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Monica Lewinsky Announced as Keynote Speaker for Talent Summit 2019

Monica Lewinsky Announced as Keynote Speaker for Talent Summit 2019

Social activist, global public speaker and contributing editor to Vanity Fair, Monica Lewinsky has been confirmed as the keynote speaker at Talent Summit 2019, for which tickets are now available for purchase. In recent years, Monica has been at the forefront of leading global societal change around the “culture of humiliation”. At the heart of Monica’s personal story and what she advocates for is more human compassion and personal resilience, unique human traits and actions that are fundamental to leading change in transformative times. Talent Summit will take place on Wednesday 27th of February 2019 at the Convention Centre Dublin. Talent Summit has grown to become recognised as one of the most respected and largest HR conferences in Europe. With over 20 global thought leaders contributing and speaking, this summit is aimed at business owners, corporate executives, HR leaders and those with a professional interest in shaping the workforce of tomorrow. Talent Summit was founded by Sigmar Recruitment and is proudly supported by EY Ireland. Welcoming the announcement, Robert Mac Giolla Phádraig, founder of Talent Summit commented: “With the talent agenda ranking as the number one priority for business leaders around the globe, we need to reimagine how we create better workplaces and working lives in an increasingly complex world of work. At its core, Talent Summit is a humanics conference focused on people and our interaction with technology. The workforce is augmenting, becoming more digital, diverse, global and automation-savvy which presents major opportunities for HR leaders to influence how their organisations invest in people in parallel with technology to attract, organise, develop and drive the performance of their people. This year’s theme is “The Talent Revolution; Leading Change” where we will unlock global thought leadership on how HR leaders can lead desired change to develop their workforces.” “We are delighted to partner with Talent Summit again this year. In an environment characterised by disruption and uncertainty, rapid technological development and fast-paced economic growth, successfully leading organisational transformation remains critical. Having culture change and employee experience at the forefront of transformation will be central to achieving sustained success. In addition, to support continued growth, businesses in Ireland need innovative workforce-planning strategies in place to attract the best talent in the market, and to retain and up-skill their existing workforce, equipping them with the skills and expertise needed for the future. The world of work is changing, and a changing working world needs a new approach, with focused and strategic leadership. The calibre of speakers at Talent Summit this year is second to none, and we’re honoured to be part of such an inspiring international line-up. The event promises to be full of stimulating discussion and we’re looking forward to meeting colleagues from Ireland and around the world,” Niamh O’Beirne, Partner, People Advisory Services at EY Ireland, added. The central theme of Talent Summit this year is The Talent Revolution: Leading Change. Key topics covered on the day will include: The New Talent Supply Chain: Buy, Build, Borrow or Bots Unlocking Performance through Engagement. Leadership in the Digital age Leading Organizational Transformation & Cultural Preservation Future of Learning, Development and re-skilling Keynotes from over 20 national and international expert speakers will be given on talent; attraction, development, leadership, performance and transformation strategies. There will be real life case studies from successful global and local brands, as well as panel discussions and audience Q&A. Tickets for Talent Summit are now available for purchase. Please see www.talentsummit.ie
7 Ways to Increase Engagement in Your Company

