Using the European Recruitment Pool – Interview
European Recruitment Talent Crunch: AA Euro Group’s Approach to Attracting and Retaining Top Talent
In recent years, Ireland has experienced a remarkable economic boom, with job creation and investment surging across various sectors.
This growth has brought about an exciting period of expansion for many businesses, but it has also brought challenges in the form of a severe talent shortage.
With a limited domestic workforce to draw from, Irish recruiters are increasingly looking overseas to source the skilled professionals required to fill these growing vacancies.
Our team at AA Euro Group has a strong track record of success in placing top talent across various industries, and is at the forefront of European talent search.
Our Group Operations Director, Denis Casey, recently sat down with the Irish Examiner to discuss the current talent landscape and AA Euro Group’s strategies for addressing the shortage.
Using the European Recruitment Pool
AA Euro Group is committed to not only addressing the immediate talent shortage but also building a pipeline of skilled professionals for the future and we have updated our search approach to allow for this. Speaking about previous talent requirements, Denis says;
“People said they would look at a European person for the job but ideally they wanted to have an Irish person for the role”.
“That changed about five or six years ago when it became very clear that European staff were wanted to fill roles or maybe supplementary roles. Companies here were just not finding Irish candidates.”
Proven Access to European Talent
AA Euro Group has a well-established network of international partners, allowing the company to access a vast pool of talent from across the continent.
Ever attuned to the need for a broad base of potential candidates, Denis had given an example of how this reach helped a firm in Cork, we had worked with.
“They were having serious problems developing a software development team for a project. There was a threat that the project was going to be lost to a facility in Germany”.
“So we went to our offices in Croatia, Poland and Romania. We found the software development staff with the experience that was required. These people worked remotely as developers for our clients in Cork”.
“The knock-on effect for the client was that the project stayed in Cork. There was further investment in the city.”
The Attraction to Ireland
Ireland is a country “that is seen to be very receptive in relation to people coming over. I know there are challenges out there. Anecdotally, we hear a lot about the cost of living and accommodation”.
“But our education system (has a good reputation) and professionals from various locations have a keen eye for things like that and are aware of what opportunities are here as well”.
“There’s a fantastic lifestyle here. When people are looking at their families and considering their future, they don’t want to be in a location that doesn’t seem very stable, where they wouldn’t feel supported.
“If they’re looking at a family move to Ireland, what typically happens is that someone comes here first on their own and works in Ireland for a year to see if the place is as we say it is. From that, families would follow and essentially become Irish people.”
What about the challenge of moving?
“Because there is a challenge, clients are assisting candidates for maybe the first six months. Once they’ve worked successfully for six months here, there’s a clear understanding that after that period of time, they’ll have access to accommodation”.
“Many clients assist candidates in finding accommodation.”
While the cost of everything from energy to food is high, Denis Casey says “the salaries here outweigh the cost of living”.
European Recruitment Trends
“Because of the challenges facing the workforce, we’re seeing a lot of agile recruitment. When budgets get a little bit tightened, some permanent positions might be pulled back. People would consider contracting where they’d go into a project for a set period of time, say six months”.
“The permanent positions of the past have peaked a little bit. Certainly, we’re seeing more and more people who are interested in buying into contract work”.
“In Ireland, we’d be known for working longer hours. The best thing about contracting is that you get paid for every single hour you work.”
As the Irish economy continues to grow and evolve, AA Euro Group stands ready to support businesses by finding and placing talent throughout Europe, ensuring Ireland’s continued success in the global marketplace.
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