A new initiative aimed at encouraging the creation of 5,000 new Irish jobs in the first half of 2012 has revealed more than half of SMEs plan to hire new employees this year and businesses that have pledged to take on more staff.
Hireland, which officially launched today, is a volunteer, not-for-profit group that has developed an Ireland-wide initiative to encourage employers to hire skilled people who are out of work. It came about in February 2011 after a chat between a group of friends, who had lost other friends to emigration. Since then, it has grown to include students and people from the business, marketing and media community.
Other findings from Hireland’s survey, conducted earlier this month:
• One in five employers plan to hire school leavers (22pc)
• Two in five employers plan to hire graduates (42pc)
• Almost half (45pc) plan to hire people with less than five years of experience
• Some 38pc plan to hire people with more than five years experience
• Thirty-five per cent plan to hire people on the live register, or unemployed
Hireland said it wants to draw on the power of the collective and act as a catalyst to stimulate job creation. It’s about a positive, confident movement, where one job will lead to another if Irish businesses get on board and pledge a job.
Companies that have already made a pledge to Hireland to create jobs include digital sales agency i-Believe, Saon Group, an operator of online recruitment websites for recruiters and career seekers, communications skills company Blue Moon Communications, and dealership Spirit Motor Group.
Early this month, Hireland surveyed small and medium enterprises. The survey results suggests that 52pc of SMEs plan to hire one more new employees this year. Half of all new jobs will be full-time roles, three in 10 will be mostly part-time positions and the balance will be a mixture of full-time and part-time jobs. The research did, however, reveal that 43pc of companies are undecided about their recruitment plans.
“The findings of the research are positive, but it is clear that there are many business owners out there who have been toying with the notion of taking on additional staff, but don’t feel confident enough to do so,” said Gerard O’Neill, chairman of Amárach Research and co-founder of Hireland.
“Hireland’s message is very clear. If you’re a business owner, pledge a job on www.hireland.ie. A sure way of future proofing your business is to hire more people. By recruiting more people into the business, a company will experience immediate and direct benefits.”