by Martina Rooney | Aug 7, 2018 | Career, Jobs in Ireland, Jobseeking, Management, Team, Wellbeing, Work Life
Q: One of my employees often calls in sick and requests to work from home. I’ve noticed she phones in sick on days there’s a team meeting scheduled and feel she’s avoiding them. I cannot fault her work as she exceeds expectations, even on the days she works from home. However, I do need her in the office. What is the best way to bring this up with her? A: Although this employee’s productivity is not an issue, this situation may set a bad example within a team and have an impact culturally on what is or is not acceptable. There is also the potential that this employee will not last long-term and – given that she is exceeding expectations – this needs to be addressed. The consistent lack of attendance at team meetings can most definitely create knowledge gaps as well as growing voids in the relationships between team members. The frequent sick leave needs to be investigated. As it is specifically around meetings, this raises some red flags that it may be an internal issue. It may suggest that she is either avoiding presenting her work, which is unlikely as her work is exceeding expectations, but perhaps she doesn’t know this, or alternatively, she is avoiding a specific individual or people on the team. 1 Investigate: This staff member may be having challenges in her personal life and the fact that it is around meetings may be a coincidence, so this needs to be dealt with sensitively. Tread softly. Having a discussion with her is essential. It is only after this conversation that you move forward. 2 Approach – start positive: It is important that the individual is aware that the quality of her work is strong and she always exceeds expectations. It is important to start with a positive and to show full recognition for this; perhaps recognise recent pieces of work that have been strong. You will need to approach the fact that she has missed multiple meetings, but do this in a concerned tone rather than a disciplinary one – you wanted to make sure all was okay and to see if there was anything you could do to support her going forward. 3 Approach – Core of the issue: This could go a number of ways as the problem may be an unjustified lack of confidence in her work, a health issue, a clash with another individual at work or a personal issue. You will need to respect how much or little she decides to divulge and the level of action needed after will depend on this feedback. How you react to this feedback will be very important to your on-going relationship. If it is simply an on-going health issue and is cleared up you can simply move on to point four. If there are personal or team member issues, you will need to show support take the necessary action to resolve this. 4 Approach – Explanation of the knock-on effect to the team: Following on from this, it is worth discussing the overall value of attending these team meetings. It is important for all team members to be aware of the overall team objective and be aware of the knock-on effect missing meetings can have on the group. This is not about you being pedantic on time and attendance; you need to explain the overall team effect on potential productivity and inadvertently the need within the team for this to be resolved. While showing concern and flexibility, it is also important to be very clear on the expectations of your team members. 5 Ongoing support: This is an employee who is exceeding expectations, which is not easy to find, so support will be essential, especially if this is a personal issue. Before this conversation, you will also need to consider your working-from-home policy. It may be worth investigating if she could work from home officially on certain days, but not on meeting days. It is important to show the ongoing support for this individual through a structured process reviewing on a weekly/monthly basis if deemed necessary. Having had a discussion like this, it is important going forward that the employee still feels like you are in her corner and have the level of trust needed to still progress within the organisation. Rory Walsh Regional Manager – Cork Collins McNicholas Recruitment & HR Services Group This article first appeared in the business section of The Sunday Independent on the 5th of August, 2018, and the original article can be viewed here. ...Read More
by Dylan Kilgallon | Aug 3, 2018 | Career, Career and Interview Advice, Engineering and Technical, General Interest, Languages, Recruitment, Science, Medical and Pharma, Uncategorized, Work Life
The Opportunity Are you looking for a unique job opportunity? Collins McNicholas Recruitment & HR Services Group are currently seeking to hire Heavy Diesel Mechanics for a company based in New Zealand – our first ever roles to be offered in New Zealand and a clear indication of the progress we have made in international recruitment markets. Our growth overseas is an exciting step for the Collins McNicholas Group and we look forward to expanding our reach even further. The Role The successful candidates for these roles will be responsible for performing mechanical service and repair work assigned in the field while also satisfying customers in the field by carrying out work at a high level of quality in an efficient manner. Our client is an accredited employer with Immigration New Zealand, with 17 branches across the entire country offering generous relocation packages. So, why consider New Zealand? Although quite a distance from Ireland, New Zealand is said to have a similar climate (but with warmer summers!) and landscape, and is widely considered one of the most scenic countries in the world. From hiking and skiing in the mountains to surfing and kayaking, there is something for everyone no matter what part of the country you relocate to. There is also a vibrant city life in some of the larger towns such as Auckland, Wellington and Queensland. New Zealand has a population of almost 5 million people and is steeped in culture. Their people are known for a relaxed and friendly personality, communities are very closely knit and expats are welcomed with open arms year after year. The cost of living...Read More
by David Fitzgibbon | Jul 9, 2018 | Career, Career and Interview Advice, General Interest, Work Life
