Blogging: The Way Forward
Apr/100
Blog, Tweet, Twitter, Comment, Chat, Facebooking – whatever you want to call it or whatever medium you choose to use, nobody today can escape the phenomenon that is Blogging. One of the forefathers of this online sensation is Pat Phelan who won Blogger of the Year at the Irish Blog Awards. From his background of being a butcher turned chef he went on to become a leading Entrepreneur with his telecommunications business active in 230 countries worldwide with a business model that costs zero and sold it for X. It wasn’t just this excellent business model that led to Pat’s success but a mammoth amount of patience and continuous blogging that enabled him to post his ideas to the masses.
The Blog world is an infinite community and a lot of people have web access and opinions’ and views that can be strewn across the www in nano-seconds. The current climate is constantly changing and emerging from it is a savvy class of people who choose to voice their opinion, so lets join them and you never know what might become of you!!
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
Ireland’s hiring market ends 2009 on a positive note
Jan/100
Monitoring the pulse of the Irish professional jobs market
Highlights
- During December 09, the number of new job vacancies in Ireland increased by 3% compared to November 09
- The year-on-year monthly comparison of new jobs showed an increase of 23% – the first rise since February 08
- The number of professionals beginning a new job search in December 09 declined by 30% compared to November 09
- The year-on-year monthly comparison showed the first increase registered throughout 2009, a small but significant rise in new candidates of 0.27%
Irish professional jobs market shows monthly and yearly improvement
The Irish professional jobs market saw a second consecutive increase in new jobs compared to the previous month with a rise of 3% from 4,432 in November 09 to 4,587 in December 09. A year-on-year monthly increase was also registered for the first time since February 08; the 4,587 new jobs in December 09 showing significant improvement from the 3,743 new positions in December 08. Bucking the usual trend for a decline in job vacancies over the Christmas period, these figures indicate that businesses in Ireland are starting to show signs of renewed confidence.
Seasonal factors did appear to have an impact on the number of new professionals looking for jobs in December. Compared to November 09, there were 30% fewer individuals looking for jobs across Ireland in December 09 with a decrease from 10,830 to 7,560. Compared to December 08, there was a small increase from 7,540 to 7,560 – which also suggests a cautious return to confidence in the hiring market amongst job hunters.
Brian Murphy, Managing Director of Premier Group in Ireland comments:
“Traditionally the number of new professional jobs in the month of December is lower than other months, so we were pleased to see that the number of job vacancies in December 09 held up so well and even showed a small increase on the November figures. As the year comes to a close many employers put hiring on hold until January so the increase was a very welcome and hopefully positive sign that 2010 may herald better times for professionals seeking new opportunities in Ireland”.
“The increase from December 08 to December 09 brought to an end a sequence of 21 consecutive months of year-on-year monthly declines in new job numbers. The last increase was registered in February 2008. The December figures provide further hope that the bottom of the market has been reached and we can look forward to the new decade with significantly more confidence than that with which we entered 2009″.
“The number of professionals entering the jobs market in December 09 showed a significant decrease on the November figure. However this decrease is consistent with the pattern from previous years and is reflective of the holiday period at the end of December and the
reluctance of many professionals to become active in the market when they perceive that activity will be less robust as Christmas comes closer. We expect these figures to normalise when the January 2010 Irish Employment Monitor figures are released”.
Chart: New jobs v. new candidates
About the Premier Group Irish Employment Monitor
The Premier Group Irish Employment Monitor measures the pulse of the Irish professional jobs market by tracking the number of new jobvacancies and new candidates within the Republic of Ireland each month. The first Premier Group Irish Employment Monitor was launched in May 2009 with data from April 2008 onwards.
Statistical methodology
Monthly new jobs and new candidates
Monthly new jobs and new candidate figures are based on Premier Group’s own monthly records of new permanent job vacancies and new candidates registering with the firm for permanent employment. Statistics for the full market are derived using Premier Group’s own market share.
Job classification
Job vacancies are professional level roles within the following sectors and functions; Banking & Financial Services, Commerce & Industry Finance, Insurance, Public Practice & Tax, Legal, HR, IT, Life Sciences, Engineering, Process & Manufacturing, Professional Services, Sales & Marketing, Customer Service, Secretarial & Office Support.
Geography
The data is based on new job vacancies and new candidates registered with Premier Group’s network of Irish offices in Cork, Dublin, Kilkenny, Limerick and Waterford.
About Premier Group
Premier Group is Ireland’s leading recruitment consultancy with offices in Cork, Dublin, Kilkenny, Limerick, and Waterford. Internationally, the Group operates from 24 offices across eight countries. Subsidiary brands within Premier Group in Ireland include
Accreate Executive Search & Interim, Brunel, la crème, Premier, and Verkom. Morgan McKinley and iQ selection also form part of the Premier Group outside of Ireland.
