News

Erisbeg invests in IT specialist recruitment and consultancy businesses; Fruition IT

Private equity firm Erisbeg has made a significant majority investment into Fruition IT and Fruition Consulting – leading partner brands in the IT recruitment and IT consultancy sectors. The investment will expediate both businesses international and local expansion strategies. Advisors on this transaction included; Clearwater, Deloitte Ireland,  EY Ireland, Gordans LLP, Pinsent Masons, RSM and BHP.

Placing the most sought after IT specialist talent, whilst consulting, supporting and building businesses IT infrastructure; the dual brands have evolved and work in partnership to deliver full IT solutions for large enterprises, SMEs and start-ups. Averaging 500 placements a year across both permanent and contract positions, Fruition source and place the top tech-talent in some of the biggest tech giants, FTSE 100 organisations, as well as award-winning start-ups. Clients include ASDA, Flutter Entertainment plc and TransUnion Information Group.

The Leeds based businesses were founded and launched in 2008 by Sarah Pawson – an inspirational female leader in the recruitment sector. Sarah will remain Managing Director and heavily involved in both businesses, leading the brands through this exciting new chapter. The Fruition group achieved organic turnover of £51.4m in 2022, through an unwavering commitment to clients, genuine agility and accurate investment in the right people, processes and technology. The brands ability to advise, source, manage and deliver the full recruitment solution has solved, built and restructured companies technology departments receiving 94.5% 5 star candidate satisfaction reviews, with the remaining 5.5% rating 4 star.

The investment will allow the businesses to deliver their services to an even larger global footprint whilst offering the scope to enter new markets. Fruition IT and Fruition Consulting have big plans to grow their internal team by 60% over the next 12 months, recruiting an additional 20 specialists. They will continue expanding their client base across the UK and US, whilst staying committed to their core values of pride, energy and perseverance.

As part of the investment, Fruition will be joining forces with one of Erisbeg’s acquisitions; Ireland’s leading technology recruitment company, Eolas. All executives are looking forward to working collaboratively and the prospect of additional acquisitions in the future.

Sarah Pawson, Founder and Managing Director at Fruition IT & Fruition Consulting “I am delighted with the investment and looking forward to our growing partnership with both Erisbeg and Eolas. The injection of capital will accelerate our growth and enable the Fruition brands to reach their full potential at a new pace, whilst creating opportunities not just for management, but for all the team here at Fruition as well as future hires.”

Thomas Davy, Co-founding Partner at Erisbeg:  “After my first meeting with Sarah, I left inspired at the prospect of a partnership. What Sarah and the Fruition team has built across the Fruition brands and the growth they have enjoyed is truly impressive. Fruition will be a great addition to Erisbeg’s portfolio and a real asset to our IT recruitment brand, Eolas.”

When is the right time to change job if you are on a Critical Skills Employment Permit in Ireland?

Many developers, programmers, coders and other skilled IT workers from India, Asia and other regions outside the European Economic Area (EEA) work in Ireland’s tech sector. If you are part of this community, you probably arrived in Ireland in one of the following ways—

With a Critical Skills Employment Permit and a job offer for a two-year period
as the spouse/de facto partner of someone who holds a Critical Skills Employment Permit
As a full-time student enrolled on course on the Interim List of Eligible Programmes

—or you may be a Graduate Student with permission to work in Ireland under the Third Level Graduate Programme.

Regardless of which of these situations applies, you will also have had to comply with Ireland’s visa and residency requirements for non-EEA nationals.

Critical Skills Employment Permit

This article focuses on workers with a Critical Skills Employment Permit who are wondering when is the best time to change job after they arrive in Ireland.

If you are working in Ireland on another basis (eg on an Internship Work Permit, working on a casual basis while studying in Ireland, or employed under the Third Level Graduate Programme), please see our article ‘Can non-EEA students work in Ireland’?’.

 

When can I change my job if I have a Critical Skills Employment Permit?

This is a question that non-EEA tech workers often ask. The answer depends on how long you have been working in Ireland.

