have made a wrong hire in the past you will know the associate costs and hassle.
Measurability is a provider of Psychometric Testing services to companies in Ireland. Their clients include County Council, VEC, Universities and companies in the IT, Retail, Financial Services, Recruitment, Manufacturing and Construction sectors. Measurability work with clients in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick, Waterford, Sligo and other regions.
Measurability is a partner of SHL and offer a wide range of SHL assessment tools. The portfolio includes the OPQ32 and Verify numerical and verbal ability tests both online and paper and pencil. SHL is the leading provider for Assessment tools at all level of your organisation.
For more information on Measurability and the Psychometric Testing services offered visit their website.
Following a landmark ruling employers will no longer be able to sack employees who fail what is deemed a flawed drug tests. All tests will have to comply with a European Standard.
This all stems from a Luas worker being sacked for failing a drug test. He was sacked in September 2006 but his union argued that his result fell below the recognised cut-off point in Europe. This cut-off point is important as readings below can be explained by factors such as being in the room where someone else was smoking drugs. His employer Alstom has a zero policy to drugs but the Labour Court that no code of practice was agreed. This code of conduct had to be agreed with Trade Unions.
This ruling will have implications on many workers in Ireland who are already subject to random drug tests but also organisation like CIE who are implementing random testing.
There has been a 2.8bn plan put in place to upskill 500,000 workers in Ireland by 2020. The government will have this plan in place by the summer. We were promised The Port Tunnel, Airport Transport Links , M50 all on-time and on budget so I am asking you not to hold out for the summer deadline or proposed cost. This aside I think it is an excellent initiative. It will be a huge project and it will involve bodies like FAS, Universities, VEC’s, employers and obviously the workers.
The obvious problem here is getting the balance right for employers – current versus future demands. Employers on the one hand will reap the long-term benefits of a better skilled workforce BUT in the short term they have to cope with supporting staff through the education and training.
There will have to be flexibility by staff and employees but as we have seen recently with various trade union employer spats and even GAA spats that the various stakeholders in a situation are often not prepared to give ground
