Office Support

Guide to Using the STAR Interview Technique - Collins McNicholas

​For many candidates, the interview process can be a very overwhelming experience with many fearing they will fail to recall important details and undersell their ability. The STAR technique is a m...

Net Promoter Score (NPS): How we measure our Candidates' Experience

Net Promoter Score (NPS) is “one of the most common customer experience metrics used by companies around the world.” NPS measures how businesses are perceived by their customers by asking one simp...

Edwards Lifesciences’ Limerick Journey to Date

It has been a fantastic recruitment journey to date that we have taken with Edwards Lifesciences over the last few years, with more exciting and busy times to come.Edwards Lifesciences is a US mul...

Collins McNicholas awarded Best Managed Company by Deloitte Ireland for eighth year in a row

 Collins McNicholas announced as one of Ireland’s Best Managed Companies 2021Company receives award for eighth timeCollins McNicholas has been named as one of Ireland’s Best Managed Companies. The ...

Collins McNicholas Releases 2021 Salary Guide

Welcome to the Collins McNicholas 2021 Salary Guide. In what has been an unprecedented twelve months, we are now presenting an in-depth review of salaries across various employment sectors nationwi...

Positivity: Learning From My Candidates and Changing My Attitude

​“What you tell yourself every day will either lift you up or tear you down”, so today I chose ‘productive and positive’ as my mantra while I got ready for the day ahead. Initially, I was inspired ...

How LinkedIn Can Be Key To Your New Role

​LinkedIn is unquestionably the social network for job-seeking professionals—or even if you are not looking right now. 92% percent of recruiters use social media in their work today, and LinkedIn i...

Employment Law Considerations in the COVID-era

​Employment Law has been an area of turbulence in the COVID-era for employers. As “levels” and restrictions come and go, the challenges faced by organisations are greater, in order to ensure that a...

Edwards Vacuum open new Service Technology Centre in Dublin

​Edwards, the leading supplier of vacuum and abatement services and solutions to the global semiconductor industry, announced today that it is establishing a new Service Technology Centre (STC) in ...

10 Point Compliance Checklist for Contractors

​It is perfectly safe for companies to engage independent professionals, however there is a responsibility on those tasked with compliance to ensure it is a bona-fide independent engagement.The fol...

Biopharma Report 2020 – Labour Market Review Series: Volume 3

​Collins McNicholas’ Biopharma Report analyses the current state of the industry in Ireland today as well as the rapid expansion of biologics production.​There are over 30,000 people working in the...

Job searching in the age of COVID: How to ensure you remain top of the pile

​With the shadow of COVID- 19 still looming large, as a recruiter, I get quite regular questions about job searching during such an unprecedented and unpredictable time.In a normal time, not so lon...

The 10 Most Common Covid-19 Related Employment Law Questions – Answered

​The Covid-19 crisis has certainly placed us all in uncharted waters – while we adjust to a new way of living and working, the majority of businesses are now navigating employment law scenarios wit...

Collins McNicholas promotes Emma Woods to Manager of the People Consulting Team

Collins McNicholas is announcing the promotion of Emma Woods to the role of Manager of the People Consulting Team.Emma, who was previously a Senior Occupational PsychologyConsultant for the Collins...

Managing a Remote Workforce

Is remote working new to your team? Here are some tips for managing a remote working team!​With all the talk about working from home these days, we also need to think about how we manage our teams ...

COVID-19: Changing the way we do things – Video Interviewing

​In a time when social distance is required, we need to adapt how we conduct our business and learn to do things differently. As more and more businesses are instructing employees to stay at home, ...

How I Maintain High Productivity Levels while Working from Home

​​Recent developments in the coronavirus pandemic have resulted in many companies asking their staff to work remotely. Working from home can be daunting especially for those who have never had to d...

Kerry Relocation Survey Launch

​Highly-skilled professionals have transformed their careers and lives by moving to Kerry in search of better quality of life, support network and career opportunities – survey showsQuality of life...

Best Managed Companies 2020

​Collins McNicholas announced as one of Ireland’s Best Managed Companies! Company receives award for 7th timeCollins McNicholas has been named as one of Ireland’s Best Managed companies in the Delo...

Design the Life you Love – Niamh Brady

​I had the pleasure of meeting Niamh Brady, Productivity Coach, at our annual Company Conference in Croke Park recently. Niamh is a fountain of knowledge and energy – we sang, we danced, and we lau...

Cork Employment Law Breakfast Briefing 2020

​HR professionals from Cork & the South of Ireland attend Annual Employment Law Breakfast in the Maryborough Hotel, CorkOver 100 business owners and HR professionals from local SME’s to large m...

