It was great to have a full house at TALiNT Partners Recruitment & Talent Leader Summit at The Alex Hotel in Dublin on 15th May. We explored TA challenges and opportunities for Ireland’s employers and recruiters, supported by partners Contracting Plus and TargetRecruit.
Economist Jim Power set out the macro-economic context with some key stats. Record tax revenues of €88.1 billion, inflation down to 2.6% and healthy household balance sheets support growth, but high employment and the rising cost of hiring (set to increase by 19.6% by 2026) are putting pressure on employers, especially SMEs. He also observed that productivity was largely unchanged, despite a shorter working week for many.
We witnessed excellent insights from our speaker panel on the opportunity for recruiters who are able to leverage data and insight to demonstrate why their solutions are fit for purpose, from DEI and EVP to employee sentiment and more accurate workforce planning.
“The evolution of services from EVP, DEI and internal mobility are being more embraced and the role of the recruiter is evolving,” said Aine Fanning, MD of Cpl’s Talent Evolution Group. “Analytics, integrated generational workplaces, and hiring for skills are all playing a key part in current and future trends.”
This was echoed by Donal O’Donoghue, MD of Sanderson, who added that demand is growing for employer sentiment surveys and employer brand amplification, both enabled by insight.
There is a big opportunity for talent solution providers to help employers choose the right tech solutions and optimise their data, but recruiters need new roles and skills in their businesses to deliver the quality of service expected. Ireland’s pioneering recruitment degree and L&D to support the evolution of recruiters as true consultants give it a great competitive edge, locally and globally.
Recruiters are now more reliant on automation to improve productivity, said Neil Curry, EMEA Sales Director of TargetRecruit, but for AI to be effective the training data needs to be in the right place and always accessible.
The role of AI in recruitment is still a hot topic but with new EU regulation and caution about data risk it’s being embraced in a more measured way to ensure the human element is still central. “AI is a co-pilot in a rally car driven by a recruiter,” observed Maureen Lynch, MD of Hays Ireland, “and analytics provide the insight to course correct and win the race.”
A key question raised by Siobhan Kinsella, MD of The Noel Group and President of the ERF, was: do recruiters know who is using AI in their teams, what they are using and how they are they using it, not only to manage risk but measure impact? Monitoring this should be a priority for leaders and managers.
Concluding with a perspective on the human element, Jimmy Sheehan, MD of Contracting Plus, commented that his favourite question, from delegate Sandra Quinn BBS ACA, Partner, Executive Search from Barden, was about working smart versus having a strong work ethic, and if AI will enable younger generations to progress more quickly. “Output will often vary based on skills and experience,” said Jimmy. “Strong work ethic is visible in those who are highly motivated and produce consistently high-quality results. It is an attitude of dedication and diligence. If this isn’t there, will AI make a positive difference?”