Morgan McKinley London Employment Monitor
Premier Group currently publishes a similar monitor in London under its subsidiary brand name, Morgan McKinley. The highly regarded Morgan McKinley London Employment Monitor was launched in 2004 and reports on the new roles, candidates and salaries within the financial services jobs market in London each month. Visit www.morganmckinley.co.uk for details.
Positive outlook in the Support & Infrastructure Market
Dec/090
There has been a definite increase in job orders in recent times in the Dublin & Cork market, especially from October onwards. This upturn in registered jobs has been significantly noticed in the support and infrastructure market. This market collapsed at the end of 2008 as clients halved their infrastructure professionals on site and made a move towards outsourcing their IT support function. From a consultancy perspective, large contracts were cut and infrastructure projects were put on hold as clients budgets were squeezed forcing redundancies throughout the sector.
After a tough year of restructuring across all areas of businesses there has been a slight shift towards re-hiring in this market. Consultancies are slowly but surely bulking up their professional services team with high-end skills such as Virtualisation, Storage and Network Security. This will ensure that they are positioned correctly in the marketplace to secure any major upcoming contracts as IT budgets are slowly increased. From an internal prospective, IT support functions are growing again. Companies have begun to increase their operational staff, and as this happens it is being mirrored by the support functions.
Although it is a minimal growth, it is still a positive at the end of a very “taxing” year.
Verkom Initiative Website now Live
Oct/090
We are delighted to announce that the Verkom Initiative website is now live - www.verkominitiative.com
The Verkom Initiative is Premier Groups contribution to ensuring some of Ireland’s brightest technology entrepreneurs have access to a group of commercial business mentors, from the world of finance, legal, HR and technology.
This access is facilitated by Ireland’s leading IT Recruitment Company by;
- Network events
- Access to Mentor Panel
- Seminars
- Face to face business reviews to identify where and why the companies need assistance
If you are interested in finding out more about the initiative check out our website or call us on 021 2300 333 /01 4321501
Irish Employment Monitor – August 2009
Sep/090
Irish Employment Monitor – August 2009
| PREMIER GROUP IRISH EMPLOYMENT MONITOR“Monitoring the pulse of the Irish professional jobs market”
Extremely difficult conditions continue within the Irish professional jobs market Highlights
Month-on-month improvement in job numbers but hiring volumes still record second lowest level this year During August 09, the Irish professional jobs market continued to operate at greatly suppressed levels despite the uplift in new job opportunities from the previous month. The number of new professional job vacancies in Ireland registered an increase of 5% versus July 09 however, this figure was the second lowest recorded so far this year. Additionally, the fifth Premier Group Irish Employment Monitor found that the volume of new professional job openings in Ireland was still 72% lower than it was in August 08. Ireland’s professionals are still very hesitant to voluntarily enter such a contracted jobs market. It seems that many individuals who are still in employment are choosing to remain where they are for the time being rather than begin searching for a new role. This, coupled with the summer holiday season, contributed to the 17% drop in the number of new professional candidates who entered the jobs market during August 09 versus the previous month (July 09). This figure was 45% less than the number of professionals who began their search for a new role in August 08. Brian Murphy, Managing Director of Premier Group in Ireland comments: “Despite a month-on-month increase in new professional job numbers in August 09, the hiring market was, and still is, extremely contracted, particularly when compared with a year ago. Now that the holiday season is over, we hope that there will be some improvement in the employment market in the next month. However, there is still little visibility on the short to medium-term professional jobs market in Ireland. “There are several critical legislative changes on the horizon in September and October which could significantly affect the hiring market in Ireland, for example, the Lisbon referendum and the proposed NAMA legislation. Anecdotal evidence suggests that, over the coming weeks, many employers will be anxiously awaiting the outcome of the referendum and legislation and the implications of these for the Irish employment market.” Chart: New jobs v. new candidates
Notes to editors About the Premier Group Irish Employment Monitor The Premier Group Irish Employment Monitor measures the pulse of the Irish professional jobs market by tracking the number of new job vacancies and new candidates within the Republic of Ireland each month. The first Premier Group Irish Employment Monitor was launched in May 2009 with data from April 2008 onwards. Statistical methodology Monthly new jobs and new candidates Monthly new jobs and new candidate figures are based on Premier Group own monthly records of new permanent job vacancies and new candidates registering with the firm for permanent employment. Statistics for the full market are derived using Premier Group’s own market share. Job classification Job vacancies are professional level roles within the following sectors and functions; Banking & Financial Services, Commerce & Industry finance, Insurance, Public Practice & Tax, Legal, HR, IT, Life Sciences, Engineering, Process & Manufacturing, Professional Services, Sales & Marketing, Customer Service, Secretarial & Office Support. Geography The data is based on new job vacancies and new candidates registered with Premier Group’s network of Irish offices in Cork, Dublin, Kilkenny, Limerick and Waterford. About Premier Group Premier Group is Ireland’s leading recruitment consultancy with offices in Cork, Dublin, Kilkenny, Limerick, and Waterford. Internationally, the Group operates from 24 offices across eight countries. Subsidiary brands within Premier Group in Ireland include Accreate Executive Search & Interim, Brunel, la crème, Premier, and Verkom. Morgan McKinley and iQ selection also form part of the Premier Group outside of Ireland. Morgan McKinley London Employment Monitor Premier Group currently publishes a similar monitor in London under its subsidiary brand name, Morgan McKinley. The highly regarded Morgan McKinley London Employment Monitor was launched in 2004 and reports on the new roles, candidates and salaries within the financial services jobs market in London each month. Visit www.morganmckinley.co.uk/london-employment-monitor for details. |
Has the recession affected the IT market?