5 Things to Remember When Starting a New Job

​1. Be preparedGet prepared and organised ahead of your first day. Don’t leave it until the last minute to arrange any items or materials you might need to bring. Figure out what your commute is go...

Our New Charity Partner: Irish Hospice Foundation

​As we begin a new year and a new decade, Collins McNicholas Recruitment & HR Services Group are delighted to announce a new charity partnership with The Irish Hospice Foundation.The Irish Hosp...

Midlands Employment Law Breakfast Briefing 2020

​HR professionals from across the Midlands attend annual employment law event in Athlone​Almost 100 business owners and HR professionals from local SME’s to large multinationals attended the much-a...

9 Ways to Keep Your Resolutions on Track in 2020

How good are you at keeping your New Year’s resolutions on track? Like most people, I make resolutions, and, like most people, they lie in ruins by the end of January. As a result, the changes I ho...

Christopher O’Toole – Promoted to Galway Branch Manager

​New Galway Branch Manager appointment at Collins McNicholasCollins McNicholas is announcing the appointment of Christopher O’Toole as its Galway Branch Manager.Christopher, who has a Bachelor of A...

Michael O’Brien – Promoted to Cork Branch Manager

​New Cork Branch Manager appointed at Collins McNicholasCollins McNicholas is announcing the appointment of Michael O’Brien to the role of Cork Branch Manager.Founded in 1990, Collins McNicholas ha...

Sabrina Borges Barry – CMcN Employee Relocation Stories

​Sabrina Borges Barry – “I feel the consultants here really care about the people they are placing and their needs and circumstances.”​Sabrina Borges Barry journey to working at Collins McNicholas ...

Job Search Tips: Find Your Dream Job

​Job searching, where to start?​At one point or another, we are all faced with the prospect of searching for a new job. This may come at the beginning of your career when looking for the perfect en...

New Associate Director roles announced at Collins McNicholas

​Collins McNicholas is announcing the appointment of two newly created roles of Associate Director to the company.Mary Mullin will take on the role of Associate Director — Leinster and Rory Walsh w...

How to Provide a Positive Candidate Experience

​It’s a candidate’s market right now — and as an employer, it’s in your own best interest to provide a great hiring experience. Not only is it good business practice but you could incur very seriou...

Key Traits of Successful Leaders

​Many of us working in talent management are aware of the saying ‘people leave managers, not companies’.​According to the British Psychological Society’s latest research, 43% of HR Professionals ra...

Lean into fear! What are you afraid of?

​We all see the motivational messages on social media –“be your best self”, “lean into fear”, “push yourself outside of your comfort zone”– and for a brief minute we vow to. But something stops us ...

5 Top Tips for Recruiting in a Candidate-Driven Market

We all know that the recruitment industry today is a candidate-driven market. Ireland’s workforce is more qualified today than it has ever been before. It is estimated that 56.2% of adults aged 15-...

Collins McNicholas signs partnership with IT experts CompuStaff

​Collins McNicholas Recruitment & HR Services Group has signed a new partnership with IT recruitment specialists CompuStaff, based in Galway.The deal will see CompuStaff work closely with Colli...

5 Key Traits for a Successful Career in Science

​The demand for science professionals has never been higher. In what can only be described as a candidate-driven market it is thought that jobseekers have an abundance of options to choose from. Ho...

Turn Downs – eight ways in which you can turn a candidate OFF your organisation at interview

​Why are candidates not choosing my organisation? What are other organisations doing at interview that we are not, to get these candidates engaged? How am I turning candidates off from joining my t...

Midlands Skills Survey 2019

There has never been a better time for employers to establish a base in the Midlands – or for employees to progress their career here.​A cluster of dynamic and growing multinationals, as well as po...

Why You Should Use A Recruitment Consultant

​Of late I have found myself explaining to family and friends what I do. I had assumed that when I said I am a Recruitment Consultant, they would know… but this is not the case!So, in short, we hel...

Assessments: The Future of Recruitment

​As a practitioner of ability and personality assessments, I’ve noticed a major push towards integrating psychometric tools into recruitment processes. Not only is this improving efficiency, but it...

Courtney Russell – CMcN Employee Relocation Stories

​Courtney Russell – “In many ways we’re still in the honeymoon phase, discovering new places every weekend and being bowled over with the beauty of Sligo at every turn. I feel so fortunate to have ...

