Tag: New Jobs

doughnut

Doughnuts cause traffic jams in Blanchardstown centre

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

Shoppers keen to be among the first to experience US retail chain Krispy Kreme’s doughnut drive- thru experienced traffic gridlock and long delays at the weekend.

Traffic jams around the Blanchardstown Centre on Sunday were said to be “like Christmas” and were said to be caused by queues for Krispy Kreme’s doughnut drive-thru, a key feature of their first Irish retail outlet, which opened in the shopping centre last week.

AA Roadwatch reported traffic was heavy at the N3 exit from the M50, but was severely congested on the Snugborough Road and the N3 approach to the Blanchardstown Centre, as well as other roads in the centre vicinity.

AA Roadwatch’s Arwen Foley said “it was exceptionally busy around 4pm on Sunday. It seemed to come out of the blue.” Ms Foley said the AA could not say definitively what caused the jam but it appeared to be based around the shopping centre.

‘Like Christmas’

Swords-based chauffeur Ross McNally speaking to Dublin Live said he was sitting in traffic near the centre for 40 minutes on Sunday afternoon. “It was madness. It was like Christmas,” he said.

A spokeswoman for Krispy Kreme said the chain was very excited by the reception the new business had received and “more than 300 eager doughnut fans” had queued for the store opening at 7am on Wednesday last.

Pat Fitzgerald, Blanchardstown Centre operations manager, said the traffic was generated by interest in the new retail store. He said the level of interest was a “fantastic response” for the new outlet.

Barry Whelan Excel Recruitment

7 Things To Think About Before You Leave Your Job

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

With unemployment at near perfect and companies crying out for great talent, more people than ever are on the move and wondering if the grass may be greener somewhere new. Barry Whelan, CEO of Excel Recruitment takes you through the things you need to think about before you make a move

In Excel Recruitment, we see a lot of people come to us desperate for a move or eager to make a change, go through the often long recruitment process, only to stay with their current employer. From salary to progression opportunities to just plain hating their boss there are many reasons people start looking for their next job. But before you request your p45, make sure you’re clear on the following points-

  1. Know your reasons

Assess why you want to make a move and figure out whether they can be fixed by less drastic measures than moving jobs. Want more responsibility or a salary increase? Ask for it. Feeling overworked or overwhelmed? Discuss the situation with your manager, assess your time management or drop something from your workload. What might seem like an overwhelming problem might actually have a simple fix that could save you time and effort doing up your CV and attending interviews.

  1. Know your goals

Similar to the first point, make a list of what you want, why you want it and why you can’t get it with your current employer. Then divide these into absolute necessities and points that are less important to you. By setting these out before you start looking for a job, you’re far less likely to waste your own time or make a rash decision and end up in another job that’s not right for you.

  1. Know your plan

Never leave a job without a job is advice our consultants dish out a lot, but for a good reason. Leaving a job suddenly or without a job to go to can look like an impulsive decision and gaps in your CV can be difficult to explain at interviews.

If you are planning on taking time off between roles or taking redundancy, make sure you’ve done the maths on how long you can afford to live without a regular salary and make sure you have a deadline for when you are going to start jo hunting again- the last thing you want is to wait too long and feel pressured to take the first job offer that comes along.

  1. Know your industry

Researching your industry, the current market and your competitor’s businesses will give you greater insight into what your next move should be and where you see yourself. It’s also a good habit to get into for when you eventually start attending interviews. You will be prepared and able to show that your research has been done. This has the added bonus of giving you a lot more confidence when selling yourself to the interviewer.

  1. Know your worth

In the same vein, knowing where your salary sits within the market is vitally important in order to ensure your applying for the right jobs and pitching yourself at the right level to prospective future employers. Research salary surveys for your industry or look at the salaries advertised on job ads looking for your level of experience to see what they’re offering. Again, do the maths to figure out whether you’re willing to take a drop in salary for your dream job or whether you’ll only consider a move for a boost to your pay packet.

