Derek Perill, Author at Life Science & Engineering Recruitment Specialists in Ireland

How Data Centres & Electrical Engineers Make The World A Better Place

Posted on 27 October 20228 December 2022 by Derek Perill

Electrical engineers are the brains and architects behind data centres

We’ve all seen the big Internet companies that are serving you information right now. Google, Facebook, and Amazon are just a few. While these sites have made our lives much more convenient, many of us don’t realize the infrastructure that is providing these services. Data centres and electrical engineers provide these services and support them every day.

Your email gets delivered, your favourite TV shows get streamed, and your new book gets ordered when you click on its link online. This is possible because of the people who work in data centres. Electrical engineers are the brains and architects behind data centres. Without them our data centres wouldn’t get built and our online experience across all our favourite online providers simply put, do not work.

Electrical Engineers & Data Centres – Powering the Internet

Every day, millions of people around the world use data centres to store and process information. These are huge buildings that house thousands of computer servers, which are used to store and process information.

Data centres house all the equipment that makes our digital lives possible. The internet is made up of many smaller networks that connect computers worldwide. Each network has its own data centre, which houses all the equipment needed for communication between computers.

Electrical engineers play an important role in these centres by designing electrical systems that allow for high levels of efficiency and performance. They also ensure that the building itself is safe from fire and other hazards.

Challenges Facing Data Centres

According to Engineers Ireland by 2026 15% of electricity demand will come from data centres. According to Eirgrid (Ireland’s electricity grid operator) predict that electricity usage for data centres will rise to between 23 per cent and 30 per cent of overall consumption by the end of this decade.

With the current energy crisis creating high demand , coupled with inflation and the cost of electricity increasing all adds to the overhead costs for running data centres.

Data centres are extremely energy-intensive structures with average annual consumptions of around 30,000 kWh/m2. This is significant when compared to the normal non-air-conditioned businesses and public buildings, which use 200–300 kWh/m2 annually.

Another challenge facing data centres is finding qualified electrical engineers to maintain the data centre. More data centres will be continued to be built in Ireland for a number of reasons including:

Politically stability (In comparison to our neighbours)
Generous corporation tax (12%)
Educated workforce
Perfect climate (Its never too hot or cold)
Geographically perfect (No volcanic eruptions, hurricanes or earthquakes)
Our corporation tax already attracted giant tech multinationals. Such as Apple, Facebook Google etc. it made sense for those organisations to build their data centres here too.

More data centres will mean more demand for qualified electrical engineers. With the growing demand for electrical engineers in data centres there are limited courses in place to meet the expected demand.

There are only a few Data Centre Electrical Engineering-related courses offered in Ireland. A BEng in Data Centre Facilities Engineering is available from Sligo IT. This is a two-year, NFQ Level 7 program.

A Certificate in Data Center Operations (one year, NFQ Level 6) and a Bachelor of Science (two years, NFQ Level 7 in Data Center Operations and Management) are both offered by TU Dublin/IT Blancharsdown.

In order to fulfil the increasing demand for specialized service and facilities professionals. These programs were created in collaboration with industry providers including Google, Facebook, and Microsoft.

Additionally, there are certain industry-led courses that primarily emphasize the ICT components of the Data Centre. However, there isn’t much information available regarding the design of M&E systems for these intricate buildings.

Opportunities for Electrical Engineers

Electrical Engineers have plenty of opportunities within data centres

As we previously noted electrical engineers are in high demand to build and maintain data centres. With a shortage in the labour market right now the salaries for an electrical engineer can be from €50,000 per year to €130,000 per year in senior post such as Senior Electrical Project Managers and Senior Onsite Managers, Site Directors etc.

Entry level electrical engineers can earn €45,000 per year. Electrical engineers are also receiving some great benefits right now. We are seeing some of our clients offer our candidates excellent salaries, family health care, bonuses, hybrid working models to name but a few.

Good news for Electrical Engineers

The good news is that multinationals investing in Irish Data Centres, have created extraordinary opportunities for electrical engineers to help improve our lives with their work in data centres.

The difference data centres are making:

Efficient use of energy. Data centres need a lot of power to run servers and cooling systems and keep them cool. The most efficient ways to achieve this include virtualisation, which enables multiple servers to share hardware resources; cloud computing; and co-location services such as colocation hosting or managed hosting services.

Reduced CO2 emissions from servers. Data centres can be large users of fossil fuels such as coal and gas, which produce carbon dioxide when burned for energy production. Reducing CO2 emissions from servers will help reduce global warming and improve air quality all over the world!

Let’s face it, most people never consider the world of data centres when they consider the possible careers for an electrical engineer. However, behind the scenes of our existence, electric engineers and data centres play an integral role to make the world a better place.

Our Solutions

STEM Recruitment Partners specialises in the placement of candidates from Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics backgrounds into Manufacturing, Life Science, Supply Chain & Engineering Businesses nationwide.

Our leading engineering and life science recruitment agency have offices based in Limerick & Cork, and we have excellent job openings all over Ireland. Check out some of our roles in our job portal.

Reach out to the team in STEM Recruitment Partners for the best advice and support in building your engineering career, contact us today www.stemrp.ie

Our goal is to become Ireland’s No.1 Recruitment Agency Specialising in the following areas

Executive Search Recruitment
Manufacturing and Engineering Recruitment
Medical Device Recruitment
Engineering to Senior Management Recruitment
Construction Engineering Recruitment
Supply Chain Recruitment
Life Science Recruitment

www.stemrp.ie

How Do Recruitment Agencies Work? – Why Use One?