 

Your first 12 months in Ireland

When you come to Ireland on a Critical Skills Employment Permit, you are expected to stay with your employer for at least 12 months. Effectively, this means that you cannot accept a job offer from another employer until you have been working for your first employer in Ireland for at least a year.

 

What if I am made redundant during my first year in Ireland?

If you are made redundant, you must notify the Department of Enterprise, Trade & Employment. You then have up to 6 months from the date of your redundancy to seek alternative employment. The Department’s website provides more information about the requirements for employment permit holders who are made redundant.

 

Changing job after a year in Ireland

While a Critical Skills Employment Permit is issued for a two-year period, if you want to change job after your first year in Ireland, you will have to get a new Critical Skills Employment Permit before you can start working for a new employer. Essentially, this means that if you want to move to another tech role (and if the role is on the Critical Skills Occupations List), you and your prospective employer will need to go through the same process that you went through before taking up your current role.

You can apply for a new Critical Skills Employment Permit via the Employment Permits Online Service. Note that the processing of applications takes time. This can be a deterrent for some employers who may prefer other suitably qualified candidates if they are available to take up the role in question sooner than you.

 

Can my spouse work/study in Ireland while I am on a Critical Skills Employment Permit?

Yes, provided they obtain the relevant permission. Spouses and partners of Critical Skills Employment permit holders can register for Stamp 1G which enables them to work or study in Ireland without the need for an Employment Permit. Stamp 1G must be renewed annually. After someone has had Stamp 1G for five years, they can apply for citizenship/naturalisation.

 

What happens when my Critical Skills Employment Permit expires?

If you intend to continue living and working in Ireland after your Critical Skills Employment Permit and immigration status expire, you can request a Stamp 4 support letter from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. You can submit your request up to 12 weeks before your Critical Skills Employment Permit expires. If your request is successful, Stamp 4 allows you to continue to live and work in Ireland for a two-year period. When it expires, you can renew your Stamp 4 provided you continue to meet the eligibility requirements.

After you have been living and working in Ireland for five years, you can apply for citizenship by naturalisation. You will find information about how to do this on inis.gov.ie.

 

Can I apply for other jobs if I have Stamp 4?

Yes, Stamp 4 allows you to live, work, study and operate a business in Ireland without needing an Employment Permit.

 

The best time to change job

To return to the question we posed at the outset of this article, ‘When is the best time to change job if you have a Critical Skills Employment Permit?’

While it is possible to change job in certain circumstances before you have been in Ireland for two years, arguably it is worth waiting until you have obtained Stamp 4 permission or citizenship.

Why? Because, when you are able to apply for and accept job offers without needing an Employment Permit, this opens up more opportunities and avoids Employment Permit/Visa processing delays for both you and your prospective employer—for example, Stamp 4 allows you to accept a daily rate contract which you cannot do while you are on a Critical Skills Employment Permit.

 

What if I already have Stamp 4 or citizenship?

If you already have Stamp 4 and/or citizenship and are looking for opportunities to advance your career in the tech sector, Eolas Recruitment would love to help you. We are proud to support many of the best employers and workers in Ireland’s tech sector. Find out what they say about our services by checking our online reviews and keep abreast of upcoming opportunities by subscribing for notifications on our website.

You can find out more about the topics discussed in this article on the Department of Enterprise, Trade & Employment Critical Skills Employment Permit webpage.

Can non-EEA students work in Ireland?

If you come from a region outside the European Economic Area (EEA), you must comply with certain residency and visa requirements in order to work in Ireland. This article focuses on non-EEA students and graduates with IT skills who are in Ireland either

Depending on which category you are in, there may be restrictions on the type of work that you can do, the hours that you are allowed to work and how long you are allowed to continue to live and work in Ireland.

Interim Employment Permit

This permit is for non-EEA students who are studying at a third level institution outside of Ireland in a discipline relevant to the occupations on Ireland’s Critical Skills Occupations List.

 

If you are granted an Interim Employment Permit, it allows you to gain work experience with a company trading in Ireland provided that the work experience is relevant to your course of study.

 

Internship Employment Permits are issued for a 12-month period and are non-renewable. At the end of the Internship, you must leave Ireland and return to your third level institution to complete your studies.