The Road Less Traveled: An Unlikely Career Journey

​Let the journey begin, again.For the third time in four years, I have changed jobs and it’s back to learning the ropes. Although career changing is often challenging, my latest role as a Recruitme...

Shane McVeigh “I had thought I needed to stay in Dublin in order to progress my career but moving to Sligo has actually helped advance it further.”

​For our North West Relocation Survey, we talked to Shane McVeigh, Senior Software Developer for Overstock in Sligo.​“I had thought I needed to stay in Dublin in order to progress my career but mov...

Alex Lustig “I have space for friends to stay when they visit, that’s a luxury I could never have afforded in New York.”

​As part of our North West Relocation Survey, we spoke to Alex Lustig who is the International Innovation and Experience Analyst at LiveTiles in Sligo.​“I’m originally from New Jersey in the US and...

Darren Crocock “Abbott provides a great opportunity to develop and build your career and it’s a really exciting time to be part of the organisation.”

​For our North West Relocation Survey, we talked to Darren Crocock, who relocated from Kildare.Darren is now Project Engineer at Abbott in Donegal.​“Originally I’m from Sligo, but for the past 18 y...

Matthew Kavanagh “I have friends in Dublin who are on the same salary as me but have a lot less disposable income.”

​As part of our North West Relocation Survey, we talked to Matt Kavanagh, Drug Product Operations Supervisor at AbbVie in Sligo.​“Sligo is not a massive city, so I was a bit apprehensive about movi...

Sonya Connolly “I’ve taken up more activities since moving — surfing, dancing and lake swimming, things I would never have done – or had the time to do — in Dublin”

​As part of our North West Relocation Survey, we spoke with Sonya Connolly, who relocated back home to Sligo.Sonya is now the Human Resources Manager at Avenue – A GW Plastics Company.After my Leav...

Niamh Parkinson “Since moving to Carrick, we are all – including the dog – much happier!”

​For our North West Relocation Survey, we talked to Niamh Parkinson who relocated to Carrick-On-Shannon in Co. Leitrim where she secured a role with Avantcard as Digital Customer Journey Manager.“S...

Why I chose the North West: survey tells the real stories of professionals who have transformed their careers and lives by moving to the region

​Why I chose the North West: survey tells the real stories of professionals who have transformed their careers and lives by moving to the region​Access to schools and support networks are two of th...

Why Westport: 10 Reasons You Should Choose to Live & Work in Westport

​Recent times have seen more and more people relocating for work. Factors such as the cost of living, social life and family life will impact a person’s decision and it is very hard to get the perf...

Top 5 Basic Recruitment Process Errors being made in the current skills shortage market

​Are you making any of these errors?1. Not taking 5 minutes to discuss the 5 biggest benefits of working in an organisation and role like this.​Employee engagement initiativesTraining and developme...

Management can’t see that I do my job well – how can I show my skills?

​​​​Rory Walsh​​Associate Director | Munster​rory.walsh@collinsmcnicholas.ie​

Concise CV Advice for Accountancy Professionals

​With almost 6 years experience of working with Accountancy & Finance professionals at all levels, it is amazing how often I speak to candidates who either need or ask for CV advice.Your CV rep...

Meissner Filtration Products unveil plans for 150 jobs in Castlebar

​Camarillo, California, February 1st, 2019 – Meissner Filtration Products announced today that it will expand manufacturing operations by establishing a facility in County Mayo, Ireland, creating u...

How do I improve my dated CV?

​This article was first published in the Sunday Independent on Sunday, January 13th 2019, and the original publication can be viewed here.​Query: I have been working as a department head in the sam...

Collins McNicholas Wins Galway Business of The Year and Best SME 2018

​On Saturday last, December 1st, Collins McNicholas Recruitment & HR Services Group were winners of the Galway Business of The Year at the annual Galway Chamber of Commerce dinner. Not only thi...

“Galway scenery is breathtaking, especially early in the morning when the first thing I see is the bay and the ocean,” Paweł Hajan

​Paweł HajanTeam Member,Zeltiq/Allergan, GalwayCycling, swimming, jogging and shopping the key elements of a comfortable lifestyle for Pawel in Galway.My wife and I moved to Galway from Poland in O...

Why Inma Aguilera chose Galway for her career

​Inma Aguilera, Manufacturing Process Development Engineer, Creganna Medical, GalwayBeautiful scenery, a fifteen-minute commute and the opportunity to grow her career. Why Inma Aguilera is loving l...

“The prospects here in the West of Ireland are among the best in the world,” Ruairi Conroy

​Ruairí Conroy, Managing Director, SiteMinder, GalwaySince relocating to the West, I have more time to slow down at the weekends. There is a much more outdoorsy feel to living here; we can take our...