Posted on 29 September 202210 November 2022 by Derek Perill

Recruitment agencies serve both employers and job seekers.

What is a Recruitment Agency?

You’ve used many job boards and had some success. But it can be tough to find the right person for the job. You might want to consider using a recruitment agency to help you with finding the perfect candidate for your role. Essentially recruitment agencies are businesses that connect employers with candidates for vacant jobs. They often advertise positions on jobs boards, their website and LinkedIn,

More importantly recruitment agencies use their CRM of candidates and network of talent within their specialisms. The better recruitment agencies also map out a target market and head hunt.

How Do Recruitment Agencies Operate?

Recruitment agencies serve both clients and job seekers. When employers approach recruitment agencies with open positions they want filled, agencies will represent that employer and agree on a customised recruitment strategy.

Many recruiters will already know candidates and potentially have a ‘pool’ of pre screened candidates per location and industry, so the turnaround time can be very quick (but not always as some roles are exceptionally difficult to fill and will take time)

The “finder’s fee,” is often a percentage of the successful candidate’s salary. It is paid by the client if the agency’s candidate is hired. Fees differ amongst recruiting agencies and may change due to additional circumstances.

For instance, some rates might be lower when there is a large volume, and the fee is assured. On the other hand, for a candidate who is difficult to locate, certain fees may be more than typical, for example Executive Search. It’s all down to the time needed to fill a role.

Why You Should Use a Recruitment Agency? (Employers Prospective)

Recruitment agencies help find and place qualified candidates

There are several reasons why hiring a recruitment agency might make sense for you. First, they will help you find qualified candidates who meet your needs. Second, they can save you money by finding candidates that fit your budget, where as with direct recruitment companies often have very limited options and take the first ‘half decent’ candidate that comes along.

Third, they can help you with expert advice, when hiring and advice on your internal recruitment processes to ensure you land the ideal employee. Finally, they can help you avoid some common mistakes when hiring new employees.

You have a business to run after all. People that use recruitment agencies are generally running a larger business than those who don’t and they have a number of important tasks to complete on a daily basis. Using a recruitment agency for your job search is one of the best things you can do, to save time

The reach of one company will be considerably outweighed by the network that agencies have. It also implies that, depending on the position, if you need to fill a position quickly, excellent recruiting agencies should be able to provide you with a solid shortlist in as little as five days (depending on the role). As a result, replacing departing personnel will be less expensive.

Why You Should Use a Recruitment Agency? (Jobseekers Prospective)

Recruitment agencies have access to information to help jobseekers land their dream job — Recruitment agencies have access to information to help job seekers land their dream job

Many people wonder about the use of working with a recruitment firm when they can just hunt for employment on their own. Agencies, for instance, have access to, and information about the local employment scene, employers to work for (and some to avoid) salary info, insights to culture and hiring managers styles and so on, giving you a competitive and informed edge over other jobseekers

At STEM Recruitment Partners, we frequently place people in jobs with organisations they might have never heard of before, but they are so pleased because these companies end up being an amazing match for they are looking for. On the other hand, it may also be the ideal strategy to enter those renowned yet challenging to approach businesses.

Also, a skilled recruitment consultant will have insider knowledge about the business, its culture, its plans, and even the hiring manager’s personality. Candidates can ask questions that they wouldn’t dare to ask the actual employer because an agency acts as an additional barrier between them and the organization.

A good recruiter will prepare you for interview, giving you a much higher chance of landing the ideal job and the SERVCIE IS 100% FREE to jobseekers.

The Recruitment Agencies Customer.

Because of the nature of recruitment agencies, we work for both jobseekers and clients. We are sincerely working for both, because recruitment agencies cannot succeed without either one or the other.

There is a crucial distinction, though, that is sometimes overlooked. The charge is covered by the employers. Employers pay for the pleasure of receiving a top-quality applicant, while candidates receive a free service from recruiting agencies. As a result, it is critical that agencies put out a lot of effort to identify the ideal candidate for their clients.

That is not to imply that consultants do not care about their candidates. Quite the opposite as a well-matched individual who is content in their new position, will have a better relationship with the consultant, earn a better commission, and satisfy the client.

Our Solutions

Our leading engineering and life science recruitment agency have offices based in Limerick & Cork, and we have excellent job openings all over Ireland. Check out some of our roles in our job portal.

Reach out to the team in STEM Recruitment Partners for the best advice and support in building your engineering career, contact us today www.stemrp.ie

Our goal is to become Ireland’s No.1 Recruitment Agency Specialising in the following areas

Executive Search Recruitment
Manufacturing and Engineering Recruitment
Medical Device Recruitment
Engineering to Senior Management Recruitment
Construction Engineering Recruitment
Supply Chain Recruitment
Life Science Recruitment

www.stemrp.ie

The Recruitment Process 3 Easy Proven Ways to Shorten It

Posted on 15 September 202215 September 2022 by Derek Perill

Shorten your engineering recruitment process in 3 steps — Shorten your recruitment process in 3 steps

The best way to lose out on top Life science, manufacturing, engineering & leadership talent is through a long recruitment process. If your recruitment process is longer than 40 days, then something needs to change. Your competitors aren’t taking this long to pull the trigger, and neither should you.

It can be difficult to reduce the steps involved in your recruitment process. A certain “way of doing things” might have worked in the past when it was an employer’s market but that is no longer the case. Employees hold the cards now and acting fast on the right engineering personnel is crucial to growing your business.

However, during the interview stage, hiring managers must adhere to several policies and procedures, which frequently causes the process to drag on longer than it needs to. With the ball in the court of the jobseeker, if your business takes too long to make a great offer. the likelihood that you will lose top talent to your competition increases.

