Paul McArdle

Ireland is a village. Anyone can find out anything about anyone. That has both benefits and challenges, particularly when it comes to references.

Recruiters get more calls from candidates after the holidays, and I expect the usual post-Christmas rush. Here are some tips on how to navigate the process.

Probation periods are helpful for both employers and employees. By following these guidelines, both parties can better ensure that candidates are set up correctly for future success.

Do companies have a good work culture? Are employers true to their stated values? These are just some of the questions we cover in part two our Candidate Sentiment Survey.

Some 1,796 candidates—from junior management to “C” suite level—completed our Candidate Sentiment Survey. The results show the shifting of power from employees to employers.

Being called for an interview for a promotion is one thing; being asked to interview for your own job is another. It usually leads to a bigger role or a redundancy payment. Either way, you need to game out your strategy in advance.

The debate around employees returning full-time to their company’s offices has been intensified by Amazon’s decision to require everybody back inside. Other companies will likely follow suit but employees will also have their say.

Work/life balance is becoming more prevalent in the workplace and employees are pushing back against an “always on” culture. Smart employers are recognising that it’s an issue which is not going away.

The traditional pattern of employment is collapsing rapidly. Offices are clearing out, rents are falling and even the traditional CV is becoming irrelevant. These are just some of the trends identified by LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman.

Netflix discovered that when they let people go who were average or good at their roles, they were left with high performers. These high performers excelled in what was now, by default, a high-performance culture.