  1. Know your benefits

Assess your current situation and ask yourself what you have to gain, and what you could potentially lose from your current benefits package. Does your current employer let you leave early on Wednesday for yoga class? Do you have extra holiday days built up over years of service that a new company may not match? Ask yourself the same questions about sick leave, pension, etc. and ensure you know what you want to gain, what you can’t live without and what you don’t mind losing for the right role.

  1. Know what works for you

Similarly to the above point about knowing your benefits and what you could stand to lose if you make a move. Factors like location, commute time or working environment are all important parts of overall job satisfaction but can often be forgotten about when you start chasing more money or a bigger company. Before you start sending your CV to companies, ask yourself how much of a pay increase you’d need to be happy giving up your 10-minute commute?

 

Barry Whelan Excel Recruitment

The Benefits of Benefits for Attracting Great Staff

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

With unemployment at near perfect and retailers large and small struggling to attract and retain good employees, CEO of Excel Recruitment Barry Whelan, discusses how important benefits are for attracting talent.

In 2017, the move from a client-driven job market to a candidate driven job market was completed across all retail sectors. A consistent drop in unemployment coupled with new entrants to the Irish market and a desire for the best talent from Irish retailers drove an unprecedented amount of opportunities across the retail industry. This, along with a return to growth in the wider economy and in particular, the hospitality sector has created a challenging talent environment from which to recruit, with other sectors including retail banking also looking for retailers.

Unemployment currently stands at 6.1% (3.7% Unemployment is ‘Perfect Employment’) so the competition for top talent is fierce and counter-offers are becoming more and more frequent, with employers working hard to keep talented staff

“1/3 of the workforce offered a role, turned it down due to lack of benefits”

While rising salaries are an effective way of both attracting and retaining staff, we’re seeing more and more the importance of benefits. 54% of employees seeking a new job want better pay & benefits while 30% of employees want benefits to increase their loyalty. Savvy employers are looking at the entire package in an effort to ensure retention and a happy, dedicated workforce. Bonuses, employees’ work-life balance and their level of autonomy are key drivers in ensuring staff feel valued and rewarded for their contribution to the business.

Employers are recognising that the decision to leave or stay with an employer is overwhelmingly an emotional decision and are seeking to improve loyalty through benefits. In terms of importance, the big three are most definitely pension, health and holidays. These are followed by flexi-time, flexible working hours, paid maternity/ paternity leave, sick pay scheme, weekend rotation and further education.

So what is coming down the tracks?

The top employee perks for 2017 Glassdoor USA-

IKEA- Paid Paternity for four months

Reebok- On-site gym with Cross fit classes.

Goldman Sachs- Health cover for gender reassignment surgery since 2008

Facebook- Free housing for Interns

Scripps Health- Free pet insurance

Starbucks- Full reimbursement for all workers taking an online BA Degree.

American Express- Parents are given access to a 24-hour lactation consultant, and mothers travelling for business can ship their breast milk home.

Eventbrite- The company offers workers a monthly $60 wellness allowance that can be used on anything from juice cleanses to a gym membership.

Wholefoods Market- 20% staff discount

Gap- Provides free access to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art to corporate employees.

Swiss RE- Insurance company Swiss Re’s “Own the Way You Work” program encourages employees to embrace flexibility with their schedules and work remotely.

Southwest- Southwest offers all employees and their dependents access to Clear Skies, an employee assistance program that provides confidential counselling, work/life services, and legal consultations.

Genentech- Genentech offers unique on-site amenities, including car washes, haircuts, childcare centre, mobile spa and dentist.

Timberland- Timberland employees can take up to 40 hours of paid time off per year to volunteer.

Microsoft- $800 towards Gym membership

Deloitte- Two paid Sabbaticals

Amazon- Parental Share. Either Parent can take paid leave if one does not receive paid leave from their employer.

