Nikki Murran, Excel Recruitment's Director of Grocery Retail Recruitment

The Premium Problem

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

 

Excel’s Director of Grocery Retail Nikki Murran reflects on one of our clients’ biggest headaches, spiralling insurance costs and asks what can be done about them?

One of my favourite parts of my jobs is catching up with our retailers. The last 9 months have been particularly enjoyable as there seems to be so much optimism across the grocery retail sector at the moment. A lot of clients are investing in their stores while others are opening brand new sites. I was invited out to the new store opening of Dunnes Stores and James Whelan’s Butchers in Naas a while back and it was such a treat to see grocery retailing at it’s best and the excitement that comes with new store openings!

However, despite the overall pattern of optimism, there is one issue looming heavy on the minds of retailers: rising insurance costs. It is not only smaller independent retailers being crippled, spiralling insurance rates are also having a heavy impact on all retailers across the country.

The Response from Retailers

Retailers are reacting; many have invested in staff training, improved store layouts and incident reporting policies, which have led to a decrease in the number of claims made in stores. Despite this work, the average insurance premium has seen a rise of between 5% and 10% a year! This is a substantial cost to any retailer – especially when they are actively doing everything in their power to reduce the risk.

These increases are the burden of the retailers, not because they are at fault or have failed to act, but because of a wider culture of claims which despite media coverage and public outcry, is growing. Compounding this culture of blaming and claiming, there exist no clear judicial guidelines for compensation and worst of all – a lack of resources to follow up an insurance fraud. Since the legislation around this was enacted in 2004 to tackle the issue there has been ONE – yes only one – prosecution for insurance fraud! How is that possible?

The Numbers

Ireland’s average whiplash injury compensation in €17,338, vs the UK’s average of €3,798 or Canada’s of €2,215. Australia and Sweden are unlikely to offer any compensation at all for the same soft tissue injury. Such dramatic differences surely raise serious questions about how we are coming up with these monetary values for awards? It is the premiums of ordinary people and the premiums of retailers up and down the country that are paying for these bloated, inconsistent pay-outs!

In an article by Charlie Weston earlier this year he states that “Retailers estimate that on average, for every €1 allocated to an insurance claim, a business must make €100 in sales to recoup this outlay.” (The Irish Independent, May 2019) That is an incredible burden to put on any retailer!

So, what can we do?

The Alliance for Insurance reform have some excellent resources available to tackle this epidemic on their website – https://insurancereform.ie/what-we-want/

They are striving for:

Prevention of exaggerated claims

Consistency in the calculation of awards

Transparency in how premiums are calculated

And really, the most shocking part of this mandate is that these measures are not in place already.

Brown Thomas win National Retailer of they Year

Brown Thomas win big at Retail Excellence Awards

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

Saturday saw the cream of the retail crop descend on the stunning Great Southern Hotel in Killarney to see Ireland’s top retailers and the winners of the 2019 Retail Excellence Awards revealed.

Brown Thomas of Grafton Street scooped the top two awards of the night, taking home the title of ‘Retailer of the Year’ and ‘National Store of the Year’.

Brown Thomas win National Retailer of they Year
Brown Thomas win National Retailer of they Year

The other Top5 Store winners included Arboretum, Carlow, Hook & Ladder, Limerick, Petstop, Limerick and Windyridge Nursery & Garden Centre, Dublin. Other awards included Best in Ecommerce which went to Vaughan Shoes and Retail Industry Advocate of the Year which was awarded to Enterprise Ireland. The great city of Cork was named as Ireland’s Friendliest Place.

Celebrating excellence across retail, the awards also highlighted exceptional talent within the retail industry. Excel CEO Barry Whelan was delighted to be asked to resume his role as Head Judge for the Manager of the Year and Rising Star categories.

Barry says “The standard of entry for Manager of the Year and Rising Star, is always very high but this year, in particular, was exceptional. The level of energy, passion, drive and innovation on display from retailers around the country is really exciting.”

CEO Barry Whelan presents the award for Manager of the Year to Eamon Kelleher
CEO Barry Whelan presents the award for Manager of the Year to Eamon Kelleher

Barry was delighted to present Manager of the Year to Eamonn Kelleher of Co-Op Superstores while Eoife Clarke of Golden Discs took home Rising Star of the Year.

