Innovation: The Way Forward
Mar/100
A recent government report released earlier this month, Innovation Task force Report, has led to a major emphasis on innovation in the Irish economy. The Report is an important element of the Government’s Plan, Building Ireland’s Smart Economy, for dealing with the challenges facing the Irish economy in a changed world. The Report sets out some key recommendations and steps to allow Ireland to be transformed into a Global Innovation Hub. Can innovation provide a solution to our troubled economy? Can technology provide the best solution?
Innovation can come from anywhere, anyone and at any time. It’s a case of moulding an idea and enabling people to take that idea and give them a platform to drive and develop it. Technology may provide the best answer. There has been continued growth in video based platforms online. One such area that could develop within this growth is working remotely. The idea of working remotely is familiar concept, but the development of video conferencing, web cams and Webex can allow for new opportunities for both employers and employees. For employers it’s an adaptation of workforce practices, trust, and enablement in the employees you are hiring and modifying the way we think successful workers work. It offers numerous opportunities for the Irish work force to export their knowledge globally. Historically, Ireland has been known as a hotbed for educational excellence, this excellence could be exported via technology, via TelePresence, or Webex to countries that struggle to attract the right level of quality that Ireland possesses.
The government report also highlights the need for investment in national infrastructure. This is a key factor in the development of video based solutions. Investment in infrastructure and the support of the private sector and service providers will assist access to workforce throughout Ireland.
Innovation can provide the next step in the road to recovery for the Irish economy. The next bright idea could provide a pathway to a smart Irish economy.
http://evertb.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/report_of_the_innovation_taskforce.pdf
Positive growth trend continues in Ireland’s professional jobs market
Mar/100
The latest Premier Group Irish Employment Monitor covering February 10 figures was published this morning.
This month’s highlights include:
- In February 10, new professional job vacancies increased by 34% compared to February 09
- Month on month, the number of new job vacancies rose by 7%
- This is the fourth consecutive month of increase in the number of new jobs available for professionals
- In February compared to January, the number of new professionals beginning a new job search increased by 19%
- There were 58% more professionals beginning a job search in February 10 compared to the same month last year
The full release can be viewed on our website:http://www.verkom.ie/Irish-employment-monitor-February-2010
In addition, the Morgan McKinley London Employment Monitor covering February 10 has also been published.
- New financial services job vacancies in February 10 rose by 13% month-on-month
- Compared to the same month last year, job numbers were up 67% in February 10, a similar uplift to that seen in January 10 vs. January 09
- The number of professionals entering the jobs market in February 10 increased by 29% on January 10 and also rose by 29% compared to February 09
- The average City salary stood at ₤51,560 – a 2% month-on-month increase
- For those considering changing jobs in 2010, career development rather than remuneration was identified as the key reason (57%)
The full release can be viewed on
http://www.morganmckinley.co.uk/Employment-Monitor-February-2010
IT Contractors can help companies to meet targets, reduce costs and go greener!
Mar/100
Hiring IT Contractors from Specialist Agents is a cost-effective, hassle free way for companies to meet deadlines and complete projects with the right expertise on time and within budget.
Recent market trends and tougher economic times have resulted in headcount freezes and longer lead times to take on permanent staff. Many companies have reduced staff numbers but that doesn’t necessarily mean that business is not on, or coming in. If there is an increase in work and new projects starting up, or staff absent at a time when service levels need to remain at a high standard, the ideal solution to fill these areas is with a contractor.
In the past contractors were always in demand in the IT Sector and now we are seeing the trend move out to other sectors such as Finance, HR, Engineering and Pharmaceutical. More recently with the high rate of redundancies and downsizing a great number of candidates have set themselves up as independent contractors and are marketing themselves to specialists agents, and in some cases directly back to their previous employers.
Benefits include increased autonomy and flexibility with your schedule. You can make excellent money and good tax savings, and can go greener working from home and/or remotely for your client!
IT Contractors can assist companies meet targets, reduce costs and go greener!
Mar/100
Hiring IT Contractors from Specialised Agents is a cost-effective, hassle free way for companies to meet deadlines and complete projects with the right expertise on time and within budget.
Recent market trends and tougher economic times have resulted in headcount freezes and longer lead times to take on permanent Staff. Many companies have reduced staff numbers but that doesn’t necessarily mean that business is not on, or coming in. So if there is an increase in work and new projects starting up, or staff out sick and the service level needs to remain at the high standard the company is providing within their SLA’s (Service Level Agreements), the ideal solution to fill these areas is with a contractor. In the past contractors were always in demand in the IT Sector and now we are seeing the trend move out to other sectors such as Finance, HR, Engineering and Pharmaceutical. More recently with the high rate of redundancies and downsizing a great number of candidates have set themselves up as independent contractors, and marketing themselves to specialists agents, and in some cases directly back to their previous employers. Benefits include increased autonomy and flexibility with your schedule. You can make good money and good tax savings, and can go greener working from home and/or remotely for your client
CRM Is On The Up!
Mar/100
Historically Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solutions were associated with large corporations with aggressive sales teams. Today the use of CRM is becoming more and more frequent as companies of all sizes are availing of this software-as-a-service. This increased presence is beneficial to companies as it leads to a higher level of customer service which enables companies to maintain their customers in these tough times.
This rise of CRM usage is due to the evolution of the “customer” in a client’s eyes. A customer no longer refers to someone who buys a product, but simply someone who makes contact with a company – whether they are buying something from them, making an enquiry or logging a complaint. Thus a relationship exists and therefore needs to be managed. With the rise of virtualisation and cloud computing, hosted CRM solutions are allowing smaller firms to avail of CRM solutions and thus opening up a bigger market for CRM providers to sell into.