In-N-Out- Free Lunch

nearly 20,000 jobs created

Nearly 20,000 jobs created in first three months of 2017

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

Nearly 20,000 jobs were created within the Irish economy in the first three months of 2017 as employment growth in Ireland continues to accelerate.

The latest Quarterly National Household Survey (QNHS) is considered the most accurate indicator of the state of the labour market and today shows there was an annual increase in employment of 3.5% or 68,600 in the first quarter of 2017. This brings total employment to 2.04 million, which is still below the State’s peak employment level, recorded as 2.16 million in the first quarter of 2008. Quarterly, employment grew by 19,300 in the first quarter of 2017, which was the fastest rate of growth recorded in nearly four years. This follows increases of 16,800 and 14,600 in the previous two quarters.

Employment increased in 11 of the 14 sectors reviewed as part of the survey. The largest rates of annual increase were recorded in the information and communication sector, which saw employment rise by 7,500 or 8.8% and the construction sector, where employment rose by 8.5% or 11,100. However, there were falls in employment in three sectors with the biggest decline coming in agriculture, forestry and fishing (-1,600), which one analyst linked to Brexit.

The QNHS showed there were 146,200 people classified as unemployed in the State in the first quarter of 2017, following an annual decrease 33,200 or 18.5%.Analysts are predicting unemployment will fall to below 6% before the end of the year.

As a result, the Republic’s headline rate of unemployment for April was put at 6.4 per cent, which represents a slight upward revision on the monthly series. Having had one of the highest rates of unemployment in Europe only a few years ago, the Republic’s Ireland’s unemployed rate now stands significantly below the euro area average of 9.5%, impressive considering the country had one of the highest rates of unemployment in Europe a few years ago.

Improving conditions in the labour market has turned the tide on emigration, which had been a feature of the early part of the financial crisis, with the most recent population figures indicating the State was now experiencing net inward migration.Employers’ group Ibec welcomed what it described as “exceptionally strong jobs numbers”, suggesting they were a sign of the strength and substance behind the State’s business model, while noting that the economy was weathering Brexit uncertainty “very well”.

New Year Retail Round Up

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

Minimum Wage

National minimum wage has increased by .50 cent per hour. Since 1 July 2011, the national minimum wage for an experienced adult had been €8.65. This has now been increased to €9.15 per hour as the statutory minimum wage. There are a number of wage rates and stipulations with further elaboration and explanation available here.

money

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Glanbia to create 200 new jobs

Glanbia announced that they will hire 200 new staff in a variety of positions, with 90 of these based in Ireland. The dairy giant who have a number of locations nationwide also stated that they hope to attract Irish expats for a number of the domestic positions. Their statement read “Glanbia has delivered sustained growth by creating new nutritional products and solutions, and in doing so has become a world leader. ”To sustain our growth, we need exceptional people to join our team in Ireland, the US and indeed worldwide.” Browse job opportunities with Glanbia here.

glanbia

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SuperMacs to create 200 new jobs

Pat McDonagh, MD of SuperMacs announced plans to open six new restaurants in 2016, creating 200 new jobs and bringing their staff numbers just shy of 3,000. Their predominant attention will focus on motorway service stations on national roads. McDonagh noted that the upswing in the economy was a crucial factor, citing that “There’s increased employment out there and there’s a bit of confidence coming back into the market again.” Between 70-100 jobs will be at a new €8million ‘Galway Plaza’ restaurant which will reside along the busy commuter and tourist belt of the M6. You can visit the SuperMacs career page here.