“We are delighted to recognize and award the very best in Irish retail We are particularly pleased that across all of our categories of awards Irish retailers, both big and small, urban and rural competed to deliver that exceptional standard of service to customers regardless of their size.”

Excel Recruitment would like to say a massive congratulations to each of the 2019 Retail Excellence Award winners. Each of the winners and shortlisted stores and managers represents the best in the retail industry in Ireland. All show an unquestionable commitment to meeting and exceeding customer expectations as well as innovation in store and in-service delivery.

Established by Retail Excellence in 1997, The Awards is the biggest event in the Irish retail industry calendar and aims to promote best practice and encourage high standards in the Irish retail industry.

National Retailer of the Year 2020Brown Thomas Group
National Store of the Year 2020Brown Thomas, Dublin
Top5 Store & National Garden Centre of the Year 2020Arboretum, Carlow
Top5 Store & Restaurant & Coffee House of the Year 2020Hook & Ladder, Limerick
Top5 Store & National Pet Store of the Year 2020Petstop, Limerick
Top5 Store 2020Windyridge Nurseries & Garden Centre, Dublin
National Electronic & Tech Store of the Year 2020Fun Tech Global, Dublin
National Book Store of the YearVibes & Scribes, Cork
National Supermarket of the Year 2020Garvey’s SuperValu, Limerick
National Pharmacy of the Year 2020Cunningham’s Pharmacy, Athlone
National Visitor Store of the Year 2020Nano Nagle Place, Cork
National Home / Interiors Store of the Year 2020Casey’s Furniture, Limerick
National Jewellery Store of the Year 2020Gerry Browne Jewellers, Portlaoise
National Optician of the Year 2020McMahons Opticians, Carrick-on-Shannon
Retail Industry Advocate of the Year 2020Enterprise Ireland
Suppliers of the Year 2020MJ Flood Technology & Seachange
Ireland’s Friendliest Place 2020Cork City
Manager of the Year 2020Eamonn Kelleher, Co-Op Superstores
Rising Star of the Year 2020Eoife Clarke, Golden Discs
Online Retailer of the Year 2020Vaughanshoes.ie

 

Arriving in Ireland

Arriving in Ireland: Everything you need to know to start work

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

Arriving in Ireland

*** Rolar pra baixo***

Arriving in Ireland or any brand-new country can be a daunting experience for anyone – follow our step-by-step guide below to successfully get registered for employment as well as set up with a Bank Account, PPS Number and Online Revenue.

Registering with Excel Recruitment

We can offer immediate and flexible work in all areas of the Hospitality Industry across Dublin, for candidates who successfully complete our registration process.

For this – you will need to book an appointment at our Capel Street Offices – you can do this by emailing a CV to gisella@excelrecruitment.com

At this appointment, you will need to bring:

  • Passport or European ID
  • Irish Residence Permit IRP– if required. We can only accept the full IRP card and CANNOT offer work to anyone who has a stamp in their passport but has not received the card yet.
  • PPS number and Bank Details – if you already have these, DON’T WORRY IF YOU DON’T HAVE ONE AS WE CAN HELP YOU WITH THIS
  • Any certificates and qualifications you currently have.

When you register with us, we will talk you through the process of employment from start to finish including the required uniform and training. You will be linked up with your own consultant who will be in touch every week, to book you out to shifts which fit around your schedule.

By law in Ireland everyone working in the hospitality or catering industry must have valid Manual Handling and HACCP (Food Safety) certificates. At Excel Recruitment we can offer these courses on site at our centrally located offices – but we do also accept certificates from all accredited trainers.

Once you have been registered and have the necessary certificates, we will get you kitted out in the required uniform and provide shifts with an immediate start!

How will I be paid?

Excel Recruitment pays every Friday directly into your bank account. For those of you who may have just arrived and are yet to set up a bank account – we can organise weekly cheque payments while you get this set up!

Once you are out working for us, we can also provide a letter of employment which you can take to the bank in order to open an account.

PPS Number

To get a PPS number, you will need to fill out an application form in the PPS Number Allocation Centre, provide evidence of your identity and evidence of why you need a PPS number allocated. You must also provide proof of your address. You can find a list of PPS number allocation centres here http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Personal-Public-Service-Number-Registration-Centres-by-Count.aspx

Once you are out working for Excel, we can also provide an employment letter to take along to your PPS appointment which will act of evidence of why you need the PPS number.