Strong growth predicted by Collins McNicholas as company celebrates 20 years in Sligo

​First two original Sligo employees now directors of the companyStaff numbers more than doubled in Sligo over the past five yearsContinued growth predicted in Sligo by owners as outlook positiveCol...

How to Deal with a Negative Work Environment

​In the challenging environment, we find ourselves today – with a daily balancing act from home to work and work to home – walking into a negative work environment is the last thing you want to fac...

Galway-Mayo Relocation Survey 2018

Highly-skilled professionals drawn to the West for a better quality of life, career opportunities and more disposable income – survey shows​Three in four professionals didn’t find it difficult to f...

First Day Nerves – How to approach your first few days in a new job.

​First days – we’ve all had them! Do you remember your first day of school? Nervous but excited, you hope everyone is friendly and that you get off to a good start, but you’re unsure what to expect...

How can I help my staff accept a new manager following the death of his predecessor?

​Question: I own a medium-sized marketing firm with a team of 20 people. Four months ago, one of our managers died. He was a superb employee and fantastic at motivating his team and boosting morale...

Professor Kevin Murphy | Misbehaviour in The Workplace

​When it comes to a culture of bad behaviour in business, is it the fault of an individual or the organisation?If you open a newspaper or turn on your favourite news show, it’s likely you’ll find a...

How should I deal with a good employee who avoids team meetings by calling in sick?

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 ...

South East Relocation Survey 2018

​Quality of life, short commutes and more disposable income reasons top talent are being drawn to the sunny South EastOver three-quarters of professionals who relocated have more disposal income – ...

A focus on the MedTech industry in the West of Ireland

​Medical device companies are dispersed throughout Ireland. Their presence means that there is a steady supply of talent in every region, allowing MedTech companies to easily set up a facility anyw...

Why I Love Waterford ~ Kriti Bhargava

​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 c...

Paul McGrath, “When the opportunity came up to take a job so close to home, I went for it.”

​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 Waterfor...

Emilio Moya Rosa, “I play corner back for Melleray/Glen Rovers GAA club.”

​Emilio relocated from Spain and is now Senior OQ Co-Ordinator at GSK, Dungarvan, Co. WaterfordWhen I first moved to Waterford, I knew nothing about the area and didn’t know anyone here. Now, the p...

My Relocation to Kilkenny – Ludovic Gavillet

​Ludovic Gavillet, together with his wife and newborn son, made the move from Switzerland to Kilkenny to work with Lighthouse Studios – and he hasn’t looked back since!I’m originally from Switzerla...

How can I boost retention rates and stop staff leaving my company after three years?

​Q: I’ve been running my own business for the last 10 years and several staff have been here since the beginning. However, we are having trouble retaining new hires. Anytime someone new joins, it s...

I know I am being managed out of my HR job by firm’s new owners – what should I do?

​Question: I’ve enjoyed my role as Head of Human Resources with a large tech company for five years. A year ago, the company was taken over and the new owners brought in their own executives. Since...

Collins McNicholas named one of Ireland’s Best Managed Companies

​Collins McNicholas, Recruitment & HR Services Group, has been named as one of Ireland’s best-managed companies under the Gold category in the Deloitte Best Managed Companies Awards Programme.T...

My manager is being cold with me since I got my promotion. What should I do?

​Question: I was offered a promotion recently and I am now working equally alongside a manager who trained me when I moved to the company five years ago. Since I was promoted, she has become cold a...

Edwards Lifesciences to open operations in the Mid-West of Ireland

​The attractiveness of the Midwest as a region to set up a world-class manufacturing operation and source top talent across a range of roles was further endorsed this week with the announcement fro...

How do I encourage a quiet staff member to speak up and take credit for their work?

Question: I am responsible for managing two junior staff members at an advertising firm. They work on projects together but have their own specific tasks to carry out. When it comes to presenting t...

How do I handle a bullying complaint when I have never witnessed any problems?

​Question: A member of my team has come to me with an allegation of bullying about a colleague. I have never witnessed it, so I am unsure how to address the matter. I feel it is my responsibility t...

How to Bounce Back After Making an Uncharacteristic and Costly Mistake at Work

​Question: I am a marketing manager of a pharmaceutical company and really enjoy my job. Normally I receive nothing but praise from the owners of the company and have always felt confident in my ro...