7 Ways to Increase Engagement in Your Company

Changing the way that employees understand and interact with culture can significantly increase engagement in the workplace. We’ve listed 7 ways to increase engagement among employees through cultural realignment: 1. Talk About Culture Management need to communicate the culture of the company to all stakeholders in order for everyone else to understand what the company believes in. Buy-in from management is essential. 2. Energise Existing Jobs Offer job rotation, job sharing and combine tasks so that staff are not doing the same thing every day. Introducing a new task which will improve abilities or push employees to learn new skills will motivate staff to improve in their role. Forming self-directed teams can help employees feel like they are in control of their jobs and have a say in the company. 3. Hire for Fit When hiring for new staff it is important that companies don’t just hire people with the right skills, without judging if they will fit in with the company culture. An introverted project manager can be detrimental to an IT project so knowing your culture and the culture of the job role you are advertising is paramount. If outsourcing the hiring process to a recruitment company, it is important that the company understands the culture that you are portraying. In a climate where new recruits are hard to keep and are constantly changing jobs for a better company fit, knowing both the culture of the company and the role can save a company time and money 4. Leverage Manager/Employee Relationship Employee satisfaction relies quite closely on the affiliation they have with their manager. Frequent praise and recognition will empower employees to keep up the good work but if managers are too busy to take notice of their team or to spend time talking with them this bond will turn stale, leading to eroded trust and confidence on both sides of the relationship. Taking the time to schedule meetings with team members and keeping note of the work that your team is doing will leverage this relationship allowing a confiding and open connection. 5. Upward Mentoring Mentoring does not always have to be downward. For employees that have been in the company for a longer period of time and understand the inner working of the company they can provide valuable insight that managers may not have thought of before. Fresh eyes can alert companies to newer technologies and more efficient ways of doing jobs so do not discount something until you have tried it 6. Job Referral Bounties Offering rewards for employees finding and placing workers in your company that suit your culture can prove a successful recruitment strategy. Presenting long-term bounties are even better as employees are motivated to help others progress through impromptu coaching and team working. 7. Measure Improvements Send out surveys every two to three months to measure key performance indicators to see if the culture is changing for the better and if people are becoming more engaged. Measuring the profit and productivity levels in the company overtime can also highlight how successful the project is. Conducting six monthly reviews where employee satisfaction rates are measured and bench-marked can show if some employees are lacking culture fit. Having a programme in place to help these employees find their feet can further increase engagement in the company as you are showing staff that you value them.
A look back at 2018 at Sigmar Recruitment

A look back at 2018 at Sigmar Recruitment

What a fantastic year 2018 was for Sigmar Recruitment. We achieved a lot and had some fun along the way. Here's a look back at our year.. January In January we brought all our staff from our Dublin, Cork, Galway and Tralee offices together for our annual company meeting. It was great to get everyone together to discuss company developments and psych ourselves up for the year ahead. February February was a really exciting month for us in Sigmar. Firstly, we were announced as one of the Best Medium Workplaces at the Great Place to Work Awards. Followed by the news of our strategic partnership with French staffing giant Groupe Adéquat. And finally, we held Ireland’s largest HR conference, Talent Summit in Dublin’s Convention Centre. Talent Summit has grown year on year with over 650 HR leaders in attendance, showcasing the latest thinking on talent topics from around the world. We were honoured to have the most viewed TEDTalk speaker of all time, Sir Ken Robinson headline the event. March We can’t speak about March without mentioning the snow. The whole country came to a standstill and we were compelled to close our offices.That didn't stop our Galway team from achievening their best month ever (since opening in 2005). After the snow storm passed we had a couple a nights of celebration as we were announced as winner of the HR Supplier of the Year award and Deloitte Best Managed Company award. April April was another busy month. We hosted our Gateway to Europe events in Boston and Washington to provide practical information for US corporates who are interested in establishing operations in Ireland and the EU. We also held a pub quiz in aid of our charity partner Cystic Fibrosis Ireland. May In May a brave group of Sigmar staff, including our CEO, Adie McGennis took part in the Malin 2 Mizen cycle for Cystic Fibrosis Ireland. They cycled the entire length of Ireland on behalf of the charity - a phenomenal achievement! Talent Summit Cork also took place in May in the Clayton Hotel, Cork. June In June we held our second regional Talent Summit in Galway in the g Hotel. A group of Sigmar ladies took part in the VHI Women’s Mini Marathon on behalf of Cystic Fibrosis Ireland. July We held our Summer BBQ in Opium, Dublin. All our offices came together to enjoy the good weather and some tasty BBQ food and beers. August In August we announced our new “European Talent Hub” Sigmar IT International in Tralee, Co Kerry. We launched the office offering 50 jobs to candidates from “all backgrounds” regardless of experience and education, to fill the positions. September "40 Kilometres, 48,000 steps, hamstring gone, shin splints, hips need replacement! Just over 6 and a half hours!!............totally worth it!!" - Tom Deane. Tom Deane once again pushed himself to his physical limits in the name of Cystic Fibrosis Ireland taking part in the Head 2 Head walk from Howth to Bray! October In October the Boston College Ireland Business Council hosted their Global Leadership Symposium in City Hall in Dublin. This exclusive event welcomed 150 leaders from the Irish business, political community as well as a c-level delegation travelling over from Boston. November The 12th annual National Recruitment Federation Awards took place in the Shelbourne Hotel on Friday November 30th. Sigmar were delighted to attend and to come away with not one but two awards on the night, Best in Practice Technical, IT & Telecoms and NRF Cert RP Graduate of the Year: Julie Valentine. December We finished off the year with a bang, sending 88 of our staff to Belgium to enjoy two nights in the beautful Bruges and our Tralee IT International team were treated to two nights in Alicante. For those who couldn’t attend either were given a lunch in Dublin and Cork. Celebrations all around!
Sigmar IT and Graduate of the Year Julie Valentine win at NRF Awards 2018