 

You can find out more about Internship Employment Permits on the Department of Enterprise, Trade & Employment website.

Full-time students (Stamp 2)

If you are a full time student enrolled on a course on Ireland’s Interim List of Eligible Programmes, you are allowed to work up to 20 hours per week on a casual basis during term time and up to 40 hours per week on a casual basis during holidays. (The holiday periods are June-September and 15 December-15 January).

 

At the end of your studies, if you are awarded an eligible Level 8 or Level 9 award, you may be able to seek employment in Ireland for a certain period via the Third Level Graduate Programme (see below).

 

You can find out more about the immigration rules for full-time non-EEA students on the Citizens Information website.

 

Third-Level Graduate Programme (Stamp 1G)

This programme is for non-EEA graduates who have achieved an eligible Level 8 or Level 9 award from a recognised Irish awarding body.

 

If your award is at Level 8, the Third Level Graduate Programme allows you to remain in Ireland for a period of twelve months after your studies have ended provided you comply with the relevant conditions and have not already exceeded the limit on your permission to stay in Ireland as a non-EEA national student.

 

If your award is at Level 9 or above, you may be granted 12-month permission initially and then be able to extend your permission for a further 12 months provided you satisfy the relevant conditions and can demonstrate that you have tried to find suitable employment–for example, by registering with employment agencies and attending job interviews.

 

You can find out more about the Third Level Graduate Programme on the Department of Justice website.

 

Partner/Spouse/Dependents

In most of the scenarios outlined above, if your non-EEA spouse, partner or dependent children want to accompany you, they will need to make a separate application for permission to enter and live in Ireland. You can find more information on immigration permissions on the Department of Justice website.

 

Critical Skills Employment Permit / Stamp 4

As well as students and graduates, many other non-EEA nationals work in Ireland’s tech sector. Most of these workers initially hold a Critical Skills Employment Permit which is issued for a two-year period. In a previous Eolas Recruitment article, we discussed the options for changing your job if you hold this type of permit. We also explained how workers who want to remain in Ireland after their Critical Skills Employment Permit expires can request a Stamp 4 support letter from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. Stamp 4 allows you to live and work in Ireland without needing an Employment Permit.

 

Once you hold Stamp 4, one of the best way to find relevant opportunities is to develop a good relationship with Eolas Recruitment. We have an excellent network of contacts and pride ourselves on building lasting relationships with employers, job seekers and contractors at every level in the tech sector. Why not bookmark our website to keep up to date with the latest developments and check out our online reviews to see what the clients who use our services say about us.

 

Insert link to Eolas Recruitment article ‘When is the right time to change job if you are on a Critical Skills Employment Permit in Ireland?’

Data analysts— applying for the best roles and preparing for interview

Data analysts are in demand as more and more businesses recognise the opportunities and risks of gathering and storing data, says EOLAS RECRUITMENT.

In every sector of the economy, businesses are increasingly relying on data to enhance operations and strengthen decision making. Realtime data from sources like sales, accounts and payroll is being used to reduce costs and enhance profitability while data from broader sources can uncover insights, highlight and manage risks, spot trends, and identify emerging opportunities.

With more data than ever being created and stored, there are excellent career opportunities for data analysts in both permanent and interim roles across every sector of the economy. Demand is particularly strong in sectors like finance, business, healthcare, e-commerce, and marketing. A recent Irish Times article highlighted the current fast-growing demand for data analytics skills while an Ibec report published in July 2022 listed data analytics as one of the main skills gaps in the financial services sector.

What does a data analyst do?

Depending on the industry and role, data analysts can be responsible for a range of different activities and tasks ranging from developing, implementing and monitoring best practice data policies and processes to collecting and cleaning data, data warehousing, data governance, data protection and data reporting.

So, how do you know if you are suited to a career as a data analyst?