A recent study showed that nearly 50% of respondents admitted to turning down a job offer as a result of the hiring process took too long. This also shows candidates that the hiring company is not fully sure about the applicant thus causing them to withdraw from the process themselves.

Below are three top tips to attract the right engineer for the role you are trying to fill.

Rewrite your Job Description & Ads
Be Realistic and Focus on Skills
Invest in Quality Software

1. Rewrite your Job Descriptions To Shorten Your Recruitment Process.

Rewrite your job descriptions to attract top engineering talent

Writing a job description might feel easy, but hiring managers struggle with it more frequently than you think. If you want to get a candidate’s attention when drafting a job description, there are a few best practices you should stick to

Talk about the company culture and office workplace environment. What distinguishes your company from every other one that your ideal prospect is currently interviewing with?
Utilize all that is available in both the online and offline worlds. Do not post it on just one online job board and hope that the ideal applicant will emerge from the sea of applications. For instance, you may request referrals from your staff and offer them rewards for recommending qualified people.
Use your network. Let your network know that you are hiring for a specific role by using LinkedIn, events, etc. Post it on all your social media accounts.
Partner with a recruiter. It’s our responsibility as a recruitment agency to quickly identify the ideal individual for your business. To be able to do that, we have established extensive networks of highly skilled professionals across all areas of expertise such as mechanical engineering, manufacturing engineering, life science, supply chain, and senior executive positions. To learn more about our hiring process, get in touch with us today.

A job description is not a job advertisement. An internal job description outlines the duties the chosen individual would be expected to perform.

The job advertisement is external and is intended to “sell” the opening by emphasizing the role’s desirable outcomes for candidates. In addition to encouraging talented people to apply, a well-written job posting will help you create your company’s brand and a solid talent pool of prospects.

2. Be Realistic and Focus on Skills During The Recruitment Process

Focus on the candidates skills to ensure you're getting the right hire — Focus on the candidates skills to ensure you’re getting the right hire

We see businesses searching for that unicorn candidate all too frequently. There will be one contender who has everything. 20 years of expertise, a postgraduate degree in a highly specialized field, applicable certificates from the sector, and work history in your industry

When searching for the ideal individual, use caution because they frequently don’t exist and, even if they did, many of your needs can scare them away. When creating your job description, have that in mind as well.

Consider that if someone has talent, you may develop them to become even more qualified for the job. According to our research, it’s essential to provide opportunities for growth and training as well as to ensure that employees are using their skills.

Instead, of focusing on degrees, emphasize talents. You may access a far larger talent pool and increase diversity and retention by hiring based on skills.

You are passing up on a far larger, more diverse talent pool if you continue to analyse CV’s and people based on whether they have a degree or attended a reputable university or college rather than concentrating on their skill sets.

3. Invest in Software For Your Recruitment Process

Invest in Software to speed up your recruitment process

After properly posting and promoting your job description, you will begin to receive a large number of applicants. That is fantastic, but it can also be difficult to coordinate and manage.

ATS, or applicant tracking systems, are excellent tools. Many different applicant tracking systems are available today, however, the capabilities that the majority of ATS have can assist you to speed up your hiring process are listed below:

Career Page Hosting
Sharing job descriptions
Receiving and managing applications
Storing CVs
Scheduling Interviews
Onboarding Programs

Our Solutions

At STEM Recruitment Partners we specialise in Life Science & Engineering Recruitment. Our team has extensive experience (67 years combined) in recruiting in the Irish Market. Reach out to the team here in STEM Recruitment Partners for the best advice and support in building your engineering teams contact us today.

Smart & Simple Interview Questions To Ask Employers, When being Interviewed

Posted on 25 August 202215 September 2022 by Derek Perill

Asking questions during your engineering interview is always a good idea.

You have a job interview that is soon approaching. In this guide we discuss the interview questions to ask the engineering organisation at the end of an interview.

Why Ask Interview Questions, During Your Interview?

Here at STEM Recruitment Partners, we always recommend candidates to ask questions during the interview and at the end of an interview when invited by the interviewing panel to do so.

According to indeed asking questions will give you a better understanding of whether the position is the right fit for you. It also shows the interviewer that you have a genuine interest in the position.

Job interviews are not only for the hiring company to ensure that the candidate is a fit for their company and team. They are also an opportunity for engineering jobseekers to evaluate potential employers. The ideal outcome would be for both parties to leave the process feeling that the candidate, the position, and the business are a good fit.

Additionally, well-chosen interview questions can make the applicant stand out from the competition. The appropriate questions show you were engaged and attentive in the conversation and that you have interest in the position. Moreover, it can be a chance for you to demonstrate any other information you may have. You might cite current news items or business statements/reports for example.

Do Your Research On Interview Questions.

It can be difficult to think of appropriate questions on the spot, so as part of your interview preparation, you should come up with a list of potential questions. Your questions should demonstrate your level of knowledge and should not be ones that can be quickly resolved by visiting the business’ website. When coming up with questions, you should consult the following resources:

Begin by reading the job description. Check to see if any important details are missing or if the interviewer needs to expound on anything.
Search the company’s website and social media to learn more about it.
Google News the business name to find out more.
Use Google Trends to see what’s trending in the industry of your potential employer
Look at the interviewers’ LinkedIn profiles.

Have your questions ready to go before the interview

How Many Interview Questions Should You Ask?

A minimum of four or five questions should be prepared for the interview in advance. This guarantees that you have follow-up questions even if one or two of yours were addressed during the interview.