Sigmar IT and Graduate of the Year Julie Valentine win at NRF Awards 2018

The 12th annual National Recruitment Federation Awards took place in the Shelbourne Hotel on Friday night, November 30th. Sigmar were delighted to attend and to come away with not one but two awards on the night. Best in Practice: Sigmar IT It’s been a big year for our IT Team, with the launch of their European IT Recruitment talent hub in Tralee, so picking up Best in Practice Technical, IT & Telecoms in one of the most closely contested categories of the night was the cherry on top. Speaking of the award, Associate Director, Eoin Langdon said that he was delighted their hard work had been recognised. NRF Cert RP Graduate of the Year: Julie Valentine The NRF Cert RP Graduate of the Year Award recognises those who have achieved the highest results in the NRF Certificate in Recruitment Practice exams in 2018. Sigmar was thrilled for our Sales Recruiter Julie Valentine to be recognised for achieving the highest grade of the 2018 graduates. Speaking on Julie’s win, Sigmar Director, Malwina King said; “I am truly delighted that Julie achieved Top Graduate of the Year at the 2018 NRF Awards. Julie, we are super proud of you and your success is very well deserved! Not only was Julie one of the most active participants in Sigmar’s Recruitment Excellence Programme but this award is a testament to her hard work, industry expertise and ‘can do attitude’ that is appreciated by both clients and candidates alike. Well done Julie!” We were also delighted to have Claire Kelly shortlisted for Permanent Recruitment Consultant of the Year and for our Office Support and Technical, Engineering & Science teams being shortlisted in their respective categories.
Almost half of workers resent colleagues who are consistently late

Almost half of workers resent colleagues who are consistently late

A new survey conducted by Jobs.ie has found 46% of workers feel resentful of a colleague who is consistently late for work and 50% of respondents in senior management positions said that colleagues arriving late for work creates workplace animosity. Half of employees said that they would like to see flexible working hours, and a further 27% would opt to work from home. The employee punctuality study by Jobs.ie also found that the most common excuses for being late include Traffic (59%) Oversleeping (33%) Weather (26%) The survey also found that 20% admit to being dishonest when explaining why they were late for work. Just over 40% of employers are said to have a 'zero tolerance' policy for lateness in the workplace, enforcing punishments if employees fail to show up on time with one in four employers surveyed admitting they have fired an employee for consistent lateness. Among those surveyed on their employer's attitude to punctuality, 41% described being punctual for work as absolutely essential. Some 37% said there are no real consequences for being late, while 8% said there is a casual approach to punctuality and employees arrive when they wish, and 10% said that provided an individual gets through their work, nobody really notices what time they start work. Overall, 96% of all employees said that they always arrive to work on time, with over half of employees (59%) aiming to be in work at least 15 minutes ahead of their scheduled start time. But those who work nine to five prove to be the least punctual - with less than half (47%) arriving to work on time every day within the past 12 months. 71% of respondents who work early morning shifts and 71% of those who work night shifts were always on time in the past year. Jobs.ie general manager, Chris Paye, said: "It may come as a surprise to many people that Irish workers are actually a very punctual bunch and take great pride in being on time or even early for work. Given this context, it's inevitable that tensions can arise in the workplace if one colleague is consistently late without a valid excuse. One potential solution is moving towards greater workplace flexibility, particularly in relation to start and finish times and remote working facilities. However, this is not a universal solution and may not be effective in all organisations.
Sigmar Invests in Kerry To Create 50 Jobs