Cork is Proving to be a Magnet for Tech Workers

​Cork is Proving to be a Magnet for Tech Workers in Search of Better Career Opportunities, Work-life Balance and Quality of Life.​Seven in ten tech professionals move to Cork for career opportuniti...

I don’t know how to tell my supervisor I’m overworked in my busy public relations firm

​Question: I’ve been working as a manager in a PR agency for five years and have really enjoyed my job until recently. In the past three months my workload – and that of my team – has dramatically ...

Can Encouraging People to Take Initiative Actually be Harmful?

​As organizations face uncertainty and rapid change, taking initiative or being proactive is increasingly encouraged. In the main, being proactive is beneficial for both individual employee perform...

How do I cope with the gaps left by staff going sick at short notice in my small team?

​Question: I manage a small team in an accountancy firm. As you can imagine, this is a busy time of the year for us, but it is the time when people end up going off sick, with flu and other illness...

Preparing Your Team to Cope While You Take Extended Paternity Leave

​Question: I am a senior manager at an engineering firm heading a team of six. My wife is due to give birth to our first baby and I want to take time off when the baby comes. However, I’m worried a...

How can I tell my sister her son is not a suitable candidate for a position in my office?

​Question: Our engineering company is hiring and I am in charge of selecting interview candidates. My sister told me her son (my nephew) is applying and that he could do with the confidence boost, ...

Dealing With The Difficult Task of Making a Close Friend Redundant

Question: Last year, a promotion came up at the IT firm where I work. A colleague and close friend pushed me to put myself forward. When I got the job she was the first to celebrate with me.Now, du...

Helping a New Team Leader Rise to The Challenge After a Rocky Start

​Question: I’m the senior manager in a MedTech firm. I promoted another staff member to team leader after he showed exceptional skill during a successful trial period. Eight weeks into his role, tw...

How can I ensure my boss gives me a fair reference when she is unhappy I am leaving?

​Question: I’ve been working in the marketing and sales department of an engineering firm for the last three years. I meet all my quarterly targets; I am a good team worker and have exceeded the ex...

I was horrified to learn I am paid less than male colleagues – how do I reduce the gap?

​Question: With all the talk about the gender pay gaps in the news recently, I started to wonder if my pay was on a par with my male colleagues so I did a bit of asking around.I was horrified to fi...

I’m worried about how I’m going to make my mark as a young first-time Team Leader

​Question: I’m in my early 30s and nearly 10 years into a successful IT career. I’ve recently been given the responsibility of managing a team of junior staff. If all goes well, I’ll be offered an ...

My exciting new job has let me down, so how do I make it challenging and fulfilling?

​Question: I left my job with a software company six months ago to take on a more senior role with another firm. The job spec was promising and after the interview it seemed like a company I would ...

It feels like the time to spread my wings, but should I heed fears about the role on offer?

​Question: I am a senior manager in the MedTech industry and, after 20 years with my current company, I feel it is time to seek new challenges. I’ve been for several interviews and I’ve been offere...

Will passing up a promotion when my children were younger ruin my chances this time?

​Question: I am trying to move up in my career but I am worried past decisions may come back to haunt me. Five years ago, when my two children were quite young, I passed up a promotion as it would ...

How to Change Culture, Deliver an ‘Out of Office’ Message and Reclaim Time For Yourself

​Question: I am a manager at a high-paced media company. While I enjoy my job, the pressure is relentless. There are just not enough hours in the day to get all the work done and even when I get ho...

How to Change Culture, Deliver an ‘Out of Office’ Message and Reclaim Time For Yourself

​Question: I am a manager at a high-paced media company. While I enjoy my job, the pressure is relentless. There are just not enough hours in the day to get all the work done and even when I get ho...

I Need a Plan of Action to Help Boost Morale and Enthusiasm Among My Flagging Team

​Question: I am a manager in a software company and feel that the team is lacking in morale and general enthusiasm. I want to motivate them and am thinking I need to spend more time planning career...

I Need a Plan of Action to Help Boost Morale and Enthusiasm Among My Flagging Team

​​​Question:I am a manager in a software company and feel that the team is lacking in morale and general enthusiasm. I want to motivate them and am thinking I need to spend more time planning caree...

Better Quality of Life is Attracting Talent to the Midwest

Marie Aimee Giard, Team Leader at Uber, Limerick – “I’m really happy that I made the choice to move to Ireland and I enjoy my life in Limerick”​​Career opportunities, a better quality of life and l...

I have to fire an employee – how do I approach this situation with confidence?

​Question: I have been a manager of a software company for a number of years. I have successfully dealt with a number of issues, such as confronting people on their performance, etc. However, a mor...