What Interview Questions to Avoid.

Asking queries that are primarily about what the organization can do for you should be avoided.
Don’t inquire about pay or annual leave, your recruitment agency should have briefed you I advance
Don’t ask yes/no questions. Ask questions that are genuinely open-ended instead.
Do not ask questions that anyone could find the answers to just taking a short look over the business website.
Never ask a question that has already been addressed in the interview because it indicates that you were not fully present in the conversation.

Some Great Interview Questions to Ask an Employer

Questions About Your Potential new Job

Could you tell me more about the day-to-day responsibilities of this role?
What is the company’s strategic plan for the next year, and how will it impact this role?
What do you think is the most important indicator of success in this role?
Can you tell me more about the team I would be working with (if I successfully secured the role)?
What does success look like?
If I were taken on for this role, what would you want me to achieve in my first few months?
Are there mechanisms in place for performance reviews?
Is this a new position?

Interview Questions About The Company

What qualities and attributes make for a successful employee in the company?
How would you describe the management style here?
How would you describe the company culture?
How would you describe the work/life balance here?
What are the company’s goals for the year?
Are there opportunities for professional development?
What is the greatest challenge currently facing the company?
Is there anything that we haven’t discussed that you think is important for me to know about working here?
What are the company’s values?

Interview Questions To ask The Hiring Manager

What do you enjoy about working here?
Where do you see the company in the next five years?

Next Steps

Could you tell me the timeline for making a decision and when you think I can expect to hear from you?
Do you need any further information from me to help you make your decision?
If I am successful today, what do the next steps look like?

Our Solutions

At STEM Recruitment Partners we specialise in Life Science & Engineering Recruitment. Our team have extensive experience (67 years combined) recruiting in the Irish Market. Reach out to the team here in STEM Recruitment Partners for the best advice and support in building your engineering teams contact us today

Recruiting Engineering Staff Best Practices- Our 5 Tips

Posted on 11 August 202220 September 2022 by Derek Perill

Top tips for recruiting engineering staff

In the past ten years, technology and compliance, have significantly changed the recruitment process. Additionally, skilled candidates’ desire for change is being further fuelled by the uncertainties brought on by recent events. Such as the Covid 19 pandemic, Brexit and the current inflation crisis. Economists are calling this the great resignation. People are taking stock of their life, and leaving their current positions for better roles that suit their lifestyle needs. All this added together has made the process for recruiting engineering staff difficult.

According to Engineers Ireland, 79% of engineering firms in Ireland planned to grow in 2021–2022. Here at STEM Recruitment Partners, we agree with these numbers based on job orders from our clientele; there hasn’t been a slowdown quite the opposite!

However, one of the biggest barriers companies report when scaling their business is finding and recruiting suitable qualified engineers. Ranging from Graduate to Senior Engineering management level. According to Ibec, there is evidence of a skills gap with 83% of engineering organisations experiencing a shortage of critical skills.

Recruiting Engineering Staff How to Hire the Best Engineers: 5 Steps

Build An Employer Brand

The main focus of branding is how you present your business to prospective employees. Branding encompasses every touchpoint across all channels that a potential candidate may come into contact with. Not just a logo, colour scheme, or even a website. Your brand image is communicated by the deliberate self-promotional tactics you use, such as press releases and digital campaigns. The uncontrollable external conversation, like the reviews and criticism you encounter on indeed or Glass Door and how you handle it.

Building an employer brand is an essential component to hiring the best engineers

Companies will need to make a strong argument for why prospects should work for them in 2022 when recruiting for available positions. Building your employer brand entails communicating your philosophies and beliefs in a consistent, sincere manner. While also adjusting your message to meet the preferences and requirements of each type of applicant you hope to attract.

When looking to add millennials and Generation Z to your organisation what they value are social gatherings and nights out as business perks, they place a higher value on autonomy, the chance to be creative, and the ability to enjoy what they do.

Organizations that value employees as unique individuals with wants and needs, actively support diversity and inclusion, and have open and transparent processes appeal to younger prospects. Determine how your business fits into the contemporary working environment when recruiting engineering staff. Highlight the positive elements that go with it, and make sure these elements are successfully communicated.

Employers can enhance their brand perception by prominently highlighting employee case studies and benefits in recruiting ads. By focusing on each prospective audience segment on the channels where they are most likely to be found.

For instance, do your prospects participate in particular social media platforms, read particular trade journals or publications related to their business. Do they belong to particular networking organizations, or attend particular tradeshows or events?

Asking current employees for their opinions on the company’s culture and workplace dynamics can give managers insight into the perceptions that prospective employees may have of the company and suggest improvements that could be made to the employer brand.

Engage With Diverse Talent Pools When Recruiting Engineering Staff

Women make up only 12% of the engineering and life science work force in Ireland one of the lowest in Europe and according to the Higher Education of Ireland only 23% of graduates from an engineering major are female. In comparison with India one in three engineering students are women.

According to a recent McKinsey study, businesses with high ratings for ethnic diversity outperform their competitors financially by 35%, while businesses with high ratings for gender diversity outperform them by 15%.

Businesses with high ratings for ethnic and gender diversity outperform their competitors financially when recruiting engineering staff — Businesses with high ratings for ethnic and gender diversity outperform their competitors financially

Companies that are inclusive and diverse are more successful at attracting and retaining talent from a variety of backgrounds, and they are better able to comprehend and engage their global client base.

Engineering enterprises must find methods to diversify for the sector to innovate, expand, and succeed in the future. A good place to start is by encouraging more young people from varied backgrounds to pursue careers in engineering.