Q: I am a long-term general manager at a relatively small food-production company that recently appointed a new CEO. I have been tasked with familiarising her with certain company strategies. While I am happy to do this, I am worried that I won’t get the recognition I deserve. I would love for this to contribute to a chance for promotion. However, as I have been passed over a couple of times for promotion, I fear it won’t. Should I bring this up now before applying for the promotion? A: The quick answer is: Yes. This is the ideal time to bring it up, as generally, a new CEO can mean a fresh start and new opportunities. Don’t assume just because you have previously shown interest in promotions, that the business is aware you are still interested. It is up to you to make your employers aware of your aspirations. Key questions to ask yourself From your question, it appears you have quite an in-depth knowledge of the business, and this is very likely the reason why you have been given the responsibility to bring the new CEO up to speed. You need to ask yourself why you have not been successful in getting promoted. Have you received feedback on past interviews? If so, have you understood the reasoning behind this? Have you discussed professional career training and a development plan? Who has tasked you with the role of familiarisation of the CEO – is it the business owner? Do they make, and will they continue to make, the decision about your career opportunities over and above the CEO? Planning...Read More
by admin | Jul 6, 2018 | Career and Interview Advice, General Interest, Jobs in Ireland, South East Relocation Blog Series, Uncategorized, Work Life
Emilio relocated from Spain and is now Senior OQ Co-Ordinator at GSK, Dungarvan, Co. Waterford When I first moved to Waterford, I knew nothing about the area and didn’t know anyone here. Now, the people I work with have become my family and I love it here. I grew up in a small village in the Castilla-La Mancha region of Spain and studied in Madrid before moving to Brussels for work. I moved to Ireland three years ago, first to work with a company in Lismore and then to my current job at GSK. I knew nothing about Waterford before I moved here. It was scary. I thought that I would move home after a week, but I quickly grew to love it. Irish people are very nice, and my colleagues are helpful and always make sure to include me in any plans they have outside of work. The weather may be a little wet, but I am happy. One of the best things about living in Waterford is hurling. I play corner back for Melleray/Glen Rovers GAA club. My friends back in Spain are very intrigued by this, and when they come to visit me, they often buy hurleys as souvenirs! I also coach spin classes and I found a studio nearby to pursue my love of painting. Professionally, I am very happy. I like working for a big company as I encounter new problems to solve every day. It’s never boring. I only live three minutes from work, and last January I was able to buy my own car and who knows, maybe I’ll buy my own house...Read More
by admin | Jul 5, 2018 | General Interest, Guest Blog, Jobs in Ireland, South East Relocation Blog Series, Work Life
Paul McGrath was living in Dublin for four years when he packed his bags for the sunny south east and moved back home to be closer to family and friends. The best thing about relocating to Waterford is being closer to my family and friends; it’s great that I now get to see them more often than when I lived in Dublin. I’m originally from Cappoquin so when the opportunity came up to take a job so close to home, I went for it. I was living in Dublin for four years before moving back. Before, I would have seen my family at least once a month, but now I get to see them whenever I want. The great thing about living in Waterford is that it’s not too far from anywhere. It is only an hour and a half to Dublin so it’s not too far to travel when I want to go back and visit friends, or my brother who’s living there. I started working in EirGen in February 2018 and the culture is really nice. Everyone is very friendly and they all work well with each other. My commute —from Cappoquin to Waterford Industrial Estate on Old Kilmeaden Road— now takes me about 40 minutes each way but traffic is less congested compared to Dublin, so the journey is much smoother, and I still get home pretty early. It’s great having more free time. Now I can hit the gym, head to the cinema or play six-aside football on AstroTurf whenever I feel like it. See why other people are moving to the South East...Read More
by admin | Jul 5, 2018 | General Interest, Jobs in Ireland, Recruitment, South East Relocation Blog Series, Work Life
Kriti Bhargava moved to Waterford from India after securing a scholarship for a PhD at TSSG, a research group at Waterford IT. When I was a student in Mandi in Northern India, I lived directly on campus, so my entire life took place there. But here, I have found more independence because I live in my own apartment just a five-minute walk from Waterford town centre. I only need to take a short bus journey to travel to work. I moved to Waterford from India in October 2014 after securing a scholarship for a PhD in Science at TSSG, a research group with Waterford Institute of Technology. There are more opportunities here. The work environment is very motivating and there is an immense support system to help us learn and push our limits. We are also encouraged to publish our work in top-tier journals and conferences to give it an international audience. Through my research I’ve been able to travel to many different places including Boston, France, Dubai and California. There’s a good balance between work and recreation here in Waterford. I have taken more of an interest in my fitness and joined the gym, and the monthly Tech Meetups are a good place to meet people from the industry and see how our work applies there. Everything is approachable, especially the people. There’s a good student community and there are some great places to go out and meet friends —whether it’s to the pubs, down to the beach, or to the People’s Park, which is great for running. I’ve visited other parts of Ireland too since moving here...Read More