Supermacs

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Cork get go-ahead for €50 million redevelopment

Cork’s Capitol Cinema has got the go-ahead to undergo a drastic €50million redevelopment bringing 1,000 new jobs on board once complete. Approximations suggest it will bring €21million to Exchequer revenue and will hopefully completed by the end of 2016. The site which is being developed by JCD Group will include retail space, office space and food areas. Full story here.

corkkkk

Source of Image: Jakuzaa

Record tourist numbers have created 5,000 new jobs

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

5,000 seasonal jobs have been created as a result of high tourist numbers flocking to Ireland. The report by Vinters Federation Ireland (VFI) was conducted across 120 pubs, many which are located in ‘traditional tourist areas’. In total, an additional 4.8 members of staff were employed across 2,500 pubs, an average of 12,000 seasonal jobs. Furthermore, an additional two members of staff per pub are being employed this year, resulting in an additional 5,000 jobs so far this year.

Padraig Cribben, Chief Executive of the VFI, said the news is “Real proof that the tourism trade is well and truly back and highlights its importance to local economies. From Jan – May 2015, tourism in Ireland grew by approx. 12%.

Source: http://www.fft.ie/record-tourist-numbers-create-5k-new-pub-jobs/9283

New Cinema and 65 new jobs for Dublin

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

An Odeon Cinema is set to open in North Dublin next month. Plans for the cinema had been in the pipeline for approx. 3 years. Opening on October 18th, the cinema is located in Charlestown just off the m50 and residing close to Finglas. It will create 65 new jobs and bring the total number of staff employed by the Odeon group to 440 across 11 outlets.

The 9 screen cinema will also house an iScene facility to view picture perfect high definition films on a huge screen. Douglas Breenan who is brand Manager of Odeon Ireland commented “We’re very excited to be a new part of the Finglas community, and are delighted to have 65 new colleagues joining our team.

Source: http://www.thejournal.ie/cinema-dublin-creating-65-jobs-2336396-Sep2015/?utm_source=twitter_self

Ballymaguire Food to create 100 new full time jobs

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

Ballymaguire Foods will create 100 new full time permanent jobs in Lusk, North Dublin. The largest Frozen Ready Meal provider in the country will also create 100 temporary jobs during the construction phase. The state of the art 70,000 sq. ft plant will bring an additional €4 million to the local economy.

Ballymaguire currently employ 150 staff and are the largest producer of chilled ready meals in Ireland. The will be recruiting sales and marketing professionals, food scientists and technicians, research and development, chefs and general operatives over the forthcoming months. The company was founded in 2008 and clients include Tesco, Lidl, SuperValu and Centra.

Ballymaguire, which is fully Irish owned have approx. 80 different offerings. Director Managing Ed Spelman said: Our production capability will now grow to over 500,000 meals per week and this will mainly be used to fuel the opportunities we see in the UK and add to our existing business there. We managed to buck the trend during the recession, as we used it to find new opportunities and successfully grow.

Uber to create 300 new jobs in Ireland

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

The world’s largest online taxi service Uber will create 300 new jobs in Limerick, with a customer support centre set to open. The company have expressed their desire to launch in cities nationwide, currently open having operations in Dublin.

The new Limerick base looks to hire 150 people by the end of the year, with a further 150 people by the end of 2016. Uber General Manager Kiaran Harte mentioned that the company has over 1,000 drivers in Dublin. Uber, which launched in 2011, has seen fortunes soar and major investment of late. €5.3 billion was ploughed into Uber, which has had unrivalled success in the US.

Harte furthered that “Limerick put on a fantastic show to win our investment. We’re doing five times the amount of trips in Europe as we were last year. This will serve all of our English speaking customers from all over Europe and Africa’’.

Furthermore, Uber have also signed a 10 year lease at a premises in Thomas Street.

Minister for Finance Michael Noonan expressed his delight at the news by saying Uber’s investment is a massive boost for Limerick. We are particularly delighted to welcome a world leading company, operating at the cutting-edge of innovative technology, to Limerick city centre. Creating 300 jobs and with an investment of €4m planned for the city, Uber will become a major part of the Limerick economy.”

Source: http://www.independent.ie/business/jobs/uber-to-create-300-jobs-in-limerick-with-new-customer-support-centre-31408321.html