Invest in Apprenticeships When Recruiting Engineering Staff

A growing number of students are choosing to be an apprentice after graduation because of rising education costs and increased competition in the labour market. Engineering is a particularly appropriate career choice because trainees can pick up practical knowledge and methods while working and can later specialize in particular fields after earning their degrees.

Potential engineers can be trained to the employer’s standards and have their talents exactly polished to the goals and objectives of the firm by participating in apprenticeships at the start of their careers.

Apprenticeships are essential for discovering the next generation of engineers as well as keeping them to continue adding value to the company’s operations for years to come. Investing in employee training and development has overwhelmingly strong correlations with worker retention.

Businesses might collaborate with nearby universities and schools to hire apprentices as early as possible. To increase awareness of the amazing variety of Engineering occupations that are accessible but that are typically not promoted in the educational system.

it is best to get in touch with young people before they even start to think about career options, ideally before the Leaving Cert cycle. Campaigns to recruit apprentices in schools could be coordinated with occasions in the outside world, such as International Women in Engineering Day, or Science Week to increase support from educational institutions and reach a wider range of young people.

Widen The Search to Include Other Sectors

The majority of technical career paths involve transferable skills that can be used in other industries that are similar. For instance, aircraft mechanics can upgrade their skills to become proficient in building wind turbines.

Highly skilled engineers will enjoy the same benefits across the technical sectors of aerospace, aviation, motorsport, automotive, and marine, including flexible working and shift patterns, the chance to travel, and career advancement. Thanks to online aviation training programs and government investments in the sector, it may be easier to pick up new skills and get certified.

Work with a Specialist Recruitment Company

Working with a recruitment firm that specializes in your sector can give you insight into the preferences, requirements, and circumstances of the talent you’re trying to acquire. Specialist recruitment consultants can help develop a vision of what would truly entice competent applicants into the organization. They can also develop a custom strategy to reach talent pools at different career stages.

Our Solutions

Why Personal Branding is Important for Job seeking Engineers

Posted on 14 July 202220 September 2022 by Derek Perill

Personal branding is what makes you as an engineer stand out from the crowd. Personal branding is about the characteristics, that makes you interesting, relevant, and different, and you communicate your unique value to potential hiring managers.

Personal branding is the process of creating a brand identity for an individual and how you project your brand and your values to the world. Ensuring that your target audience knows who you are, what you stand for and why they should choose you over your competitors.

According to Search Engine Journal “ Personal branding can help you control the narrative about yourself and introduce yourself in the best light possible. It’s also a way to stand out from the competition. In a world where everyone has an online presence, personal branding can help you make yours stand out from the rest”

There are a number of ways to promote your personal brand. Below is a list that we here at STEM Recruitment Partners have compiled together for engineering jobseekers.

Online Presence and Personal Branding:

LinkedIn is a professional social media site used by professionals to connect with other like-minded professionals and organisations. It can be used to aid your jobseeker search as all recruiters use it as one of the first protocols when searching for candidates.

LinkedIn is a powerful tool for personal branding and career development for all engineers.

LinkedIn can also be used to build your network, strengthen your brand positioning, and get noticed by potential project partners or hiring managers for top engineering organisations. Being visible on LinkedIn by keeping your profile optimised will help you get noticed.

Be Active

Its not enough to just have a presence on LinkedIn you need to engage with the community to really stand out. By engaging in engineering group posts and providing commentary on latest news within the engineering field that you are in will allow you to become an industry expert.

Having a personal brand in place will allow you to be more trusted by your target audience. In the same way that product brands such as Apple and Volkswagen are trusted personal brand is trusted by those you want to reach.

Having a personal brand in place allows your target audience to know who you are and what you stand for. This allows them to feel like they already have a relationship with you and thus are more likely to use your services or hire you for the engineering job.

Commit an hour per week to updating content to engaging on social media which will allow you to become the go to person in a particular engineering field.

Our Solutions

Our leading engineering recruitment agency is based in Limerick & Cork, and we have excellent engineering, jobs in Ireland. Check out some of our roles in our job portal.

Reach out to the team in STEM Recruitment Partners for the best advice and support in building your engineering career, contact us today www.stemrp.ie

The Importance of an Onboarding Process For Your New Engineering Hires – 4 Step Process

Posted on 7 July 202220 September 2022 by Derek Perill

Having an onboarding plan is crucial to your employer brand

After all the hard work is done to get an offer accepted by your next great hire, its vital to have a good onboarding process which is proven to improve retention records in the early stages.

We are in a phase where its currently a candidate driven market and competition for engineers, such as process engineers, R&D Engineers, electrical engineers and manufacturing engineers are hard fought for. According to a recent report by Solas found that 46% of science, engineering and tech companies surveyed in Ireland struggled to fill engineer based roles, so loosing a hard to find employee early on can be a disaster.

The onboarding process is your opportunity to make another first impression after the interview and a chance to set the foundations for the rest of your new star hire’s experience with your company. Once the onboarding phase is completed your new engineering talent should have an in depth understanding of the organization’s culture and values.

Simple steps for the Onboarding Process.

Phase 1: Pre-Onboarding Process

The onboarding process can be broken down into four phases. The first phase is pre-on-boarding and should begin as soon as a verbal agreement of a job offer is accepted. Getting your onboarding preparation right is crucial as at this time as your candidates are most uncertain of what lies ahead.

Small miscommunications or a misunderstanding can make candidates doubt their decision to move into the engineering role and join the company. However, get this right early on in the onboarding stage and your candidates will start to feel excited about joining your company and contributing to the team.

