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Hire for human instinct in the digital era

In an age of big data, analytics and artificial intelligence (AI), relying on instinct, intuition or gut feel may seem like an inferior system when recruiting talent but it may just be the edge you need to recruit the best. We live in the digital era. Artificial intelligence (AI) guides our choices of restaurant, how we get there, and helps us get home later if we need a taxi. We talk about generations Y and Z as digital natives and organisations throughout the world are actively discussing their digital transformation strategies. It is also having a profound impact on the workplace where everything can be measured and reduced to a series of ones and zeros, and a growing number of activities and processes previously carried out by people are being automated in the drive to reduce costs and improve productivity. But the digital world is not necessarily a better one. Faster and less prone to error certainly, but better is open to question. And hiring people who will thrive in a given workplace is equally important, according to Sigmar head of European recruitment, Shaun O’Shea. The Sigmar recruitment framework addresses three dimensions, he explains, competency fit, motivational fit, and culture and values fit. It has been tried and tested and proven its worth in successful candidate selection over the years, but it also acts as an indicator for the limitations of technology in the recruitment process. “I have been in the recruitment business for eight years,” says O’Shea. “Eighteen months ago, we set up the largest tech-nology recruitment hub in Europe here in the middle of Kerry. We lean quite a lot on technology tools, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, robotic process automa-tion. I recruit for the technology sector, so I am very pro-technology, but you’ve got to build in human intelligence as well.” Technology has its limitations, he explains. “When you hear people talking about new technologies, they say they are quicker, more accurate and better. They certainly can be quicker and more accurate but not necessarily better. They lack human instinct, that gut instinct. You can use technology quite a lot for the first two elements of our recruitment framework. You can search for competency matches and so on but there is no questionnaire, AI algorithm or chatbot which can tell if the candidate lives and breathes the values of your organisation.” That’s where the interview comes in, when people can interact with each other to tell what they are really like. “People want to know what will happen when your backs are up against the wall, when the organisation is in dire straits, is the candidate a person who can be relied on to live and breathe its values. Technology is important, of course and we use all the latest tools. But we are combining technology with human instinct. We are using it to complement our own capabilities.” No matter how advanced, technologies like AI and machine learning can be prone to the same errors as humans. “They are designed to do what a human or a group of humans will do but will never have human relationship skills and instincts”, he notes. But they can repeat the same mistakes as humans. In the US, when AI was used in an attempt to overcome unconscious bias in the recruitment process it was actually found to perpetuate it. This was because the algorithms use data on previously successful candidates to hire from the next bunch, thereby repeating and possibly amplifying the behaviour of its human predecessors. Indeed, in 2018, Amazon ceased using AI assessment of CVs after it was found that the software was biased against those which include the term “women’s”, such as in “women’s team captain”. Again, this was due to trends in the dataset of previously successful candidates. This is not the only reason to be cautious of an over-reliance on technology. Mistakes are costly, says O’Shea. “The Work Institute published research last year that showed that wrong hires are costing businesses around the world $600 million every year. The average employee in Europe now changes job every 12 months. We have to look at why people leave, and it’s usually because they are not a technical or motivational fit. It’s generally about culture.” “Every organisation needs to hire the right people for them,” he continues. “Every hiring process should be unique, not off the shelf. Technology should be used as an enabler. It can be used for creating a long list of candidates and identifying a large talent pool. You need human input for short-listing and interviewing. If the recruiter works for the company, they will already know the culture. If it is an external recruiter, they will need to learn the client’s culture. I recently spent three days in Stockholm with a client learning their culture. Before that I was in Berlin and Barcelona.” It’s not about organisations having a good or bad culture. “I explain to clients that their culture is their culture. They shouldn’t try to hide it or represent the organisation as something that it is not.” But culture can vary. “It can be different from country to country, office to office, and between sales and production and engineering. You have to understand it, if you are to hire candidates who will be the right cultural fit.” He concludes by pointing out that the human interaction at interview stage is now critically important to hiring the best people. “The economy is now at full employment and financial, accounting, and technology candidates can have five or six job offers at any one time. It’s a two way process now. Candidates are as much as interviewing the company as they are being interviewed. It’s now almost a question of them hiring the company.” Mac Giolla Phádraig adds: “You can take the human out of the stone-age, but you can’t take the stone-age out of the human. Certain instincts are hard wired in us all, some in our self-interest; survival, fight or flight, reproduction and others which are altruistic; compassion, tribal instinct and a societal instinct.” Intuition is when you trust your instinct, which is often perceived as being “fluffy” as a decision-making factor when used to recruit. “We should not pit data against intuition, rather we should use our intuition to develop a hypothesis about a candidate and test that with the data in a experiential way at interview. Afterall, instincts are the fundamental drivers of how we behave and how we feel. I for one, would love to see a new recruit display, compassion towards my customers, tribal instincts towards my team and societal instinct towards the world at large. Use your instinct to hire for human instinct.”

