Your Trusted Partner for Recruitment in Ireland

To better fulfill your recruitment needs, we at Remote People are here to help you find top talent in Ireland more effectively than recruiting on your own. Our team understands the local language, customs, and the intricacies of the Irish talent market, giving you a significant advantage in securing the right candidates.

We know where to advertise your job openings to ensure maximum exposure and attract the best talent. Additionally, we assist in designing competitive, locally-appropriate compensation packages that not only appeal to top candidates but also help you optimize costs. 

Get in touch with us to navigate Ireland recruitment landscape with confidence and ease.

Key takeaways

  • Ireland has a service-sector-dominated economy.
  • Irish workers earn a lot but pay relatively small social contributions.
  • The workforce is highly skilled and well-educated.
  • Unemployment is down, while the Irish GDP is set to rise over the next few years.
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This year, Ireland’s economy has turned around once again. After a downturn during the pandemic, Ireland began recovery well but then saw a sudden drop in GDP in 2023. However, the projection for 2024 is a GDP increase of 1.2%, and 3.6% is predicted for 2025. Inflation, which also hit hard last year, is set to drop to 1.9% and keep steady next year. With a population of just over five million people and one of the 30 biggest GDPs in the world of $627.14 billion, Ireland is punching above its weight. This shows that the economy is healthy and ready to welcome investment and new businesses.

The Irish unemployment rate is down to 4.4%, and this level is expected to hold. The Irish labor market is relatively tight at present, and that’s because these workers are in high demand both domestically and around the world. If you’re thinking about starting a business in this country or hiring Irish workers, this article will walk you through the challenges and advantages and tell you how to recruit the employees you need. 

Overview of Ireland Recruitment Industry

More than 50% of the Irish economy is represented by the service sector, while industry accounts for over 40%, with agriculture and fishing playing only small roles. The main industries in Ireland include chemicals, pharmaceuticals, computer hardware and software, medical devices, food products, beverages, and brewing.

Irish workers are considered some of the most highly skilled and well-educated in the world. They’re also paid well for their skills and dedication, and they work hard to deserve it. This clever workforce has also worked hard over the years to champion collective agreements and attain many protections and benefits.

Most Irish companies reach out to find the top talent they need through social media and other platforms using outboard recruitment strategies. They also tend to post vacancies on popular job sites like JobsIreland.ie, Jobs.ie, Jobbio, and Indeed. LinkedIn and Glassdoor are also some of the most well-used sites by Irish workers. Of course, many local and international companies also make use of recruitment agencies and employers of record (EORs) to help them find the best employees for their needs. 

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What Are the Benefits of Recruiting in Ireland?

There are many reasons why many companies are relocating to Ireland or recruiting Irish workers to work for them remotely. Here are some of the main advantages you can gain by hiring Irish employees:

Language

How many European countries use English as a native language? While Irish Gaelic is making a comeback in this country, English is the language of business and daily affairs. Having the ability to communicate directly and clearly with your employees is an incredible advantage that can save you a lot of time and headaches due to miscommunication. In addition, 30% of Irish people can also speak French, German, or Spanish, and these skills can be a great help in doing business across borders.

Cost

Irish workers’ salaries can cost more than many of their European counterparts. The minimum monthly salary in Ireland is 2146.30 Euros/month (roughly 2320 USD), one of the highest in Europe. At the same time, social contributions are relatively low. Employers pay just 11.05% (increasing to 11.15% in October 2024), equivalent to an employee’s salary, to the state social insurance scheme. Corporate income tax is also just 12.5% for trading corporations. In all, this can make hiring Irish workers quite affordable.

Education and Skills

Only 5% of Irish students leave secondary school without attaining their completion certificates. This high rate of academic achievement is echoed in the entire Irish workforce, which is generally very well-educated. At least 54% of 25-64-year-olds have attained their tertiary education credentials, and only 9.3% of young adults aged 18-24 are not in education, employment, or training. This educated and skilled workforce can bring a high level of quality to your team.