Sigmar Invests in Kerry To Create 50 Jobs

Dublin, Tuesday August 14, 2018 – Sigmar today announces the creation of 50 jobs in Co. Kerry. The positions are for international recruiters to work in the company’s European Talent Hub, which has just opened in Tralee. Sigmar is currently seeking candidates to fill all of the vacant positions and calls for applicants from all backgrounds regardless of experience and education. Sigmar is investing in the development of a bespoke, world-class learning & development programme designed to equip individuals with all of the skills and knowledge necessary to become successful international recruitment specialists. The first of its kind in Ireland, the European Talent Hub will harness international talent for other international markets from its base in Tralee. The Sigmar employees in Kerry will be filling roles in IT for European markets with candidates from other countries. Earlier this year, Sigmar announced a strategic partnership with French staffing giant Groupe Adéquat. The partnership deal is structured through a staged equity investment over a five-year period that will see Groupe Adéquat take majority interest. Both companies are dominant players in their respective markets and are seeking to expand nationally within Ireland and internationally through organic growth and acquisition. The European Talent Hub in Tralee marks the partnership’s first significant investment in Ireland. On making the jobs announcement, Sigmar Recruitment CEO Adrian McGennis comments: “Ireland has the talent to capitalise on current international recruitment opportunities. This investment will kick-start the group’s international growth initially in Germany, then other parts of Europe and the US. Sigmar has been very supportive of regional development and this investment proves our belief in the business case for regionalisation. This European Talent Hub will be a key element of Sigmar’s stated international growth. It’s also an operation where we can develop and test new technologies including robotics and Artificial Intelligence. We have been working on the processes, technology and markets for some time to accelerate our international expansion. “Shaun O’Shea heads up the project. He is at the very top of European recruitment and he is from Tralee, so is eager to give opportunities to ambitious individuals in the region.” Shaun O’Shea, Sigmar Head of European Recruitment adds: “As a Tralee native, I am truly delighted to help bring such a positive jobs announcement to the region. One of our deciding factors was the research into the area which highlighted the huge talent pool of ambitious individuals who we believe we can nurture with our experience and skills to help build new exciting career paths. “We are offering exciting and highly rewarding careers for individuals coming from all backgrounds with a core focus on sales and consultancy. Due to our substantial investment into R&D we believe our consultants will be working on new processes and tools which will shape our industry on a global scale for years to come.” Speaking following the announcement, the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Heather Humphreys TD, said: I warmly welcome Sigmar’s decision to open their European Talent Hub in Tralee. This new facility is a great vote of confidence in what Kerry and the South West have to offer, and a further example of the success of the Government’s commitment under the Regional Action Plan for Jobs to provide quality jobs in regional locations. Ireland has a skilled and talented workforce, and I have no doubt that Sigmar will find the right individuals here to enable them to grow their European activities in the coming years. CEO of IDA Ireland, Martin Shanahan said: “Attracting investment into regional locations is a key focus for IDA Ireland. Having a company of the calibre of Sigmar open a European Talent Hub is a huge vote of confidence in Kerry and the South West Region, showing confidence that the required skills pool is available there and demonstrating that international companies can successfully locate and scale their operations in regional locations such as this. The 50 jobs being created will provide a significant boost to the local economy. I wish Shaun and his team every success here, I will follow Sigmar’s progress with interest and assure the company of IDA Ireland’s continued support.”
The Talent Isle

