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Cpl Webinar Talent Solutions: Technology

Cpl Webinar Talent Solutions: Technology

Ireland's Technology sector is booming and it doesn't show any signs of stopping. We caught up with Cpl Technology Director, Robin Craig and Technology consultants Niall O’ Connell and Nora McFarland to discuss Ireland’s Technology sector and the opportunities available in 2022.

Cpl Webinar Talent Solutions: Technology transcript

Robin Craig

I'm here with my 2 colleagues, Nora McFarland, from our Software Development team, and Niall O'Connor from our Cyber Information Security team, I'm a director on the Technology team here in Cpl.

We're hoping today to give you an overview of the Technology market here in Ireland.

In 2022, to give you some stats on the market, we're really lucky in Ireland to have such a vibrant Technology sector. We produce, over €35 billion in exports every year from the Technology sector. We've over 37,000 people working in the Technology sector. With that number growing year on year by 18 to 20,000 new jobs, according to the Irish Government. It's a really vibrant buoyant sector and we're looking at incredible growth over the next five years.

A recent webinar that we were all on recently with the National Recruitment Federation and LinkedIn was saying that in the Technology sector alone globally, there's going to be 135 million new jobs created in the next five years.

It's a huge, huge market and a really buoyant sector in which Ireland plays a huge role in globally.

We want to give you that overview in the next few minutes from our discussion with Neil and Nora, who are both experts in their fields.

So first, Nora, I suppose we want to look at why is Ireland so attractive to people working in the Technology sector? You've obviously made that move across from North America, so it's a good question to kick off with.

Nora McFarland - Why Ireland's Technology Sector is booming

Thanks, Robin.

There are a number of reasons I think why Ireland is especially appealing to people internationally, especially within the Technology sector. I moved here from the United States about 15 years ago, never looked back, and one of the first things I noticed when I came here was how much better the working life balance was.

And for me, it was immediately apparent and it was very profound. It is a much better work-life balance in Ireland than in the United States and indeed in other countries that I have worked in. And this was found also in a 2021 Expat Insider survey where Ireland came in 8th overall out of the entire world and in fact, it came in first place worldwide in career prospects and satisfaction.

So that's a key reason, but even more noticeable within the Tech sector, and because it's a tech hub, Dublin has become a tech hotspot.

You know starting in the 90s when the Tech companies started moving into Ireland to set up their international or EU headquarters.

And it's just brought in a tonne of talent and funding. Google, they have its headquarters here, Dell they've got its headquarters here, and also IBM and Salesforce. That also sparked funding domestically, to put more money into the Tech sector and in turn created start-ups, an atmosphere that really encourages and brings tech. So whether somebody is interested in working in a start-up or an established blue chip company, those opportunities are here and the salaries are very high.

In fact, the salaries in Ireland are the third-highest in all of the European Union, and so for a number of factors, it's very appealing.

Robin Craig

Great, thanks Nora, I think Niall, can you talk about the kind of the other side? Nora mentioned that big tech, your global names, the other side of it, I suppose is the start-up community. Can you give us a bit of an overview of that and what opportunities are in that sector for people?

Niall O'Connell - Technology Start-ups in Ireland

Yeah, exactly Robin, you're right. As you mentioned, Ireland is obviously home to many of the world-leading tech companies.

But as well as that we have a really thriving start-up scene and so for me in the Cyber Security space and, I think across tech as a whole. We've worked with numerous PE and VC-backed start-ups over the last couple of years, and it's growing. I think you know whether you're a candidate who has a desire to maybe work with one of the bigger, more established Technology companies, or someone that wants to work with a smaller start-up, setting out on their journey, there really is something for everyone here. As a Tech candidate, you've got a great choice in Ireland with regards to the type of company and the type of projects that you actually wish to work on.

Robin Craig

Brilliant thanks.  As you both said there's something here for everyone in Ireland. Whether you want that big global name in tech or you want that, quick-growing start-up company, Ireland has it all.