Jul/090
Recession, Recession, Recession… Has the IT market Boomed, Crashed or stayed Consistent throughout the last 12 months in Ireland?
Two of the most common questions we are asked at the moment is “How do you feel the recession has affected IT? Are there more IT candidates looking for work now compared with this time last year?”
We decided to publish our statistics based on the Verkom website and the volume of candidates who have sent in their CVs to us from July 2008 to July 2009. This may help answer some of the common questions being asked. 
Firstly, you will be interested to know that within the last 12 months there has been a consistent amount of applications coming through our Verkom website. Typically during the middle of December applications slow down and early in the New Year we tend to see more applications year on year which was the same for early 2009.
What does this mean?
This means that, unlike other industries, the level of IT professionals applying for work has not dramatically increased during this downturn
However, the amount of IT jobs available has decreased between 30 – 35% compared with this time last year. We have seen that this decrease has mostly been in senior-end IT jobs like Project Management, Program Management, IT Management and senior Business Analysis. As a result, senior-end candidates have reduced their salary expectations both in the permanent and contracting market.
Other areas of IT have remained stable. The area of IT Development has remained consistent and skilled developers can command similar salaries to this time last year.
Overall, the IT market has not been hit as hard as other industries like construction and electronic manufacturing so be glad you’re working in IT! The good news is that there are still opportunities out there and companies are still hiring.
Emerging Opportunities in Cloud Computing
Jun/090
Everywhere you turn these days there is talk of cloud computing. It’s surprising then that the results of a recent survey conducted by RackSpace indicated that 67% of small businesses and 47% of mid sized businesses were not even familiar with the term “Cloud Computing”.
Based on the survey results, adoption rates are understandably low (5% for small businesses, 11% for medium business). To me the survey results really strike a chord because having used cloud computing services for more than a year now, and being totally sold on the benefits I can see a gigantic opportunity coming down the tracks. I am not alone in this belief, Merrill Lynch have gone on record with a prediction that the cloud computing market will be worth an estimated US $94 Billion annually within 4 years, Amazon, Oracle, HP, Dell, Microsoft, EMC, IBM and others are also putting their money where their mouth is at a staggering pace. Cloud Computing is really one of the only significant double digit growth areas this year (+27%).
You may ask yourself, “So what’s this got to do with me?”
Well that really depends on who you are;
- If you are an IT Contractor or currently on the IT Jobs market, it should be worth your while ensuring that you are adequately up-skilled to sell the benefits of cloud computing and help your clients / potential employers get the maximum benefit from this fantastic service.
- If you are responsible for the IT operations of a business or you a business leader you probably need to start getting familiar with the concept of cloud computing and asking your IT staff / vendors for advice on how you can leverage the benefits on offer.
For everyone involved one of the significant challenges cloud computing faces is that there is no single, standard and comprehensive definition of what exactly cloud computing is, even the wikipedia description of cloud computing seems to change on a regular basis. To me cloud computing is easiest described as “Computing as a Utility” where you consume flexible computing resources that are provided by third parties, without necessarily having access to, or an understanding of the platforms on which it is based. Consider it similar to your electricity connection, you connect, consume, get metered and pay for the service used.
So what to do next?
- We have setup a LinkedIn group for anyone in Ireland who is interested in Cloud Computing from either a technical or a commercial perspective, come and join the Irish Cloud Computing Group.
- Talk to us here at Verkom, we talk regularly to clients, contractors and candidates who are interested in Cloud Computing, we would love to be of service to you.
- Go and check out some of the public cloud computing platforms, Amazon AWS in particular is very accessible and starting at 10 cents an hour it won’t break the bank to learn more in a real-time environment.
- I post regularly about cloud computing on my blog if you want to read more.