Revenue

If this job is your first in Ireland, you must login to https://www.ros.ie/myaccount-web/sign_in.html?execution=e1s1 in order to register your new job with the Jobs and Pensions Service. You will need to provide Excel Recruitments VAT Registration Number which will be given to you after you register with us.

Work

The more available you are, the more work we will be able to offer you! We can work around your schedule but are reliant upon the requirements of our clients to determine the shifts available. The most common shift patterns by job category are:

Kitchen Porter/Catering Assistant/Barista – Monday to Friday, 7am to 3/4pm.

Waiter/Bar – Every day of the week – Mornings, Evenings and Weekends inclusive. The more you are available the more work we will be able to offer you.

Chefs – 2 distinct options:

Monday – Friday 7am to 3/4pm. Full availability during these times means we will be able to offer ongoing work across Dublin.

Evenings/Weekends – Sporadic availability means we can match shifts to your availability and you will be in many different kitchens across the city.

Chegando na Irlanda

Chegar a um país totalmente novo pode ser uma experiência assustadora para qualquer pessoa – siga nosso guia passo a passo abaixo para se registrar com êxito no emprego, além de organizar uma Conta Bancária, Número de PPS e Receita Online.

Registrando no Excel Recruitment

Podemos oferecer trabalho imediato e flexível em todas as áreas do setor de hospitalidade em Dublin, para candidatos que concluírem com êxito nosso processo de registro.

Para isso – você precisará marcar uma consulta em nossos escritórios da Capel Street – pode fazer isso enviando um CV para gisella@excelrecruitment.com

Nesta consulta, você precisará trazer:

  • Passaporte ou documento de identidade europeu
  • IRP da Autorização de Residência Irlandesa – se necessário. Só podemos aceitar o cartão IRP completo e NÃO PODEMOS oferecer trabalho a quem tem um carimbo no passaporte, mas ainda não o recebeu.
  • Número do PPS e detalhes bancários – se você já possui, não se preocupe se não tiver um, pois podemos ajudá-lo com isso.
  • Quaisquer certificados e qualificações que você possui atualmente.

Quando você se registra conosco, iremos conversar sobre o processo de contratação do início ao fim, incluindo o uniforme e o treinamento necessários. Você será vinculado ao seu próprio consultor, que entrará em contato todas as semanas, para agendá-lo para os turnos adequados à sua programação.

Por lei na Irlanda, todos os que trabalham no setor de hospitalidade ou alimentos e bebidas devem ter certificados válidos de Manuseio Manual e HACCP (Segurança de Alimentos). No Excel Recruitment, podemos oferecer esses cursos em nossos escritórios localizados centralmente – mas também aceitamos certificados de todos os treinadores credenciados.

Depois de se registrar e ter os certificados necessários, nós o levaremos com o uniforme necessário e forneceremos os turnos com um início imediato!

Como serei pago?

O recrutamento da Excel paga toda sexta-feira diretamente na sua conta bancária. Para aqueles que acabaram de chegar e ainda precisam obter uma conta bancária – podemos organizar pagamentos semanais por cheque enquanto você faz esse processo!

Quando você estiver trabalhando para nós, também podemos fornecer uma carta de emprego que você pode levar ao banco para abrir uma conta.

Número de PPS

Para obter um número de PPS, você precisará preencher um formulário de inscrição no Centro de Alocação de Número PPS, fornecer evidências de sua identidade e evidências de por que você precisa de um número PPS alocado. Você também deve fornecer comprovante de endereço. Você pode encontrar uma lista dos centros de alocação de números do PPS aqui http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Personal-Public-Service-Number-Registration-Centres-by-Count.aspx

Depois de trabalhar para o Excel, também podemos fornecer uma carta de emprego para levar junto à sua nomeação no PPS, o que servirá de evidência do porquê você precisa do número do PPS.

Receita Federal

Se este trabalho for o seu primeiro na Irlanda, você deverá fazer login no https://www.ros.ie/myaccount-web/sign_in.html?execution=e1s1 para registrar seu novo trabalho no Serviço de Empregos e Pensões. Você precisará fornecer o Número de registro de IVA para recrutamentos do Excel, que será fornecido a você depois que você se registrar conosco.

