The Sustainability of Technology Talent in Ireland

We conducted a survey of Technology leaders at the end of 2018 with the purpose of confirming whether our views about the trends & challenges in tech recruitment in Ireland were consistent with that of hiring managers as we entered into 2019.

Below is a detailed report of the survey and findings, which ultimately concludes that businesses need to have a global talent acquisition strategy in place. And now.

The background to the Survey

With the number of Foreign Direct Investment businesses coming into Ireland continuing at pace combined with the growth rate of indigenous companies, Ireland is experiencing unprecedented demands for technology talent.

With this in mind, we sought the views of hiring managers across many technology verticals on the impact of a talent shortage on their growth plans, including their process and challenges when hiring from outside Ireland.

The Methodology

The study was conducted using an online survey conducted from 15th-29th of November 2018.

Prospective respondents were contacted and asked to participate in an online survey. Within the email was an embedded survey link which brought respondents who agreed to participate directly to answer the survey.

The survey was designed to determine the impact that a skills shortage could potentially have on hiring managers in the technology sector in Ireland and potential solutions to this challenge. All individual responses are confidential and only aggregated responses are recorded.

 Respondents were given an opportunity to comment on what barriers currently exist in the attraction of Technology talent from overseas to Ireland.

The Demographics of the Respondents

Respondents are hiring managers working in technology sector in Ireland, both for multinationals and indigenous organisations across a variety of industries.

·        Respondents operate at:

-         CIO/CTO

-         Divisional Directors

-         Head of Functions

-         Team Managers

 Over 500 respondents completed the survey, a sizable sample from within the Irish Technology ecosystem from which to base our findings.

Research Findings

1.   A significant majority of Technology Leaders (84.5%) don’t feel that Ireland is producing enough technology talent to meet the growing demands. (see Fig 1 below).

2.   Over 90% of respondents are currently, or plan to hire talent from across the EU in order to meet their growth plans (see Fig.2 below). Of these, 78% are of the view that Ireland is an attractive destination for EU Talent.

3.   Over 77% of respondents currently, or plan to hire talent from outside the EU which is indicative of the skills shortage, given the current elongated visa processing times (See Fig 3). Of these, two-thirds of these respondents are of the view that the current work permit application process in Ireland for non-EU nationals is too cumbersome, in particular the critical skills processing times. (see Fig 4)

4.   84.5% of, respondents are of the view that there is an opportunity for the Irish Government to improve its immigration policy in order to attract the best Talent from around the world. Given Brexit, and tighter visa restrictions in the US and Australia, Ireland is now viewed by respondents as being in a prime position to take advantage and attract Talent seeking to move to an English-speaking developed nation (see Fig 6 below)

Overall Conclusions

• The survey results overwhelmingly suggest that Technology Leaders are of the view that Ireland isn’t producing enough tech talent to meet the demands of the market.
• The majority of respondents believe Ireland is an attractive destination for EU talent which is extremely positive. This is despite the cost of living, accommodation challenges and high income tax issues that were highlighted as potential deterrents.
• Most of the respondents are having to hire from outside the EU in order to meet their growth objectives, however lengthy Work Permit/Visa processing times is obstructing employee recruitment. 
• The 3-4 month wait for critical skills Work Permits is delaying projects within these Tech organisations
• The majority who hire from outside the EU believe that the immigration policy in Ireland needs to be reviewed in order to attract non- EU talent, in particular multi-entries for children and spouse.

If you're interested in discussing how to develop a proven global talent acquisition strategy within your organisation, please don't hesitate to reach out.