The Talent Isle

There can be no denying that the Irish economy has benefited hugely from foreign direct investment, particularly from the US. The statistics speak for themselves; today there are 700 US companies with Irish operations directly employing 165,000 people. But, the historical economical and political US-Irish relationship works both ways. With Murphys, Kennedys and O’Neills making their presence known in boardrooms the length and breadth of the 50 States, Ireland is well represented in the highest echelons on US soil. Likewise, the statistics on that side of the Atlantic speak for themselves; there are also 700 Irish companies with operations in the US who employ 100,000 US citizens. Recent changes to the political environment in the form of US protectionism has undoubtedly threatened our status as the location of choice for US companies, making up 12.1% of US FDI investment into Europe despite accounting for just 1% of the entire European economy. At a time of green shoots growth in the aftermath of one of the worst recessions the State has known, this hard won reputation in now in jeopardy. Speaking at the Boston College Ireland Business Council symposium, John Harthorne, CEO MassChallenge described protectionism as grabbing the largest slice of the pie. The responsibility of leadership should be to increase the size, not of the slice, but of the pie itself. So, what can business leaders do? Well, of course we can leave it to the Government and State agencies to do their job, or else we can get out there ourselves and deliver the message that Ireland is still a great place to do business. That is exactly what Ireland Gateway to Europe did on Wednesday April 11, 2018, when a delegation of more than 40 Irish business leaders arrived in Washington to deliver the message that Ireland’s trade partnership with the US is stronger than ever, is truly bilateral and that Ireland remains the location of choice for FDI in Europe. Ireland Gateway to Europe met with their US counterparts and political representatives on Capitol Hill with the purpose of strengthening existing business relationships and create new ones. This initiative is a not-for-profit annual trade mission made up of professional advisory firms who travel the US annually to provide a secure resource network for business expansion to help US investment succeed in setting up operations in Ireland. Founded in 2012 as a response to the economic challenges at that time of global recession, Ireland Gateway to Europe is now in its seventh year of US, UK and global trade missions. Ireland has traditionally enjoyed a particularly strong business, cultural and political relationship with the US. However, in light of the recent announcements of trade tariffs, data privacy, immigration and other protectionist policies, our concern is that there may be a perception that Irish-US trade linkages may have subsequently diminished. The fact of the matter is that the transatlantic economy grew stronger, not weaker over the past year, as did Irish -US trade with US exports to Ireland up 9% and imports to Ireland up 6%. While the Washington mission was the focal point of the 2018 trade mission, the second leg of the trip saw the group travel to Boston to engage directly with the US business community at the stateside launch of the transatlantic Boston College Ireland Business Council (BCIBC). Having launched this side of the Atlantic in Dublin last October, the US BCIBC launch took the form of a Global Leadership Symposium where US CEOs met with their Irish counterparts. The event looked at Global Leadership, where a panel of global CEOs discussed how they, as a transatlantic leadership community, can create opportunities against the backdrop of economic challenges. The purpose of the BCIBC is to establish new, and strengthen existing, transatlantic business ties between the two countries, and it is designed to enhance transatlantic business between the US and Ireland through creating connections that allow for entrepreneurial ventures to grow and prosper. The Global Leadership Symposium is one of a series of planned BCIBC CEO Exchange events that will take place twice annually over the coming years, both in Ireland and in the US. The nest event is scheduled for Dublin this coming October. Founded by the Global Leadership Institute, Boston College, and Ireland, Gateway to Europe, and Chaired by Neil Naughton of GlenDimplex, the main aim of the BCIBC is to bring influential business leaders from both communities together once a year in Dublin and in Boston to create one deeply connected transatlantic trade artery. By establishing the BCICB, the tight commercial and social bonds we share with the US can be strengthened and build upon bilaterally, business to business, in spite of any potential external or internal protectionist political policies. It’s widely known that cultural ties between Massachusetts and Ireland are deep but possibly lesser known are the strength of economic ties with 11,000 people employed by Irish companies there and Ireland being the 6th largest exporter from MA. With threats from the uncertainty of the Brexit situation ringing in our ears from the East and murmurings of protectionism coming from the West, Ireland is again in a unique position to act as the economic transatlantic hub. What will the future hold? As it stands nobody knows for certain, but the community of transatlantic business leaders has a collective, critical role to play to ensure the future foundation of business relations is maintained for generations to come. Those business relationships benefit both Ireland and the US. Let’s both grow our slices of the pie by growing the pie itself. Article featured on The Business Post
Sir Ken Robinson's Keynote Speech at Talent Summit 2018