Trabalhos

Quanto mais você estiver disponível, mais trabalho poderemos oferecer a você! Podemos tentar encaixar trabakhos de acordo comseus horarios, mas dependemos dos requisitos de nossos clientes para determinar as mudanças disponíveis. Os padrões de turno mais comuns por categoria de trabalho são:

Porteiro da cozinha / Assistente de cozinha / Barista – de segunda a sexta, das 7:00 às 15:00.

Garçom / Bar – Todos os dias da semana – manhãs, noites e fins de semana, inclusive. Quanto mais você estiver disponível, mais trabalho poderemos oferecer a você.

Chefs – 2 opções distintas:

Segunda a sexta das 7:00 às 15:00. A disponibilidade total durante esse período significa que poderemos oferecer trabalho contínuo em Dublin.

Noites / fins de semana – a disponibilidade esporádica significa que podemos combinar os turnos com a seus horarios e você estará em muitas cozinhas diferentes em toda a cidade.

 

Pharmacy

Excel Recruitment launch specialist pharmacy recruitment division

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

Excel Recruitment are delighted to announce the opening of our new specialised Pharmacy recruitment division.

Excel Recruitment have successfully recruited Pharmacy Retail Managers and OTC sales staff for over 17 years, working with major pharmacy brands and local, community pharmacies nationwide. Our expert Pharmacy division will specialise in recruiting locum, contract and permanent pharmacy professionals across Ireland including Managing Pharmacists, Supervisory Pharmacists, Support Pharmacists, Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians.

At the helm of our Pharmacy recruitment division is Barbara Kelly, a hugely experienced and dedicated specialist recruiter. Barbara has over 10 years’ experience directly recruiting Pharmacists and Pharmacist Technicians on a locum, permanent and contract basis. Her knowledge and experience of the industry is unparalleled and her proven successful track record recruiting Pharmacists speaks for itself. Barbara understands like few others other the particular demands and challenges of recruiting within the Pharmacy industry in Ireland and is uniquely qualified to understand and meet her client’s needs.

CEO Barry Whelan says “The move to a defined specialist division will allow our Pharmacy team to concentrate specifically on pharmacy recruitment with greater focus and improved search and selection capabilities for permanent roles along with providing contract and locum personnel solutions. We are very excited to have Barbara Kelly, a hugely talented and insightful recruiter join the Excel Recruitment team. Barbara’s own approach to recruitment aligns directly with Excel’s business values of honesty, loyalty, not being greedy and building long-term, stable relationships.”

If you have any Pharmacy recruitment requirements or are a Pharmacy professional considering a new job, get in touch with Barbara today at barbara@excelrecruitment.com or call 01-8148747

Sarah Hurley Excel Recruitment Retail Head Office Recruitment

How to work with your Recruiter to find your dream job

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

 

As a jobseeker, there can be certain factors to consider when using a recruitment company to help with your job search. Senior Consultant Sarah Hurley, explains how to get the best results whilst working with your recruitment consultant and what to expect throughout the process.

There can be misconceptions about working with your recruitment consultant and how agencies work. As Recruiters, our responsibility is two-fold. We align our candidate’s experience with our client’s requirements. As a Recruiter, our purpose is to join the dots between the candidate and the company, carefully matching the applicant’s skillset with what the client is looking for. Throughout my buying career, I had mixed experiences with recruiters (both here and in London) and now I’m on the other side, I can hopefully clarify the process and offer some tips to help you make the most of working with your Recruiter and hopefully find your dream job:

Research the Agency and Recruiter

Are they advertising roles in your industry? Are they a specialist agency? Who are their clients? When approaching an agency, you want a Recruiter who already has an understanding of what you do and what your next steps might be. This way you won’t have to waste time explaining the basics. Working with your recruitment consultant who has an in-depth knowledge of the industry and close relationships within it, should know which employers will suit you best, both career and company culture-wise.

Have an up-to-date and concise CV

I screen CVs quickly so it’s best to keep it focused and to the point (2 pages is ideal). You can always elaborate on your experience at interview stage. I often scroll through 3+ pages of a CV and still don’t know what candidates do! Be sure to include the correct dates, and if there are gaps, it’s no problem but do add a line explaining why. Taking time out for travel, kids, looking after a family member etc. is completely fine and can even be of an advantage to you and your potential employer – just don’t try and hide it!