Access to Europe

While the UK left the EU in 2020, Ireland remains in the union and enjoys free trade and movement of workers in the Eurozone. This means that by starting a business in Ireland or hiring Irish workers, you gain a foothold in the entire European trading block 

What Legal Considerations Apply When Recruiting in Ireland?

When you’re planning to hire workers in another country, it’s important to make yourself aware of the local legislation that governs labor there. This can help you avoid misclassifying your workers and incorrectly providing them benefits, both actions that risk big fines. Here are some of the most important legal considerations to be aware of:

Working Age

Irish people are allowed to start working in full-time positions at the age of 16. However, they cannot work more than 40 hours/week until they reach the age of 18.

Working Hours and Overtime

The average work week in Ireland is 40 hours, with employees working eight hours a day, five days a week. Irish workers are not allowed to work more than 48 hours in a week. Interestingly, overtime pay is not mandated and is usually set by collective agreements or specified in contracts. Typically, employers pay 150% of normal wages or “time and a half” for overtime hours.

Discrimination

It’s illegal to discriminate on the basis of religion, race, sex, orientation, gender, beliefs, or disabilities. This applies through the recruitment process and during employment.

Irish workers get at least four weeks of paid leave in addition to 10 paid national holidays per year. Maternity leave provides 26 paid weeks, and paternity leave gives two weeks.

Choosing a Recruitment Agency in Ireland

Ireland is home to hundreds of recruitment agencies, big and small. Not all of them, however, will have the skills, experience, and professionalism to fulfill your needs and get you the top talent you require. To help you narrow down your search, consider these important factors:

Cost

Recruiting an employee can cost anywhere between $600-2000. Of course, you want it to be on the lower end of this scale, but will you get the quality of service you require? Set your budget and look for agencies that fall within it. Many charge flat fees while others charge as a percentage of the employee’s salary, with hard-to-find managers, directors, and executives costing more.

Professionalism

How can you find out if a recruitment agency comports itself professionally and produces great results? Look at its reviews and ratings online. These will quickly let you know if an agency treats its recruits well and finds appropriate workers to fill their clients’ job openings.

Experience

Has the agency been in the game for long? If not, you may be putting yourself at risk by working with an agency that doesn’t have enough experience. Recruiters who’ve been around for a while have better connections and more great applicants in their talent pools. They also have experience solving problems at every stage of the recruitment process.

 

As well as recruitment experience, it is worth checking whether they have experience in other HR and expansion services such as Ireland Employer of Record (EOR) support. 

Communication

Great communication is an essential part of your relationship with a recruiter. You need to be able to contact them quickly and easily if you have information to share or to ask questions. For their part, they should stay in close contact to let you know where they are in the process and to continuously tailor their actions to your company’s needs.

Hiring a recruitment agency in Ireland can help you get the talent you need much more effectively than recruiting on your own. These agencies speak the local language and know where to advertise openings to get the most exposure. They can also work with you to put together compensation packages that are appropriate and attractive enough to enable your firm to get the very best talent possible.

Recruit Top Talent Across Europe with Our Recruitment Expertise

Navigating the complexities of hiring and workforce management across different countries can be challenging. Partnering with a reliable recruitment agency ensures you stay compliant with local labor laws, streamline the hiring process, and secure top talent. Learn how Remote People can help you recruit in the following countries:

Recruitment Agencies in Europe
Andorra Austria Azerbaijan
Belgium Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria
Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic
Denmark Estonia Finland
France Germany Greece
Greenland Hungary Iceland
Ireland Italy Kosovo
Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania
Luxembourg Malta Mayotte
Moldova Monaco Montenegro
Netherlands North Macedonia Norway
Poland Portugal Romania
San Marino Slovakia Slovenia
Spain Sweden Switzerland
Turkey Ukraine United Kingdom

Ready to recruit top talent from Ireland? Remote People can help.

Contact us today to discuss your recruitment needs and discover how we can assist you in achieving your business objectives.