Many data analyst roles require experience of statistical programming, machine learning, data management, data visualisation and business intelligence tools. If you are highly analytical, with strong numerical and statistical skills, you are likely to be a good candidate. However, you also need to have good interpersonal skills so that you can communicate effectively with colleagues across the business as well as with senior management and other stakeholders who may not have a technical background.
How do you find the best data analyst roles?
One of the most effective actions you can take when looking to secure any tech role is to develop a good relationship with a specialist IT recruiter like Eolas Recruitment. Our recruiters often know who is planning to hire well before roles are advertised which means we are able to let you know about upcoming opportunities. This gives you a chance to assess your qualifications, skills and experience and decide if there are any steps you need to take to strengthen your ability to compete with other potential candidates for the role—for example, you might consider doing a short course to obtain an additional technical or management accreditation. Our recruiters will also review your CV and flag any potential weaknesses you may need to address.

Assessing your tech CV

The first thing to check is that the basic information in your CV is correct. While you may have applied for other roles in the recent past, it is important to create a new CV for each application. Think about what the employer is looking for — this will help you decide what to highlight when presenting your qualifications and experience. In a previous article on this website, we discussed the essential elements to include in your CV.

When submitting your CV, it is a good idea to include a short cover letter explaining why you are applying for the role and how your skills and experience match the job description. Remember to mention your interpersonal and communication skills. It’s also useful to mention any relevant projects that you have worked on and any relevant industry groups that you are involved in.

How to ace your data analyst interview

If your application is successful, the next step is likely to be an interview. This could be face-to-face or it might be by telephone or virtual. For phone and virtual interviews, it’s essential to find a quiet place with good connectivity. In previous articles, we’ve mentioned how poor connectivity undermines how you come across and may lead an interviewer to question whether you will be able to deliver the work they require without connectivity issues.

Good preparation is the key to acing your data analyst interview. It is important to analyse the job description closely. What is the interviewer looking for and how can you show that your skills and experience are a good fit for the role? The STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) can be helpful when analysing your previous experience and preparing examples to use in response to interview questions. Think about projects you have worked on — what was the situation or problem, what was your task in addressing it, what tools did you use and what was the outcome?

When it comes to anticipating questions, there are lots of examples of data analyst interview questions online. Generally, the questions will fall into one of three main categories:

• Technical assessment: Technical typically cover your qualifications, training and experience of tools and technologies such as SQL, Tableau and PowerBI. Depending on the type and seniority of the role, the interview may include tests to assess your numerical ability and problem solving skills. You might be asked to describe the largest data set you have ever worked with, to explain how would you go about choosing a sample size, how would you tell if a data analysis model was performing well or how would you handle missing values in a data set. You could be asked for examples problems that can crop up when cleaning data or to explain why data storage jurisdictions matter.
• Behavioural assessment: These questions are designed to find out how you handled various situations in the past. You might be asked to describe a difficult data problem you encountered and explain how you dealt with it. Try using the STAR method mentioned above when preparing examples to use in response to this type of question.
• Situational assessment: This is similar to a behavioural assessment except that it focuses on how you would handle situations may encounter in the future.

Elsewhere on this website, you’ll find lots more tips on interview preparation including advice on what to expect at a second interview and preparing interview presentations for senior roles. For opportunities sourced on this website, it is also a good idea to ask our recruiters for any advice or tips they may have that are relevant to the specific role.
Conclusion

Data analytics is a fast growing area where there are excellent opportunities to specialise and develop a satisfying and rewarding career. As with other careers in the tech sector, it is important to keep your skills up to date, monitor trends, and consider obtaining relevant post-qualification certifications and accreditations that can help you stand out from other candidates when applying for data analyst roles. If you have relevant qualifications and experience and would like more information about current opportunities please get in touch. Our specialist recruiters will make it their business to help you land your ideal role.

Businesses are still hungry for Tech Skills

With layoffs grabbing the headlines in recent weeks, these are worrying times for tech workers. However, there are still excellent permanent and contract opportunities for good candidates, says Eolas Recruitment.

For some employers, greater availability of talent in the current market presents an opportunity to strengthen their permanent tech resources. It also makes it easier to bring on board interim workers or contractors for urgent or specialised projects.

 

Currently, our IT recruiters at Eolas Recruitment are working with employers across the economy to identify, screen and select candidates for both permanent and contract technical and specialist roles.