Sir Ken Robinson's Keynote Speech at Talent Summit 2018

Sir Ken Robinson, one of the world’s leading thinkers on creativity and innovation in the workplace spoke at Talent Summit 2018. As an advisor to Fortune 500 companies and governments in Europe, Asia and the United States, Sir Ken Robinson helps transform organisations’ corporate culture to focus more on fostering and developing creativity. His New York Times best-selling books also help people tap into their creative potential. His ideas and research have made him a popular speaker on TED Talks. In fact, his 2006 and 2010 presentations have been seen by more than 350 million people in 160 countries, making Robinson the most-viewed speaker in the history of Ted.com. Talent Summit was held in the Convention Centre, Dublin on the 22nd February 2018. Founded by Sigmar Recruitment, Talent Summit has grown to become one of the largest HR & Leadership conferences in Europe, showcasing the latest thinking on talent topics from around the world. Its mission is to share thought leadership on talent to build better workplaces and working lives in an increasingly complex world of work. Talent Summit 2018 Speakers included: Sir Ken Robinson - Worlds No. 1 TedTalk Speaker Dr Peter Lovatt - Dance Psychologist, University of Hertfordshire Johnny Campbell - CEO, Social Talent Dennis Layton - Global Deputy Leader, People Advisory Services, EY Karen Ní Bhróin - Conductor in Training, RTÉ Choirs, Orchestras and Quartets David Barrett - Chief Commercial Officer, cut-e Rob Williams - Director of Employer Insights, Indeed Find out more about upcoming events on www.talentsummit.ie
Recruitment Agency Myths

Recruitment Agency Myths

Recruitment agencies are often underestimated. A lot of people aren’t aware of the value a recruitment agency can have on a person’s job search or a company’s search for candidates. We have created a list of the most common myths associated with recruitment agencies, to set the record straight once and for all… “Recruitment Agencies are Expensive” One of the most common assumptions people have with recruitment agencies is, that you have to pay an agency to help find you a job. This is completely false. The way it works is that a recruitment consultant receives a fee from their client for placing relevant and qualified candidates in a job. You don’t pay the recruiter; the recruiter is paid by the agency they work for and the company who hires the jobseeker. “Companies can look after their own Recruitment. Agencies are Obsolete” Finding the right employee can be a long and complex process that even the most established human resources department in a large company can find difficult. Many companies utilize the expertise of recruitment agencies. With agencies having such a large bank of candidates on file and their own pool of specialist recruitment consultants dedicated to finding talent, recruitment agencies are invaluable to companies struggling to fill certain roles. “Recruiters don’t have Industry Knowledge” Often people think recruiters don’t understand the industry they are recruiting for. This is incorrect. Reputable recruitment consultants specialise in the areas they recruit for and have vast product knowledge of their market. Often a recruiter has a background in the area they recruit for or he/she is trained in that area so they understand what is required to work in that field. “Recruitment Agencies don’t care about Jobseekers” The perception of recruitment consultants is that they don’t care about their candidates and only want to place them in a job so they can make their commission. This may be true of some agencies, so you want to make sure you work with a reputable company. The success of recruitment agencies is dependent on the quality of the candidate’s they put forward to their clients i.e. your success is their success. Therefore, your agency should be working with you to find you a suitable position, provide you with detailed interview preparation and essentially hold your hand throughout the process.

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