Be realistic

Recruiters help match you with roles that you are qualified for and suited to within their clients’ business. As Recruiters, we advocate for improved salaries, packages and titles etc. on your behalf but you will need to have realistic expectations. Recruiters are tasked with finding the person that most closely fulfils their client’s wishlist and are rarely given the freedom to deviate from this. If you are looking to move into a completely new industry or don’t have the experience for the job you are applying to, there is probably little a Recruiter can do for you. If you’re looking for a €10k+ salary bump but the budget is only €5k more than you are currently on, or if you want the client to match your 30+ days of annual leave when their company policy is 25, you will need to manage your expectations and decide what you can and cannot be flexible on

Trust your Recruiter

Following on from this, as a Recruiter, we will work to get you the best package possible but if we think you are jeopardising your application by being unrealistic, we will tell you. It is a balancing act between getting the candidate what they are worth and also supporting the client’s brief and budget. As Recruiters, we always look for mutually beneficial outcomes for both parties. Clients will try to meet requests where they can, so trust your Recruiter’s expertise when they say a client has hit a ceiling with regard to the package.

Be honest and ask questions

Your relationship with your Recruiter should be a collaborative one. Don’t be afraid to ask questions such as, where your experience or salary sit in the market and what aspects of your CV or the interview you need help with. Be honest with your Consultant about any requirements you have, even if you think it’s minor. If you need flexibility around working hours for the first month of your new job (you could be finishing a course, your child minder could be away etc.) for example, tell your Recruiter at the application stage, so we can manage this on your behalf. That is just one of the advantages of using a Recruiter. They are able to relay your requirements to the client whilst at the same time, maintaining your value as a candidate. Confidentiality between the Recruiter and the candidate is paramount so don’t be concerned about being open regarding potential issues you may have.

Aislinn Lea, Head of Fashion & Non-Food, Excel Recruitment

Retail University

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty | Leave a Comment on Retail University

Excel’s Fashion and Non-Food Director Aislinn Lea on why a retail career is the one for anyone looking to learn and the world of opportunities retail jobs offer

The term university I believe comes from the Latin universitas magistrorum et scholarium which roughly means “an association of teachers and scholars” which to me, is exactly what the retailing world is. A retail career is a world of opportunity. It is an ever changing world of diversity, excitement, pace, people, leadership and growth. I struggle to think of another industry or career path that can offer you the diversity of skills and experiences that retail can. Depending on your skills and interests, retail offers you the opportunity to:

  • Be a decision maker: insight of managing and leading a business like it is your own
  • Be a teacher: instrumental in training, motivating and encouragement
  • Be a financial wizard: managing controllable costs, analysing your trading reports improve sales growth and create a profitable store / business
  • Be a magician and juggler- learn the art of multi-tasking and managing the needs of the business, of your customers and your team without breaking a sweat
  • Be creative – to allow for change by understanding your people, your customer, company culture
  • Be everything to everyone – a leader, a manager, a friend, a personal shopper, a coach, an inspiration and ultimately to be part of the art in delivering the ultimate shopping experience

I recently received an email from a candidate that I placed in a new management role letting me know how he was finding his new job. In it, he described his new company as a “University of Retail” which struck me firstly, as a fantastic compliment for our client. Secondly, it highlighted just how unique retail is as an industry for precisely this reason: in retail, every day’s a school day.

Retail management is one of the most progressive careers in the market, an industry where the opportunities and careers available are as ever-changing as the products we sell and customers we serve. To a hardworking and passionate individual pursuing a retail career the doors that open are endless and a result, exciting, challenging and rewarding. From Management, Head Office or Buying to HR, Marketing, E-Tailing and Visual Merchandising there are exciting career opportunities and career paths across Grocery, Fashion and Non-Food retailing along with countless chances to learn, meet new people, try new things, and see new places. On top of this, it’s an extremely fast-paced industry, constantly innovating and evolving, which provides anybody who wants to embrace new ideas and technologies the opportunity to really make their mark.

Retail is Ireland’s largest indigenous industry employing over 280,000 people and accounting for a large contribution to the Irish economy. Its also one of the fastest evolving industries there is. As retail continues to grow, we need to continue to attract new talent and new leaders into the world of retail. Equally we need to hold on to our current talent, our scholars in retail who can mentor, train and develop the new recruits, the new team, the new leaders.

Why Retail Needs Great HR Managers

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty | Leave a Comment on Why Retail Needs Great HR Managers

Excel Recruitment has established a dedicated HR recruitment department to further support our client’s needs. Head of HR Recruitment Sean Thomas breaks down just some of the reasons why great HR talent is a necessity not a bonus for retail businesses.