 

From a candidate’s perspective, skills in areas like cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, software development, project management and cloud technologies are very much in demand.

 

Cybersecurity

Across all sectors, awareness of the potential cost and disruption caused by cybercrime has been growing. Security is very much front of mind for business owners, not least because insurers may be reluctant to provide cover for companies that do not take the necessary steps to strengthen their cyber defences.

 

This is contributing to strong demand for candidates with cybersecurity experience. Roles range from penetration testers and information security officers to forensic analysts, data management experts, application security engineers and security architects.

 

At the most senior levels, candidates need to be able to provide thought leadership on cyber risk and demonstrate the ability to develop and implement strategies to continuously improve security in a rapidly expanding threat landscape.

 

Soft skills are crucial as leaders must be able to partner not just with the technical teams who design, build, test and deploy security solutions, but also, importantly, with colleagues across the business as well as with relevant third parties.

 

For team members, keeping up to date with emerging threats, security technologies, and evolving data and privacy legislation is crucial, particularly for employees who want to move up from entry level into mid and senior level roles.

 

At entry level, employees are typically involved in helping identify vulnerabilities, dealing with security incidents and working with colleagues to strengthen their employer’s cyber defences. The minimum qualification for entry level roles is generally a third level qualification in Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Information Systems, Mathematics or a related discipline.

 

AI/Machine learning

While ChatGPT recently triggered a flood of general interest in both the potential and the risks associated with artificial intelligence, AI and machine learning business applications have been on the increase for some time.

 

In the financial services sector, AI and ML are already used to enhance processes around fraud detection, credit risk assessment and lending decision making. In medicine and healthcare, they underpin innovation in areas like robotic surgery and virtual nursing.

 

In various other sectors—from aviation to insurance, life sciences, education, marketing, retail, energy and telecoms—demand is growing for candidates with AI and ML expertise.

 

Requirements for candidates typically include things like knowledge of search technologies, data modelling, programming, analytics, natural language processing, neural networks and platform experience/skills.

 

For examples of current roles, check out our Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning vacancies.

Cloud

In the last few years, more and more businesses have also embraced cloud technologies, leading to strong competition for tech workers with cloud experience, particularly those with a track record of developing cloud applications and/or migrating applications to the cloud. There are also data privacy, security and compliance-related roles for suitably qualified candidates. Employers are particularly interested in workers with problem solving and people management skills.

 

Quantum Computing

While quantum computing has a way to go before it becomes mainstream, in time it is expected to transform industries like healthcare, pharmaceuticals and financial services where it has the potential to exponentially accelerate progress in areas like illness diagnosis, drug discovery and financial risk modelling.

 

Initially, quantum careers were mostly confined to academic research but as universities increasingly collaborate with industry this is beginning to create opportunities for developers and tech workers with specialised skills in areas like engineering, machine learning, data science and quantum algorithms.

 

Robotics

Practical applications for robotics have also been in the news in recent times. From manufacturing and aerospace to healthcare, hospitality and e-commerce, robotics are being used to streamline processes, improve safety, cut costs and enhance customer satisfaction.

 

Successful innovation in this area requires a strong understanding of consumer and business needs. Careers in robotics and automation typically look for candidates with proven problem-solving and change management skills as well as knowledge of robotics and automation solutions, and experience with Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC), Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), and Human Machine Interfaces (HMI).

 

Soft skills and financial acumen are also important as projects require the ability to understand requirements and work closely with colleagues to specify, develop and design successful, cost-effective robotic applications.

 

A good starting point for candidates interested in advancing their career in any of areas discussed in this article is to keep an eye on Eolas Recruitment’s online tech job listings. If you have relevant tech skills and experience, we’d love to hear from you.

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How to stand out from the crowd when applying for tech roles

Eolas Recruitment shares tips on how tech workers can enhance their chances of securing interim and permanent roles.

Skills shortages in the tech sector continue to make it difficult for employers to attract and retain good candidates. Demand for both permanent and contract tech workers intensified during the Covid-19 pandemic as traditional businesses were forced to accelerate their adoption of technology in order to engage with customers online. Skills in areas like cyber security are particularly highly sought after at the moment as companies are more aware than ever of the need to protect computers, programs, networks and data from unauthorised access or damage.