Regular communication about any updates that are going on in within the firm will help the new engineering hire left feeling energised about starting the engineer job. During pre-onboarding the help, the new hire complete all the necessary paperwork such as contracts and payroll details.

Getting your onboarding preparation right is crucial as at this time as your candidates are most uncertain of what lies ahead.

Make sure to give the new starter time to finish up with their previous employer and finish exit tasks. If they are relocating to take up the new role check in with them to see if they need help finding accommodation.

A good idea is to send some content around the company in terms of the culture of the organisation what the building looks like inside and out and what their first day and week will look like.

Phase 2: Welcoming phase

The next phase is to welcome your new starter to the organisation and team. Providing an orientation will help new hires adapt to their new environment. Providing the new hire with a clear picture of the company will allow them to gain an understanding of how the company’s teams operate on an everyday basis.

The majority of new hires will be eager to prove themselves and will want to get started as soon as possible, for this reason it is recommended that the welcoming phase is kept to no longer than a week.

Their first day should be kept as simple as possible. Their orientation phase will help them gain an insight into the company’s culture and show them how work practices are aligned with the culture of the firm. Housekeeping items such as annual leave, attendance and HR policies should be discussed at this stage.

The orientation phase is an opportunity to show them eateries, parking spots, printing equipment and medical facilities etc. Introduction to their new work colleagues and other stake holders is part of the induction phase.

The welcoming phase incorporates the small mundane things that could get overlooked but it’s an important step to ensure your new hire settles in well.

Phase 3: Role Specific Training

This phase is one of the most important phases of onboarding and can be linked back to how successful your new hires will be in their engineering jobs. Your new hires may not know what it takes to thrive without formal training.

Dissatisfaction and frustration can develop can be a direct result of no training or poor training which in turn can lead to high turnover rates. According to Lorman

Nearly 59% of employees claim they had no workplace training and that most of their skills were self-taught.
74% of workers are willing to learn new skills or re-train in order to remain employable.
87% of millennials believe learning and development in the workplace is important.

However, if a well drafted training plan is in place will help new starters feel welcome and shows that the company cares about their progress and development. Employees should not feel overwhelmed by the training in place.

Everybody learns differently and at different paces, provide different types of learning techniques such as blended learning and self-paced learning. All learning materials should be stored in readily available access point such as an intranet or other cloud storage solution.

Phase 4: Transition to their new role.

Your new hire is ready to leave the nest and get stuck into their new engineering job. The last phase is designed to set your new hires for success by setting out clear expectations for their new team members.

Set SMART goals for new starters which will help them visualise what success looks like. After six weeks a performance review is recommended so you can recognise their efforts while also providing feedback to help improve performance.

Onboarding ensures your new engineering star hire fits your team. The process helps your new team member understand the company’s values, culture, and work. It improves employee retention and also your employer brand.

Our Solutions

Our leading engineering recruitment agency is based in Limerick & Cork, and we have excellent engineering, jobs in Ireland. Check out some of our roles in our job portal.

Reach out to the team in STEM Recruitment Partners for the best advice and support in building your engineering career, contact us today www.stemrp.ie

Is a recession coming soon and how will this affect employment in Ireland?

Posted on 30 June 202226 July 2022 by Derek Perill

Recession is unlikely according to Gabriel Makhlouf the Central Bank Governor

In a word “unlikely”, that’s according to Gabriel Makhlouf the Central Bank Governor. As fears around a recession grow due to global economic factors such as the war in Ukraine, inflation, and rising interest rates. The Central Bank Governor believes that its “unlikely” that Ireland will enter into a recession when responding to a reporter on the risk of the State falling into recession, as he presented the bank’s semi-annual Financial Stability Review (FSR).

At the Financial Stability Review (FSR) the Central Banks director of economics and statistics Mark Cassidy weighed in on the conversation stating that “it’d take quite a significant further negative shock” to force the Irish economy to contract even as the outlook has weakened.

Their comments come as reassurance as the memory of the last recession of 2008 is still fresh especially to those in the construction industry. However, the reassuring comments of Mark Cassidy the Central Banks director of economics and statistics and Gabriel Makhlouf the Central Bank Governor come from reading into statistics and facts.

Here are some of the facts and statistics why we believe that there won’t be a recession in 2022 or 2023.

‘Full’ Employment

In 2022 Irelands unemployment rate is at 4.7% which is where the country was in 2019 and at the start of 2020. This means as a nation Ireland is close to full employment. The last time Ireland’s unemployment rate fell below 4.7% was in November 2006.

Last month the CSO published figures that showed the number of people in employment is at 2.5 million. According to CSO Ireland has reached record levels of people in employment and has pushed “well beyond” the levels before the onset of the Covid-19 crisis.

Jobs Market

The website Indeed.com, carries more jobs than any other jobs website in Ireland. One statistic that really jumps out at us is that there were 57% more jobs on the platform in May of this year compared to that of February 2020 (pre Covid-19)

Forecasted Growth

At the start of the year the economy had a strong start to 2022. There is no doubt that the war in Ukraine has had an impact on our growth, so the Central Bank of Ireland has amended the country’s growth expectations. As a result, modified domestic demand growth has been revised down to 4.8% in 2022, 4.3% in 2023 and 3.9% in 2024. These are still strong growth projections and a long way off from recessionary projectons.

The Central Bank of Ireland forecasted exports to grow by 8.0% in 2022, 6.2% in 2023 and 6.0% in 2024. It is predicted that people will continue to spend as consumption is forecast to grow by 7.4% this year, slowing to 4.7% and 3.9% in 2023 and 2024.