With
only 4 months left in 2019, we’re continuing to see excellent growth in the
economy and the market shift towards full-employment. We are seeing people
prosper, building sites all over with new homes being built, banks’ lending again
and young couples finally becoming homeowners. Excellent right? While retailers
across the country have reaped the benefits from all of this positive growth,
such a buoyant employment market is causing headaches for retailers of all
sizes when it comes to recruitment.  An
experienced HR Manager can support owners and organisations in all industries
but below are just a few reasons why retail in particular should make HR a priority.

The customer is key

To
state the obvious, exceptional customer service is at the centre of any
successful retail business. The key to this is the front-line employees, the
people who are in direct contact with customers both instore and online. They
are the public face of the company and often, what customers remember most
about their experience of a brand. They are essentially ambassadors of the
brand and key to achieving customer service goals. This means making sure that
the workforce is properly trained in the appropriate skills and happy and
motivated to deliver exemplary service. This is where a solid HR team can
shine, not only in devising, co-ordinating and implementing complete 360
training for in-store teams but also in terms of ensuring employee engagement
and motivation, devising incentives for rewarding and recognising key staff or
planning team bonding exercises.

Turnover

Retail
can have a high rate of employee turnover due to seasonal demand, employing
high numbers of students who work part-time and then move on or people working
their way up the business quickly. High staff turnover can be time consuming
and expensive for businesses and can impact customer loyalty if customers keep
seeing a new face every time they enter your store. A solid HR management team
can keep turnover to a minimum by managing the interviewing process, asking the
right questions to ascertain how a potential hire will fit in with the existing
team and communicating the role and its responsibilities and requirements fully
to candidates being interviewed.  This way, there’s no surprises when the
candidate starts a job, for either them or the employer.

Seasonal Demand

Retailers
often experience fluctuations in staff numbers, such as needing to add
temporary staff in the run up to Christmas or summer to cope with increased
footfall. This can be stressful for businesses without sufficient HR support
trying to recruit large volumes of people quickly and for full-time workers who
may have to assist new colleagues thrown into the thick of it. Again, a
specialist and dedicated HR manager is the best person to manage this process,
highlighting to permanent staff what’s expected of them and onboarding
temporary workers successfully.

For
both head office roles and on the floor in the stores, we are seeing exactly
how important it is having a strong HR manager with expertise in reward,
L&D and recruitment.

A strong
L&D leader can develop talented members of the team, giving them the
confidence to take the reins in the business or take up specific support roles
in other areas of the business. They can also assist a business in motivating
and retaining their top performers, leading to internal promotions and
increasing harmony within the store.

If you have any HR recruitment requirements or are an HR
professional on the lookout for a new move, get in touch with Sean today
at sean@excelrecruitment.com or call 01-8148747

 

Irish Barista Academy

Irish Barista Academy to tackle skills shortages

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

Excel Recruitment and sister company Futureproof Training are delighted to add barista training to the menu by establishing ‘The Irish Barista Academy’ to meet skills shortages in the hospitality industry.

The academy’s foundation earlier this month comes in direct response to increasing requests for skilled baristas from a variety of hospitality businesses . Shane Mclave, Director at Excel Recruitment says “It’s clear to see how coffee culture has exploded in Ireland in recent years and with the employment market the way it is, there is a dearth of trained and passionate baristas across the country. The barista school came about because of the sheer number of our clients requesting knowledgeable, fully-trained baristas. We have 100s of fantastic staff that are great at customer service, bar and wait staff duties, they just need the additional knowledge piece.” Shane continues “The school will be mutually beneficial for clients and staff. Staff will be able to add another string to their bow and clients have skilled, accomplished baristas readily available for their businesses’ needs.

The Irish Barista Academy will also partner with Skillnet, Ireland’s national agency responsible for workforce learning. Shane Mclave also explains how important the partnership with Skillnet is. Shane says “We’re incredibly proud to be partnering with Skillnet on this initiative. Skillnet’s ethos is very similar to our own, empowering the workforce by offering valuable learning experiences while ensuring businesses have a highly skilled workforce essential to their competitiveness.”