Finding opportunities

Specialist recruiters like Eolas Recruitment often know about upcoming opportunities before they are advertised and can let you know which skills are most in demand. If you haven’t already done so, it’s worth touching base with our recruiters to get a feel for where the best opportunities are in the current market.

If you find roles that you would like to apply for, obviously you will need to update your CV. Check out our tips on how to tailor your tech CV to the role you are interested in. If you are applying through Eolas Recruitment, our team will analyse your CV and offer advice on areas where you may need to get more experience or update your skills in order to maximise your chances of securing a particular type of role.

Tech job interviews

Interviews for tech roles are often competency based which means you are expected to provide examples of your achievements and skills. You could be asked how you would deal with a specific challenge or to give an example of how you handled a difficult situation in the past. Anticipating questions like this and preparing your examples in advance will make the interview process less stressful. For more information, check out our article on how to prepare for competency-based interviews.

You also need to keep in mind that your initial interview is likely to be virtual so it’s important to be comfortable using tools like Zoom, WebEx, GotoMeeting, WhatsApp and Skype. Make sure you have a good Internet connection because poor connectivity will not just undermine how you come across in an interview but may also lead the interviewer to question whether you will be able to consistently deliver the work they require without connectivity issues.

Salary

In the last few years, businesses in many sectors were unable to match the salaries and benefits on offer in Big Tech companies. However, non-financial benefits such as flexible working, health screening and wellness programmes are increasingly common. Before negotiating benefits with a potential employer, it’s worth working out what is most important to you—it may be that flexibility or work/life balance matters more than salary.

It’s also a good to idea to keep an open mind about the types of role you are willing to consider —for example, taking on an interim or contractor role that expands your skill set or offers an opportunity to acquire additional experience could help to advance your future career. Currently, contractors are being hired for roles in areas like data, e-commerce, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and development.

Five tips to stand out from the crowd when applying for tech roles

  1. Keep your skills up to date. Take advantage of opportunities to update your qualifications and knowledge by taking relevant courses, gaining additional certifications, and attending relevant industry seminars and events. Monitor technology trends and think about how they will impact your employer’s business as well as your own future career.
  2. Understand the business. Research your potential employer’s business and sector. Get a feel for what the current issues are and think about how your skills and knowledge can help the business achieve its goals. Show that you understand the importance of getting to know your colleagues in other departments and are open to listening to their needs and giving and taking feedback. Employers like to see that you are willing to go the extra mile to help everyone achieve the best possible results.
  3. Be a problem solver. Employers aren’t just looking for technical skills. In a fast-moving environment where businesses are embracing digital transformation, many roles now require soft skills.Tech interviews are often competency-based and it helps if you can provide examples of situations where you have used problem solving and people management skills to benefit your employer’s business.
  4. Listen, learn and don’t be afraid to speak up. Practice your communication skills. Listen and learn from your colleagues and don’t be afraid to speak up at meetings and share your expertise. Good communication is particularly important at senior level where roles may involve making presentations to colleagues, customers, investors, industry peers and media. Preparation and practice are the key. Plan what you want to say, focus on being clear and concise, avoid jargon and try to make it as easy as possible for your non-tech audience to understand the points you are making.
  5. Build a strong network. Networking is a great way to build confidence and access support when you need it. It can also help you find out about upcoming opportunities, particularly when your network includes specialist IT recruiters like our team members here at Eolas Recruitment!

 

For more information about how Eolas Recruitment supports candidates and can help you advance your career, please contact a member of our team.

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Erisbeg acquires Eolas Recruitment

Dublin, Ireland 28 November 2022

Irish private equity firm Erisbeg has today agreed to acquire a majority stake in Leading Specialist IT
Recruiter Eolas Recruitment Limited (‘Eolas Recruitment’) from its shareholders. The consideration
for the transaction was not disclosed. The transaction is subject to approval from the Competition
and Consumer Protection Commission.