The inflation rate is high at the moment as it is expected to average 6.5% this year, with wholesale energy prices the primary factor driving inflation at present. However, it is forecasted that inflation will slow to 2.8% in 2023 and 2.1% in 2024, however this is highly dependent on the fallout from the war in Ukraine.

Recession in 2023 unlikely but not impossible

In a worst-case scenario Ireland enters into a recession, our economic growth slows down along with our jobs market and spending slows down also. However, Ireland is far better equipped to deal with a recession than in 2008, here are some of the differences

The banks are heavily funded, no more 100% mortgages, a property crash like 2008 is highly unlikely as banks are well financed and demand is through the roof. Our government will continue to invest in the construction industry with multi-billion euro plans to improve Ireland’s housing system and deliver more homes of all types for people with different housing needs. To deliver this plan the government will be relying on construction engineers, site managers and trades people, even if we do dip into recession.

Data Centres Evolution

Construction of data centres in Ireland makes sense as Ireland has the appropriate climate and technical capabilities to create and manage them

In 2019 it was reported that €4.5 billion will be invested in the creation of thirty four new data centres by 2025. According to Niall Molloy, CEO of Echelon

““Data centres are essential infrastructure – now, post-pandemic, more than ever. If we are to continue to benefit from low-cost, reliable and time-saving tech such as Zoom and Teams, if we’re to enjoy the speed of 5G, if we are to stream on demand and if we are to look forward to the future of AI and the IoT, then increasing data centre capacity is a given.”

Echelon is an Irish owned data centre infrastructure developer who recently received €855m in funding to complete four Irish data centres.

Renewable Industries

With a huge number of sanctions imposed on Russia (one of the largest oils suppliers in the world) the demand for renewable energy will soar. However, infrastructure for renewable energy such as wind, hydro and solar are not fully utilised in this country and presents a huge opportunity to develop this even further.

Ireland’s Climate Action Plan has ambitions to generate significant renewable energy production from wind resources in the coming years. A major focus of the plan will be to decarbonise the electricity system to 80% by 2030.

Ireland has also signed Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2021 meaning Ireland is now on a legally binding path to net-zero emissions no later than 2050. It also means that more funding, resources, and jobs will be committed to this area as Ireland needs to reduce emissions by 51% by 2030.

Pharma & Medical Device Production

According to atradius Ireland stands out as the strongest performing market in the industry. It’s a relatively small country but accounts for more than 5% of global pharmaceuticals production. It surged to 25% growth in 2021 and will benefit from ongoing vaccine production demands.

This growth is expected to continue and the same can be said about the medical device industry as global annual sales forecast to rise over 5% by 2030 and reach US$800 billion according to KPMG . Ireland hosts significant players in this industry that supports many jobs, and this will come as welcome news to those in the industry.

What does this mean for Ireland’s STEM professionals?

If an “unlikely” recession happens engineers and scientists in manufacturing, construction, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices have some of the most secure professions in Ireland.

Engineers are in high demand right now and they will be in more of a demand in the coming years as government construction projects need to be completed, data centres need to be completed also. The demand for renewable infrastructure is growing at unprecedented levels and pharma and medical device production is growing at a rapid pace.

With this in mind we hope that we have put your mind at ease as there is a lot of commentary about a looming recession from “celebrity” economists. The fact is recession and economic booms are part of a developed economies economic cycle.

An economist stating that there is going to be a recession is similar to a weatherman stating that it’s going to rain. It will rain and recessions do happen however neither the weatherman nor the economists can tell you when it will happen with 100% degree of certainty.

Our Services

If you’re anxious about moving roles because of speculation about the economy or after reading this article you are energised and optimistic about your future career, get in touch with on of our team here in STEMRP.ie

Recruitment Challenges Facing the Engineering Sector

Posted on 27 June 202226 July 2022 by Derek Perill

Recruitment in engineering is thriving at this moment in time. Jobseekers can almost pick and and choose where they can work. The economy is thriving right now, as a nation we are at full employment, however there is other economic factors in play in 2022.

These include rising rate of inflation, the rising cost of fuel due to the war in Ukraine and fears of a looming recession which we may not see for many years. How does this impact on the current challenges facing the engineering sector?

Find out below.

Engineering Recruiting Trends in 2022

Posted on 23 June 202226 July 2022 by Derek Perill

Its nearly July of 2022, we can’t believe it either. time flies when you’re having fun. While we were having fun, we have noticed a few trends in the engineering recruitment industry and engineering jobs in general.

Luckily the pandemic caused by Covid -19 hasn’t affected the engineering jobs market and in fact the market hasn’t been this strong for quite some time. Jobseekers are in a position of strength where they can almost pick and choose where they work to certain extent.

For engineering companies to attract and retain the best available engineering talent businesses must keep up to date with the latest current industry trends in order to fill available engineering jobs.

Keeping on top of the latest engineering recruitment trends places you in the best position to securing top engineering talent to deliver your projects. Employers need to know what jobseekers want so hiring managers can speak the same language and present the company in a way that resonates with top engineering talent.

To help engineering companies navigate through the changing trends in recruitment we have compiled a list of hiring trends that will shape your future engineering teams.

Remote Work

Working remotely is here to stay. If there is one positive to take from the global pandemic, it’s the realisation that we don’t need to be in the office or production unit all the time. Covid – 19 really accelerated this for engineering companies.

Engineers now expect to see an element of hybrid and work from home options in engineering job descriptions. It’s vital for all businesses to be set up in a virtually connective/collaborative environment.

Remote work, work from home and hybrid work are becoming popular

Using the latest technologies and software available to make communications between engineers and managers is paramount. Providing these amenities will instil confidence in your current workforce and help attract more high-quality engineers.