Guide to Irish Immigration Stamps and Permissions

This content is copied from The Department of Justice and Equality. There are several types of stamp with different names, eg Stamp 0, Stamp 1, etc. Each one indicates a type of permission, including the activities you can and cannot do in Ireland and the time period you are allowed to stay. You must be familiar with your stamp and the conditions that apply to it. If you break these conditions, you may have to leave the country. The time you accumulate on certain stamps may be used to calculate your 'reckonable residence' (subject to conditions) if you apply for citizenship by naturalisation. Stamp 0 indicates permission to stay in Ireland for a temporary period, subject to conditions. Summary of conditions You must be of independent means, ie fully financially self-sufficient. Alternatively, your sponsor in Ireland must be of independent means and can support you fully. You cannot receive any benefits or use publicly funded services, eg be treated at a public hospital. You must have private medical insurance. You must not work or engage in any business, trade or profession unless specified in a letter of permission from INIS. Examples when used You may be given Stamp 0 if you have permission to: Retire to or live in Ireland as a person of independent means Be a visiting academic at an Irish university or college Live in Ireland as the elderly, dependent relative of a non-EU/EEA or Swiss citizen Extend a short term visit here due to exceptional humanitarian circumstances Work here for an overseas company to carry out a specific task for a limited time Other Register or renew Register for the first time or renew based on Stamp 0 Stamp 1 indicates permission to work or operate a business in Ireland, subject to conditions. Stamp 1 is reckonable as residence when applying for citizenship by naturalisation. Summary of conditions You must not start a job or enter employment unless you or your employer has obtained an employment permit for you. If you do not have an employment permit you must not engage in any business, trade or profession unless specified in a letter of permission from INIS. If you wish to stay in Ireland past the expiry date of your immigration permission, you must apply to renew your permission and registration before they expire. Examples when used You may be given Stamp 1 if you have permission to: Work here based on an employment permit Operate a business here Work here based on a Working Holiday Authorisation Other Register or renew Register for the first time or renew based on Stamp 1 The Immigration Rules for non-EEA Stamp 1A Trainee Accountants of 1 June 2017 are currently under review. Until this review is completed the following conditions apply in order to qualify for a Stamp 1A. Stamp 1A description Stamp 1A indicates permission in full time, paid accountancy training (with a named organisation such as CPA Ireland, ICAI or regulated by the IAASA and with a training contract with a company based in Ireland) for a specified period, subject to conditions. Summary of conditions You must not engage in any other business, trade or profession unless specified in a letter of permission from INIS. If you wish to stay in Ireland past the expiry date of your immigration permission, you must apply to renew your permission and registration before they expire. Examples when used You may be given Stamp 1A if you have permission to: Study accountancy as a trainee & be employed as a trainee accountant Register or renew Register for the first time or renew based on Stamp 1A 1) Graduate Student who currently holds a Stamp 2 or 2A permission Stamp 1G indicates you have finished your studies in Ireland and have permission to look for employment here under the Third Level Graduate Programme, subject to conditions. Summary of employment conditions for graduates You can work for a maximum of 40 hours per week. If you wish to continue working after Stamp 1G expires, you must find a job that requires an employment permit and then follow the usual application process. While on a Stamp 1G, your other permissions and conditions remain the same as for Stamp 2/2A. Examples when used You may be given Stamp 1G if you have permission to: Look for work as part of the Third Level Graduate Programme 2) Spouse/de facto partner of a Critical Skills Employment Permit holder or a Spouse/de facto partner of Researchers in the State on Hosting Agreements From the 6 March 2019 the Stamp 1G will also provide for the change in policy to both visa and non-visa required non-EEA nationals, who are Spouses and de facto partners of persons who are currently resident in this State, on Stamp 3 conditions, as the family member of a person resident in the State on the basis of a Critical Skills Employment Permit or a Researcher in the State on a Hosting Agreement. The requirement to obtain a DPSEP has been removed for this group by DBEI. INIS will grant eligible de facto partners of CSEP holders and researchers on a Hosting Agreement permission, to reside in this State on Stamp 1G Conditions without the need to obtain a DPSEP from DBEI. This will allow access to the labour market without an Employment Permit. Summary of employment conditions for spouses and de facto partners of CSEP holders and researchers on a Hosting Agreement permission Permitted