In conjunction with the acquisition, Eolas Recruitment has announced the appointment of Jim Ryan
as Managing Director to succeed founder and Managing Director Vincent Flynn. Eolas Recruitment
has also announced the appointment of senior executives Peter Kirby and Stephen Daly to the Eolas
Recruitment board of directors. Stephen and Peter will retain their existing executive roles and
responsibilities.

Commenting on the announcement, Vincent Flynn, Eolas Recruitment founder and Managing
Director said, “My wife Mary & I started Eolas Recruitment in 1999 with a vision to create Ireland’s
Leading Specialist IT Recruitment Firm, we are very proud of what we have achieved in that time,
with the support of our talented and hard-working employees, our wonderful clients, all of the
Specialist IT consultants, and the goodwill of the entire business community who have supported our
journey over the past 23 years. We feel that Erisbeg are the right partner for Eolas Recruitment at
the right time, and I am delighted that the business is in safe hands now for the next stage of its
growth and development.”

Thomas Davy, Erisbeg Partner said “Today is a very exciting day for us at Erisbeg. Eolas Recruitment
is a terrific and highly respected firm, that has wonderful employees, a highly talented roster of
consultants available to it and an unrivalled blue chip client base. We are looking forward to
supporting the Eolas Recruitment management team and their growth strategy for the business. We
welcome Jim Ryan, Stephen Daly and Peter Kirby to the Eolas Recruitment board of directors and
look forward to working closely with them as we build on the strong foundations put in place by
Vincent and Mary Flynn.”

About Erisbeg

Erisbeg is a leading Irish private equity firm, focused on investment in high performing service
businesses with international growth potential. Erisbeg has current investments in Critical
Communications, Healthcare, Compliance, Logistics and Recruitment sectors, and is currently
investing from its flagship fund Erisbeg I LP, a €110m fund supported by leading European and Irish
institutional investors, including AIB plc.

About Eolas

Founded in 1999, Eolas Recruitment is Ireland’s leading specialist IT Recruitment Company. Eolas
Recruitment is a trusted counterparty to its longstanding and blue-chip client base across a wide
spectrum of sectors including the financial, business services, consumer products and payments
sectors. The team is made up of the smartest minds in IT recruitment, with a combined knowledge
spanning over 100 years in this arena. Eolas Recruitment has been successfully placing ambitious IT
candidates across many sectors for over 22 years, sharing their knowledge and experience in order
to help its candidates achieve the perfect role. Eolas Recruitment specialises in Recruitment in both
the Permanent and Contract IT Sector across all sectors of business.

Employers: Why use a specialist recruitment agency?

Typically, employers cite time and cost savings as the main benefit of outsourcing recruitment. A good recruitment agency will also advocate on your behalf and enhance your ability to attract the best talent.

Choose wisely and these benefits will increase over time as the recruitment agency’s knowledge of your business deepens.

Benefits of using recruitment agencies

For large organisations and SMEs, particularly those in technology and knowledge economy businesses where competition for highly skilled talent is intense, building a relationship with a specialist recruitment agency streamlines the process of identifying, screening and selecting suitable candidates. The more you work with the recruiter, the better the recruiter will understand your talent requirements. This helps the hiring process to become increasingly efficient, saving you time and money. In addition, the recruiter can draw on their experience of placing candidates with your company when talking to potential hires. In effect, the recruiter becomes a brand ambassador for your company which, in turn, makes it easier for you to attract talent.

For smaller owner-managed businesses and start-ups who may not have an in-house HR resource, the experience and advice of specialist recruiters can help avoid expensive hiring mistakes. Often, business owners have so many different tasks to juggle that they focus on what is urgent rather than what is important. Unfortunately, this means hiring is often left to last minute. When this happens, it can be tempting to select a candidate for speed rather than suitability. Choosing the wrong candidate is almost always an expensive mistake, especially if they remain in place after the probation period has expired. While it may be frustrating to leave a role unfilled for a period of time, it is always better to hire the right candidate than to hire the wrong person and have to replace and/or manage them out of your business at a later stage. If you do make a mistake when hiring, deal with it quickly and learn from it. The longer you leave it, the more complicated and expensive it is likely to become.