To ensure productivity is at the same level or even higher, employers should record all processes and workflows with appropriate tools. An engineer’s location shouldn’t impact on the quality of their work, nor should it hamper the company but enhance both employee and employer.

Wider Pool of Talent to Select From.

Thanks to hybrid and remote working options hiring managers can cast their hypothetical net further afield to attract the best engineering talent for their business. Geography is no longer an issue which bodes well for companies who have suffering due to skill shortages in engineering.

In some cases, international borders won’t be a problem for hiring managers as they look outside their own country to find the best engineers. This is especially true for highly technical specialist engineering jobs.

Excellent Workplace Culture’s

Following on from the ability to implement work from home and hybrid working policies the virtual workplace opens the door to a wider field of talent as we discussed in our previous points. Engineering companies are no longer limited by hiring local talent as your recruitment campaigns can now be taken global.

With this relatively new feature available to businesses, access to talent will have increased as competition for the most suitable engineers will have heightened. Other engineering firms will also be leveraging virtual collaboration technology to attract the best talent.

To compete with these firms, you as an employer need to offer more than just a great salary as this has its limits. More and more engineers want an excellent package that makes them feel like they are valued and taken care of.

Your company's culture is important when trying to attract to the right candidate — Your company’s culture is important when trying to attract to the right candidate

The best means of achieving this is by developing a world class work place culture that current and past employees can share on employer review sites such as Indeed and Glassdoor. Establishing a standard set of values that are included in the company’s mission and vision statement will give potential hires something to think about.

Living and upholding these standards in your company’s day to day operations is also important as you don’t want to be seen to just be paying lip service. A culture that allows your engineers to grow, learn and have opportunities to be promoted is also something that attracts engineers.

A culture where engineers feel at ease about raising issues, highlighting room for improvement, or suggesting new process ideas should be encouraged. This all ties in and contributes to your employer brand.

Building A Strong Employer Brand

Engineer candidates are savvier than ever. They have access to vast amount of information about your company and brand and will spend a lot of time researching your company before they even apply for a role. We wrote a blog about this recently.

If you are worried about your employer brand you can invest in developing content for your social media and website to highlight what a great place your company is to work. Reacting to negative reviews in a positive manner and genuinely looking after your staff will help you attract and retain engineers to develop your employer brand.

Having a poor employer brand will make it difficult for you attract those top engineers to grow as an organisation.

Diversity and Equality

People care about what their employer stands for. Social justice campaigns are quite frequent nowadays and interests in these campaigns have sparked people’s interests. Many of those affected or interested in social justice campaigns could be your next hire.

Questions from candidates during interviews around diversity and equality in the workplace shouldn’t surprise interviewers or hiring managers. Having a policy around diversity, equality and inclusion embedded in the organisations mission and vision statement and the company’s cultural will make answering this question easier and make you sound more genuine.

Diversity and equality in an organisation are beneficial to your company

Diversity and equality in an organisation are beneficial to your engineering company and its also healthy for your teams and your management hierarchy.

Our Solutions

Recruitment as an industry is fast paced and the changing dynamics of recruitment for the engineering segment is rapid. Trying to keep up with the engineering industry recruitment trends while trying to run your engineering company and the day-to-day operation behind the business is challenging.

Luckily there is a solution to this problem and that is to partner with STEM RP to source top engineering talent. We have over 35 years of combined experience in technical and engineering recruitment.

We are always keeping our finger on the pulse to ensure you get the engineering talent your business deserves. Contact us today for more information.

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Electrical Engineers & Data Centres – Powering the Internet

Challenges Facing Data Centres

Opportunities for Electrical Engineers

Good news for Electrical Engineers

The difference data centres are making:

Our Solutions

What is a Recruitment Agency?

How Do Recruitment Agencies Operate?

Why You Should Use a Recruitment Agency? (Employers Prospective)

Why You Should Use a Recruitment Agency? (Jobseekers Prospective)

The Recruitment Agencies Customer.

Our Solutions

1. Rewrite your Job Descriptions To Shorten Your Recruitment Process.

2. Be Realistic and Focus on Skills During The Recruitment Process

3. Invest in Software For Your Recruitment Process

Our Solutions

Why Ask Interview Questions, During Your Interview?

Do Your Research On Interview Questions.

How Many Interview Questions Should You Ask?

What Interview Questions to Avoid.

Some Great Interview Questions to Ask an Employer

Interview Questions About The Company

Interview Questions To ask The Hiring Manager

Next Steps

Recruiting Engineering Staff How to Hire the Best Engineers: 5 Steps

Build An Employer Brand

Engage With Diverse Talent Pools When Recruiting Engineering Staff

Invest in Apprenticeships When Recruiting Engineering Staff

Widen The Search to Include Other Sectors

Work with a Specialist Recruitment Company

Our Solutions

Online Presence and Personal Branding:

LinkedIn

Be Active

Simple steps for the Onboarding Process.

Phase 1: Pre-Onboarding Process

Phase 2: Welcoming phase

Phase 3: Role Specific Training

Phase 4: Transition to their new role.

Our Solutions

‘Full’ Employment

Jobs Market

Forecasted Growth

Recession in 2023 unlikely but not impossible

Data Centres Evolution

Renewable Industries

Pharma & Medical Device Production

What does this mean for Ireland’s STEM professionals?

Our Services

Remote Work

Wider Pool of Talent to Select From.

Excellent Workplace Culture’s

Building A Strong Employer Brand

Diversity and Equality

Our Solutions