We're so lucky here to have that whole ecosystem for people to really forge their careers in the Technology sector depending on their skill set, and also what their chosen career path is.

The other thing we wanted to share with people is more about Cpl. Cpl was set up in 1989 as a Technology recruitment firm.

So really, you know, going back right to our roots, when Anne Heraty set the company up in 1989, it was a Technology Recruitment firm foremost when it was set up. So I think that longevity has given a lot of really appealing factors for why companies want to work with Cpl and also why candidates want to work with Cpl.

I want to explore that a bit more with Niall and Nora, so Niall if you were a candidate why would you engage with Cpl?

Niall O'Connell - Why Technology candidates should engage with Cpl

There's a few things that immediately jump out Robin, and like you said, the fact that we are over 30 years in business and the lasting client relationships that we've built from that, the international reach we possessed through having offices throughout Europe and the US and another one will be, the investment in our own technology, some of the AI platforms that we have in place really ensure that we can offer as positive best in class service to our clients and candidates.

For me, the big thing is the people. We've got specialist consultants working in specific verticals who genuinely go above and beyond to deliver best-in-class service.

As you're aware, we won a big piece of business over the summer with a global Technology firm to fill almost 100 jobs by October. That was across Development, Infrastructure, Security, and PMO so that was a big task to meet and we met that deadline. I think is just the sheer commitment and level of service that our consultants are willing to offer. And so if you look in a nutshell, you can have the best tools and the best technology in place, but if you don't have the right consultants with the right attitude and knowledge then it's not going to work, and I think that's definitely something that we do have in place.

Robin Craig

Yeah, brilliant thanks. You're right. I think it's that breadth of clients that we have for both candidates and then the quality of our Recruitment Consultants for clients as well. This makes us stand apart.

Nora from your side, coming into Cpl, what are your thoughts on why candidates out there listening should engage with Cpl and our team in the Technology sector?

Nora McFarland - Why Technology candidates should engage with Cpl

Well, I think the first thing to keep in mind is just the stats of working with recruiters and especially big recruiters.

You're 7 times more likely to get a job through a recruiter than you are through a job board, and 90% of companies work with recruiters, and Cpl is a huge company, so we work with most of them and we're kind of the middleman, we're the guy in your corner when you're starting the job hunt.

So the first thing I always ask candidates is 'what do you want'? Because you know better than I do and you know better than the job board does, what's right for you.

So you might tell me, you know, getting the highest salary is most important, and that's great and that helps me direct what you might be best suited for, so I will tell you about the jobs and I'll put your CV out to jobs that offer. Whereas you wouldn't necessarily know that with the job board, and you wouldn't necessarily know that without somebody who really had their pulse on the Technology economy, and that's what a specialist does, we know all the companies, we know what's different about them and we know the specific team you'd be working on. So if you say you know I need a great work-life balance, that's great. I know who those companies are too. It goes far beyond just directing people to the right companies and at that point, we'll help you with your CV. We'll make it as appealing as possible.

We will help you prep for the interview and we will make sure that you are presentable as possible and that you are answering the questions the right way. That you're fully aware of the job and what the job is looking for, and so you know what questions to ask them as well, and then even beyond that, if you get offered the job, we'll help you negotiate. We know what the fair rate is. We know what your skillset is worth. We probably know better than you do what your field is worth, we know what the companies are paying, so we'll help you get the most favorable conditions. And then even after that, if you need help resigning because that can be kind of awkward and tough, telling your boss that you no longer work there and we will help you with that too, and so we do all of them.

We don't charge a dime for our service. I think most people know recruiters get paid on commission, so it's in my best interest to get you a job you love and to get a client the right staff. We really are your go-to and again everything, Niall said is 100% true. I work with some of the most talented and dedicated recruiters I've ever met in this company, and as specialists in our field, we know what's out there.

We know what you're going to be good for, and we know how to get your CV in front of a Hiring Director.

Robin Craig

Brilliant thanks Nora, and I think it's a real insight into as you say why people should engage with recruitment consultants here in Cpl.

