If You Build it They will Come…
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What do Microsoft, Apple, Dell, HP, IBM, EMC, Salesforce, Oracle, eBay, SAP, Symantec, all have in common? They all have their European HQs in Ireland. This list is by no means exhaustive; most major technology companies have a major presence here and have done so for some time. But let’s not forget about the next generation in technology companies; such as Zendesk, Nitro, Qualtrics, Facebook and LinkedIn. Add all of this together and you have a technology hub that rivals anything that Silicon Valley has to offer.
The reasons why these companies have chosen Ireland as their EMEA base is debated in bars, boardrooms and parliaments across the globe. The result of them being here however is quite clear; Ireland has become a magnet for people from across the globe. A study by LinkedIn has found that “Ireland is benefiting from one of its biggest ever surges of inbound talent migration with 20% more professionals coming to Ireland than leaving the country”.
We here at Sigmar Recruitment are not at all surprised with these findings as this year alone over 30% of our total placements in the technology sector have been with candidates who were based outside of Ireland originally. Given the increase in demand for top talent this is only likely to increase over the next couple of years.
This is good news for Ireland as for every candidate from abroad that secures a job in Ireland there is a multiplier effect for other jobs. As the number of highly skilled and talented people working in Ireland increases, so does competition and efficiency. Sourcing new talent from overseas also helps to keeps costs down as it militates against rising salaries among existing workers as more talent enters the market.
It’s good for candidates too as practically nowhere else in the world offers the same amount of opportunities for talent in the technology sector in such as small place. As a recent candidate said to me, “if you want to develop your career in tech, Ireland is the only place to be!”
Sigmar have been proactive in encouraging overseas talent to choose Ireland to settle. A recent project involved one of our consultants travelling to Croatia to meet a community of IT Developers and showcase the opportunities here. The result; 20 more highly talented and extremely sought after developers, now working in Ireland. Sigmar has set up links with universities across Europe to attract graduates, various networking groups for language specific candidates and even a VP level networking group to allow start-up companies to share knowledge with peers.
So we say “Fáilte” or welcome and bring all your friends; the best companies in the world are here … and the craic’s not bad either.
