We have gathered insights into the latest hiring trends in Ireland, drawing from direct engagement with both jobseekers and employers across multiple sectors. According to our CEO Shona McManus ‘The workplace and employment landscape continues to evolve and change considerably, and we are noticing recently shifts and misalignments between candidate and employer behaviours, expectations and recruitment practices.’
Hybrid Work Demand and Salary Disparity Shape Jobseeker Decisions
Jobseeker expectations are at an all-time high, particularly regarding hybrid and remote work arrangements. A growing number of professionals are now refusing to engage with roles that do not offer flexibility. Alongside this, jobseekers are entering hiring processes with higher salary expectations, often not matched by employer budgets, leading to greater negotiation challenges and a higher risk of jobseeker drop-off during prolonged recruitment cycles.
Increase in Contract Roles and Challenges in Retention
There has been a marked rise in contract-based opportunities. However, retention concerns persist, with employers increasingly focused on sourcing jobseekers with long-term commitment potential. The trend of frequent job changes – with some jobseekers listing three to four roles over the past few years – has made longevity a key hiring criterion for employers. This pattern is further complicated by intensified competition, with employers and agencies alike having to tap into multiple jobseeker sourcing channels.
Public Sector Interest and Commuting Concerns Drive Career Moves
A surge of interest in public sector roles is being observed, primarily due to perceptions of job security. In addition, commute times are now a significant driver for job changes, with many jobseekers prioritising roles that offer shorter travel time or fully remote options.
Engineering and IT Roles Present Hiring Hurdles
While many permanent roles are being filled efficiently, niche sectors such as engineering, health & safety, and IT remain difficult to recruit for. Despite receiving a high volume of CVs in some sectors, consultants report that sourcing jobseekers with the right skills for technical roles is particularly challenging. Additionally, professionals from healthcare backgrounds are increasingly looking to transition away from shift work, creating placement challenges due to mismatched expectations.
Evolving Employer Behaviour and Market Pressures
Hiring processes are becoming more protracted, often with evolving job specifications mid-process. This uncertainty, combined with elongated interview timelines, is increasing the risk of losing top-tier jobseekers to faster-moving opportunities. Consultants also note a reluctance from some employers to clearly define role requirements from the outset. Speed of process was another topic noted by consultants where they noted that speed in all areas throughout the recruitment process makes a huge difference to both the jobseeker experience and the employer they are interviewing with.
‘A two-stage interview process with quick feedback after each interview makes all the difference, rather than waiting weeks for feedback from interviews.’ – Shane Hanrahan, Recruitment Team Lead (Recruitment Expert in Commercial Roles)
Rise in Demand for AI Expertise
There has been a noticeable increase in demand for jobseekers with experience or qualifications in artificial intelligence, not only within IT but also across manufacturing and life sciences sectors, marketing, accountancy and office administration. Employers are beginning to value AI capabilities as a strategic asset for the future workforce.
Application Volumes and Jobseeker Conduct
Application volumes are inconsistent, with some roles receiving no applications and others receiving large quantities. There has also been an increase in unqualified applicants, possibly due to jobseeker “spamming” using AI & manually. This has occurred in cases where recruitment consultants discovered candidates using AI tools to update their CV based on a role and it’s specifications with no evidence of the claimed experience during the screening process.
‘Employers have become more aware of candidates utilising AI to create CV’s, cover letters and profiles so if it is easy to see that a CV has been written by AI it can make employers cautious and/or less confident in the application.’ – Joanne Murray, Recruitment & Business Director (Recruitment Expert in Commercial Roles)
Consultants have reported instances of unprofessional behaviour such as interview no-shows and ghosting:
‘We feel that ghosting has become increasingly more popular with jobseekers over the last 6+ months. We’ve also seen an increase in jobseekers pulling out of interview last minute for several different reasons whether it be personal, they discussed it with their spouse and decided it’s not for them after all, or for other reasons.’ – Grainne O’Donnell, Principal Recruitment Consultant (Recruitment Expert in Warehouse & Industrial Roles)
About Osborne
Osborne is a Leading, International, Irish Owned, multi–Award-Winning Recruitment Consultancy with a reputation for Recruitment Excellence. Our expert team is driven by a culture of High Performance, High Commitment and High Quality, where we live and breathe our strong values of Excellence, Integrity, Collaboration, Care and Growth. Together, as One Team, we change people’s lives.
Offering Temporary, Contract, Permanent Recruitment, RPO, Managed Services and Bespoke Talent Solutions we partner with clients across a broad range of sectors from start-ups, SME’s, Irish indigenous firms, Government bodies to MNC’s, recruiting across the multiple specialisms.
Right Person, Right Job, No Compromise.