The new Irish Barista Academy will offer full barista training courses including equipment and maintenance, coffee theory, customer service and more. According to Senior Trainer Eimhear Ó Dálaigh the barista training is designed specifically with Excel’s clients in mind. She says “as soon as the training is completed, each barista is able to immediately and seamlessly work on any of our client’s teams.”

The school will be run in partnership with Futureproof Training which already offers a full range of blended training for hospitality professionals. Futureproof operates at the forefront of training providers with fully accredited trainers and a variety of learning methods, including online, app and classroom based.

For more info on The Irish Barista Academy, visit www.irishbaristaacademy.ie or www.skillnetireland.ie

Book your place today: http://www.irishbaristaacademy.ie/contact-us/

Laurence Rogers- Excel Recruitment Senior Hospitality Consultant

Why Chefs Should Use LinkedIn More

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

Senior Hospitality Consultant Laurence Rogers on why chefs need to be making the most of their LinkedIn profiles and his top tips for getting started…

 

I spend quite a lot of my time as a Recruiter on LinkedIn and it always surprises me how hospitality people, and especially Chefs, seem to put the bare minimum into their profiles on the platform. Funnily enough, the content that I enjoy the most comes from Chefs who do use LinkedIn to their advantage and showcase the foods, brands, and concepts that they are currently working on. It helps me keep in touch with culinary trends both nationally and internationally while putting industry experts as well as up and coming talent on my radar. But why do I recommend LinkedIn over other social media platforms….

Online Community

For one, LinkedIn gives you access to an online community of likeminded people working in your industry. You can join groups, build a network of professional chefs, swap ideas, pictures, recipes, techniques, projects… the list goes on! You get an opportunity to interact with industry experts and peers as well as the chance to become a mentor and influencer and build your own personal brand. LinkedIn is the only platform that allows you to engage with your industry on a professional level.

Find Jobs

This is a fantastic way to find a new job as LinkedIn is like an interactive jobs board! Not only can you see what jobs are available, you can also see who is already working there, what kind of food they produce and what kind projects they are working on. You no longer have to use a job advert to try and work out what the company would be like to work for, you can just pop on to their company page and do all your research on LinkedIn.

Career progression

LinkedIn will, without doubt, give you access as a professional to a lot more opportunities. If you can get your talent and experience across on your LinkedIn profile, it will open all sorts of doors for you. The best profiles will get noticed first but how do you make sure that your profile gets noticed…

Profile Tips

  1. Profile picture – keep it professional, make sure your chef whites are spotless and make sure you are smiling or at least look happy!
  2. Keep your dates of employment up to date – this is essential, we know chefs are not known for their amazing CVs so this is a great way around it.
  3. Add specific skills and interests – Cooking techniques, pastry skills, butchery, zero waste… the list goes on! Let people know what makes you stand out.
  4. Content, content, content… – Like posts from other Chefs, post links to videos and articles, post pictures of your own dishes, share recipes… The more active you are online, the more doors it will open for you.

Staffing is biggest concern for 69% of Irish food businesses

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

 

69% Irish food businesses say the availability of skilled workers is a serious concern, according to new research released by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI).

Brexit was shown to be the second greatest future worry for food businesses, with over two thirds (67%) identifying its unknown impact as a business concern going forward. The food businesses interviewed cited particular concerns around increases in costs of supplies, tariffs and exchange rates in respect of Brexit on the Irish food industry. Dr Pamela Byrne, CEO, FSAI, said: “Our research shows that difficulties in attracting skilled staff and increased regulations and taxes are among the perceived threats that food businesses are citing. At the same time, the final outcome of Brexit is still not yet known almost three years since the referendum took place, and this is also concerning food businesses here.”

The research was carried out by Amárach and looked at the attitudes and feelings of over 200 national and international food business SMEs, including importers, wholesalers, manufacturers, producers, operators and retailers. The research also showed that food allergens and ingredients labelling is the number one concern for Irish food businesses from a regulatory perspective. A majority (73%) were increasingly confident about food safety regulation, believing that Irish produced food is safer now than it was five years ago. Despite the increased confidence, numerous food safety concerns remain for food businesses. The food industry is apprehensive about allergens and ingredients labelling; food hygiene and handling requirements; and other widely noted food safety concerns including the use of hormones, pesticides, antibiotics and additives.

Around one third (31%) of those surveyed do not feel well enough informed in terms of food safety information, despite a high proportion claiming to cover this in-house or via consultants.

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