Building a successful recruitment agency relationship

When you decide to outsource recruitment, it is very important to be clear about what you expect from the recruitment agency and to put a good contract in place. Both sides need to understand each other’s expectations in order to build a successful relationship. The contract should cover the responsibilities of both parties, what is and what is not included in costs, data obligations, the process for handling disputes, and so on.

Before deciding to work with a specialist recruiter, it is a good idea to check what other clients and candidates have to say about the agency. One way to do this is to read the agency’s testimonials and online reviews.

For candidates, trust is a very important as the agency will often play an important role in their career progression. Typically, candidates expect the agency to provide:

  • Confidentiality
  • Sector knowledge
  • Information about upcoming opportunities that may not be posted online
  • Accurate information for a prospective employer explaining why the candidate is a good fit for a role
  • Advice on preparing for interview
  • Help to negotiate salary and benefits

For employers, the recruitment agency will:

  • Provide industry insight on what other employers are offering including guidance on salaries and benefits
  • Provide access to relevant talent potentially including qualified candidates who may not be actively seeking as well as access to a pool of contract and temporary workers for short-term roles
  • Streamline administration
  • Screen and select potential candidates for interview
  • Schedule interviews and where necessary, advise on what interview questions to ask
  • Check qualifications and conduct background checks
  • Liaise with candidates and answer queries

Generalist vs specialist recruitment agencies

A question employers sometimes ask is why use a specialist IT recruitment agency like Eolas Recruitment rather than a generalist agency which potentially can draw from a larger pool of candidates. The main benefit is industry knowledge. The last thing most employers want is to have to wade through applications from candidates who are not qualified for the vacant role. Also, in very competitive sectors like IT recruitment where candidates are in short supply and roles often have highly technical requirements, it is important that the recruiter can recognise a candidate with potential — for example, an entry level candidate who has acquired relevant developer skills through self-directed learning, volunteer or work experience. Specialist recruiters also tend to have better networks and deeper insight into sectoral trends as well as employer and candidate expectations.

Things to watch out for when selecting a recruitment agency

In recruitment, as in most other aspects of business, planning ahead is vital. It helps to have clearly defined roles and know what you are looking for. Take advice from your recruitment agency but be careful when selecting the agency as not all agencies will have the sectoral knowledge and expertise to suit your business.

Things to watch out for include:

  • Industry knowledge
  • Client testimonials and candidate reviews
  • Track record of the consultants
  • Sector knowledge
  • Access to relevant networks

To find out more or to arrange an introductory chat, please get in touch.

 

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Registering with a specialist IT recruiter. What are the benefits?

Having a good relationship with a specialist recruiter is often the key to successful career progression for IT professionals.

There is no shortage of opportunities for IT professionals in Ireland at present however it can be difficult to know where to start when thinking about applying for a new job. A good way to get to grips with the market is to register with a specialist agency like Eolas Recruitment. We will alert you to upcoming roles that match your skills and experience and help you track down the best opportunities to advance your career. This is a free service for candidates as the costs are met by the hiring employer.

What are the benefits of working with a specialist IT recruiter?

A key advantage is that we have in-depth knowledge of the IT sector and ongoing relationships with many leading employers. This means we often know about opportunities before they are advertised.

We will listen to your career development plan and help you limit your search to relevant companies. We also provide practical support such as helping you to tailor your CV so that it presents your skills and experience in the best possible light.

If you are successful in securing an interview, we will help you to prepare and if your application is ultimately successful, we can assist when you are negotiating salary and conditions. For many candidates, this is a particularly valuable benefit as it can be difficult to know what to ask for in these negotiations.

If your application is unsuccessful, we provide feedback from the process so that you can hone your performance for the next time.

Our approach is to build a lasting relationship with you. We want to support you throughout your career as you progress through various roles. You can find out what other candidates say about our service by checking our online reviews.

Finally, as a leading specialist IT recruiter, Eolas Recruitment has an excellent network of contacts, so if you are seeking a particular type of IT role, the chances are our specialist recruiters will be able to find interesting opportunities for you. To find out more about our services and how we can help you land your ideal role, please get in touch.

 

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