to work in the State without the requirement to obtain a work permit Not permitted to establish or operate a Business Not permitted to be Self- Employed Renewal of the Stamp 1G registration should be applied for annually, and after 5years on a Stamp 1G, you may apply for a Stamp 4 Periods spent on Stamp 1G are considered as reckonable residence for the purpose of making an application for Citizenship/Naturalisation Stamp 2 indicates permission to study a full time course on the official Interim List of Eligible Programmes (ILEP) for a specified period, subject to conditions. Stamp 2 is not reckonable as residence when applying for citizenship by naturalisation. Summary of conditions You cannot receive any benefits or use publicly funded services (e.g. public hospitals) unless you have an entitlement via other means. You can work in casual employment for a maximum of 20 hours per week during school term and 40 hours per week during holidays. You must not engage in any other business or trade. If you wish to stay in Ireland past the expiry date of your immigration permission, you must apply to renew your permission and registration before they expire. Examples when used You may be given Stamp 2 if you have permission to study the following: English language Higher national diploma Degree (undergraduate) Master's degree (postgraduate) PhD Other Register or renew Register for the first time or renew based on Stamp 2 Stamp 2A indicates permission for full time study in Ireland for a course that is not on the official Interim List of Eligible Programmes (ILEP), for a specified period. Stamp 2A is not reckonable as residence when applying for citizenship by naturalisation. Summary of conditions You cannot receive any benefits or use publicly funded services, eg public hospitals. You must have private medical insurance. You must not work or engage in any business, trade or profession. If you wish to stay in Ireland past the expiry date of your immigration permission, you must apply to renew your permission and registration before they expire. Examples when used You may be given Stamp 2A in the following circumstances: Semester abroad (ie at an Irish university/college) Study at a private secondary school in Ireland Register or renew Register for the first time or renew based on Stamp 2A Stamp 3 indicates permission to stay in Ireland for a specified period, subject to conditions. Stamp 3 is reckonable as residence when applying for citizenship by naturalisation. Summary of conditions Recently revised to: http://www.inis.gov.ie/en/INIS/Pages/revised-immigration-arrangements-for-the-spouses-and-de-facto-partners-of-critical-skills-employment-permit-holders If you wish to stay in Ireland past the expiry date of your immigration permission, you must apply to renew your permission and registration before they expire. Examples when used You may be given Stamp 3 if you have permission to: Volunteer, eg with a charity or non-profit Be a minister of religion Join your non-EEA/EU/Swiss spouse/civil partner or family member who is here based on a work permit Other Register or renew Register for the first time or renew based on Stamp 3 Stamp 4 indicates permission to stay in Ireland for a specified period, subject to conditions. Stamp 4 is reckonable as residence when applying for citizenship by naturalisation. Summary of conditions You can take up employment and are not required to hold an Employment Permit. You can work in a profession, subject to conditions of the relevant professional or other bodies. You can establish and operate a business. You may access state funds and services as determined by Government departments or agencies. If you wish to stay in Ireland past the expiry date of your immigration permission, you must apply to renew your permission and registration before they expire. Examples when used You may be given Stamp 4 if you have had permission to work in Ireland: With a valid Critical Skills employment permit for 2 years With a valid employment permit for 5 years As a researcher (ie with a valid Hosting Agreement) for 2 years You may be given Stamp 4 if you are granted permission: To join your Irish spouse, civil partner or de-facto partner To join your EU/EEA or Swiss family member based on EU Treaty Rights To join a family member who has immigration permission based on Stamp 4EUFAM (ie EU Treaty Rights) To join your family member who is a recognised refugee or has been granted subsidiary protection To remain with your child who is an Irish citizen Under the Investor and Entrepreneur Programme (including spouse/partner & family) For Long Term Residence As a convention or programme refugee, or based on subsidiary protection Register or renew Register for the first time or renew based on Stamp 4 Stamp 5 indicates permission to stay in Ireland without limits on the time you can remain here, subject to other conditions. Stamp 5 is reckonable as residence when applying for citizenship by naturalisation. The stamp will be valid up to the expiry date on your passport. You may be given Stamp 5 if you have permission to: Remain in Ireland 'Without condition as to time' (WCATT) Stamp 6 indicates you are an Irish citizen with dual-citizenship. You may be given Stamp 6 in your non-Irish passport if you have applied for permission to: Remain in Ireland 'Without condition'