The Irish Coming Home

People coming home to work in construction sector in Ireland

Construction sector activity in Ireland is growing strongly, and that growth is showing no sign of abating.  This growth has certainly not gone unnoticed by the Irish diaspora. The number of interested applicants, for roles in Ireland, who are currently living abroad has greatly increased, especially in the 3rd and 4th quarter of 2016, with many talented Construction and Engineering professionals now looking to return to our shores. The result of Brexit has seen a number of emigrants beginning to return from the UK. Irish professionals in the Middle East, Canada and Australia are also beginning to show an interest in returning home, but this has been at a slower rate as salaries and benefit packages there tend to surpass current packages in Ireland.

What are we seeing in the current market place?

The shock result of Brexit, and the resulting fears of the unknown it brings, has led to a number of highly skilled candidates looking to return home. Candidates coming from the UK market are highly sought after here by Tier One Contractors, Sub-contractors and Consultancies alike. With the impending volume of projects in the pipeline, there will be a significant shortage of suitably qualified, experienced candidates. This is when the Construction Sector will need to turn to our Irish Construction professionals abroad and entice them back home. Roles that are currently in high demand are Project Managers with a Civil Engineering background, and Quantity Surveyors at all levels. Consultancies are actively looking for Professional Quantity Surveyors and Contractors are looking for strong Quantity Surveyors who have main contractor experience. Other highly in demand roles are Civil / Structural Engineers, BIM professionals and Building Services Engineers. Demand for Architectural Technologists with strong Revit skills and up to five years’ experience is also extremely high. There are many individuals who left Ireland in the downturn with first rate experience and knowledge in these areas and will be a great asset to any organisation in Ireland that hires them.

Salary benchmarking

In attracting jobseekers back home it is important to ensure they have a realistic expectation of the packages on offer here. Salaries in Ireland do not equate with Canada, Australia or the UK but they are improving along with the overall benefits package being offered.  In many cases, pension contributions, travel allowances, or cars, as well as support for continued education are playing a significant part in the packages on offer here. Many companies are now offering to pay professional fees as part of their employee benefits package also.

Retaining current talent is also a high priority for organisations and as such has resulted in 29% of Construction and Engineering professionals receiving at least 10% or higher increases in their salary. While a return to pre 2007 salaries is quite a way off, organisations are steadily increasing the salaries they are offering.

Lincoln’s Talent Referral Scheme

Lincoln Recruitment runs a Talent Referral scheme that connects talented professionals in GAA clubs and communities nationally and internationally with exciting career opportunities across multiple business sectors, most notably Construction.  It’s a great scheme that sees any referrals of club-mates and/or members successfully placed in employment through Lincoln receive cash rewards (€500 per permanent placement) for both them and their club. This is a nice way of looking after those that are leaving their current location to return to Ireland, and also looking after the GAA club that has taken care of them while they were there. This offer is also extended to any Sports cub at home or abroad. 

Prepared by: Paul Flynn (Commercial Director) & (Sarah Doyle Construction & Engineering Lead)

Lincoln Recruitment