Even if you're not looking to change your job immediately, but to get an update on what's happening in the market and what the opportunities are out there.

So when you do think of moving in six months’ time, nine months’ time, you know you're really well placed and really up to speed with what's happening in the market and you want to talk with you, know the best and the people who know that and markets and their specialist area inside out.

So I think that's one of the real messages to give to people listening today is that yes, we are the biggest recruitment company in Ireland but we are specialists in our niche areas. Within Technology, we've got a big Technology team, but we then have that team broken down into specialist smaller teams and that's what really separates us from a lot of competition out there.

Thanks, Niall and Nora for that for that insight. I think transitioning into all the things we spoke about at the very start, the market is booming, with everyone talking about this global war on talent, you know, for candidates listening, I think it's a really good market for candidates at the moment.

Can you Nora, give a bit of an insight for candidates listening about what's happened over the last 18 months with COVID and how that's impacted what clients are offering candidates now in the market?

Nora McFarland - How Covid affected Ireland's Technology sector

The results were a little bit different than everybody had expected. In the beginning of COVID, there was a recession anticipated, and so a lot of employers were cutting back on their workforce. They weren't hiring. They were in fact even laying some people off, and since that refresh, the recession hasn't really materialised in fact, the opposite has happened.

It's become very buoyant and booming, there's been a lot of hiring going on in the past year, but the past year was incredibly busy and there were recruitment agencies themselves increased their staff by 700%.

It's been a huge year of growth and the anticipation is that 2022 is going to be even more noticeable.

The anticipation is that 85% of jobs in 2030 haven't even been created yet, more people are becoming more skilled and making them highly employable. So that's the trend we're seeing is that there are a lot of jobs. There are more jobs every day, and there are more interesting jobs with modern technology. There's really cool stuff going on in the Irish market in 2022.

Robin Craig

Great, thanks, Nora.

And now from the whole benefits and salaries point of view. How do you see that moving into 2022 and how it ended in 2021 for candidates listening?

Niall O'Connell - Salaries and Benefits in the Technology sector

Yeah, very competitive at the moment. So you know, these candidates in the Technology industry are in such high demand at the moment. Naturally, we have seen a sudden increase in salaries on offer, and with that, we've also seen more and more companies offering the likes of stocks options and sign-on fees and things like that so yeah, and increased salaries is definitely something we've seen.

Having said that, since the whole remote working work-life balance has become just as big a draw for a lot of candidates. We've seen organizations adapt and willing to look outside of what their typical location would have been. Alongside those really competitive salaries that I mentioned, we actually now have a really great talent pool for companies and again, more opportunities for candidates. So it's a win-win situation I think, and definitely doesn't show any signs of slowing down.

Robin Craig

Oh yeah, I think it's really fascinating. One of the big things is obviously always want to know is what's happening in the market? Are salaries increasing? What percentage are salaries increasing by year on year? As you said, people have looked for different things, yes everyone wants to increase their salary but I think maybe not by the same percentage as in previous years, they want more flexibility they're interested more in new technologies. They want as Nora said, to be really focused on what's down the line. What's the career progression? What's the training for the next wave of new technology?

So all these things are becoming really important for candidates when they assess jobs. I think for clients it's all about positioning your job versus the competition in the market at the moment.

So thanks, Niall and Nora really good insights there into what's ahead I think for Technology candidates at the moment there's no better place to be than in Ireland. We've just talked about the ecosystem, the opportunities, and the fantastic outlook over the next couple of years.

For anyone listening, please log on to the Cpl website. But also follow us on LinkedIn. A lot of really good insights, white papers, and blogs are written by The Future Work institute within Cpl our own internal strategy team who are very close to the post on what's happening in the market. Some really good insights are shared on a monthly basis on our LinkedIn page. Reach out to me Robin Craig or Nora, Niall, or any of our Technology team to help you with your next career move in 2022. Wishing you all the best and thank you very much for listening.