As previously stated in our blogs, 2008 has been a very challenging years for businesses in Ireland. Many individuals who were earning packages between €100k and €200k last year have found themselves deemed surplus to requirements and victims of the downsizing that has taken place in many organisations, both large and small in Ireland.

At Talent Partners, as with virtually every other headhunter or recruitment firm in Dublin, we now find that is a high availability of candidates but fewer open positions available, a marked change on 12 months ago. In spite of the changed business environment, some candidates are still sitting back and thinking they can dictate the terms and wait to hear about roles. Our day to day contact with the marketplace proves to us that these candidates are struggling to find their next role and the longer they remain on the bench the less valuable they become.

There are a number of candidates whose mantra has been that their job at present is to get a job. They are engaging with headhunters, recruiters and directly with companies to discuss and identify potential opportunities in the marketplace.
I am working with a number of candidates today who are interviewing with 7 plus companies. Some of the interviews have been arranged by Talent Partners, some by other recruiters/headhunters, and some they have managed directly by going straight to the client, or the client contacting them. There is no doubt that word of mouth has been a crucial tool with employees alerting either their employer or friend who has been made redundant about recruitment opportunities that might be of interest to them.

One can’t blame candidates for this approach and where there is honest and open dialogue with Talent Partners we will assist them as best we can in any process they are in. The most important thing is that the get back into the workforce. Everyone benefits from that.

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On behalf of Talent Partners, I had the pleasure of attending the Cedar Awards last Friday, an event run by the Irish Times times in conjunction with CIPD Ireland and the Institute of Practitioners in Ireland. These awards were originally introduced at a CIPD conference in 1987 and the 21 years on the the Cedar Awards continue to get bigger and better.  Whilst the general mood of the event was more subdued than recent years, there was still many good news stories and positive vibes from the room.

Those who were the happiest leaving the Four Seasons Hotel were the winners who included TMP Worldwide who won three cedar awards and Owens DDB who picked up two cedar awards. In her address to the guests, Maeve Donovan, Managing Director of the Irish Times, stated that “now more than ever, the right person in the right role is vital, and upskilling, training and development remain essential”.

There is no doubt that recruitment remains a key barometer in measuring economic change and while 2008 has been a very difficult for most sectors there are still many companies recruiting and strengthening their organisations in the present climate and long may this continue.

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As we approach the final furlong of 2008, there is no doubt that a lot of businesses in Ireland will be relieved to see the back of the year, but at the same time apprehensive about what will unfold in coming year.

The general consensus that we in Talent Partners are hearing is that there was an excellent start to the year but events from March to the present day have seen reduced profits and market opportunities for companies, expansion plans have been curtailed, costs been managed like never before and hiring freezes in place.

Approximately 20% of the companies we engage with are bucking these trend’s somewhat and are able to grow and develop their market share in today’s business environment.

One of the direct results of today’s economic environment is the increased availability of top talent in the Irish marketplace today. If you are an organisation looking to recruit highly skilled and qualified professionals for your organisation then the market favours you a lot more than it did 12 months ago. There are some client’s who have taken advantage of this downturn to attract top notch employees to their business; employees who in different market circumstances were not available.

So here’s the plug, if you are thinking of strengthening your team then click  clicking here, and you will see an overview of the talent pool that Talent Partners are presently working with. If you would like to discuss the background of any these individuals in greater detail then do not hesitate to contact me.

In the meantime I wish you every success in your business and I hope November and December brings good news for your business.

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