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Ask Engage People

Big Changes in Employee Pensions Coming

The results of Engage People&rsquo;s annual Financial and Technology Salary&nbsp;&amp; Market Trends study is available now.
Our <a href="https://engagepeople.ie/download/2024-salary-and-market-trends-report/">2023 Salary &amp; Market Trends Guide</a> is the result of extensive research involving hundreds of Accounting, Banking, Insurance and Technology professionals and offers an in-depth insight into the current job market in Ireland. Inside you&rsquo;ll find an overview of average salaries, an analysis of the latest hiring, workplace and technological trends, as well as expert commentary on the markets we operate within, including Accountancy, Banking &amp; Financial Services, Wealth, Insurance and Technology.&nbsp;
About This Study
For our <a href="https://engagepeople.ie/download/2024-salary-and-market-trends-report/">2024 Salary Guide</a>, we have compiled data from:
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<li>Our independent survey completed by our carefully selected talent pool of respondents in Ireland.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Analysis of all placements by Engage People.</li>
<li>Data from roles recruited by Engage People.</li>
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It is my pleasure to introduce you to the latest edition of our Financial and Technology Salary &amp;&nbsp;Market Trends Guide, a vital resource for both hiring professionals and job seekers, providing an&nbsp;up-to-date analysis of salary and job market trends as of mid-2024.&nbsp;This year, we&rsquo;ve gathered insights from our carefully selected talent pools, alongside an analysis&nbsp;of our placements and job board reviews over the past year. Thanks to this robust dataset, we can present to you a comprehensive overview of our industry&rsquo;s current state.
Despite a slight slowdown, the job market continues to be predominantly candidate-driven.&nbsp;Flexible working arrangements remain a high priority, with 87% of respondents having chosen&nbsp;flexible working as their most desirable job perk. We encourage an initial office-based period to&nbsp;foster strong working relationships and cultural understanding, generally followed by an&nbsp;arrangement of three days in the office and two days from home.
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 Flexibility now extends beyond working location. Providing it aligns with business needs,&nbsp;flexibility encompasses the ease of adapting work arrangements to better manage lifestyle&nbsp;commitments, significantly moving away from traditional 9-5 constraints. This is particularly&nbsp;relevant for roles suited to hybrid working.&nbsp;Our findings also reveal a trend in professional mobility, with employees typically seeking new&nbsp;opportunities after two years, indicating the importance of career development and advancement&nbsp;opportunities within a company. Our study reveals that 53% of respondents left their previous jobs due to lack of career progression. 
Despite the financial strains imposed by global events&mdash;with 28% not having received a salary&nbsp;increase in the past 12 months&mdash;the outlook is optimistic. A majority believe in impending pay&nbsp;increases and company growth and 65% feeling more secure in their role than the previous 12 months.&nbsp;The top trends in employee expectations have also shifted, with flexible working, additional&nbsp;annual leave (25+ days), and contributory pension leading as the most desired benefits. While&nbsp;there is an increasing expectation for employers to provide the opportunity to work from&nbsp;home, we are committed to communicating effectively to achieve alignment for both parties&nbsp;&ndash; the employer and the employee, leading to a more productive and sustainable relationship.
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At Engage People, we remain committed to providing unmatched insights and opportunities&nbsp;within the financial and accounting sectors. We continue to leverage our extensive network,&nbsp;staying active in industry events, and maintaining constant communication to ensure access&nbsp;to top talent. Our approach is grounded in transparency, timely processes, and an intimate&nbsp;understanding of market dynamics and candidate expectations. We hope you find <a href="https://engagepeople.ie/download/2024-salary-and-market-trends-report/">this year&rsquo;s guide</a> both informative and useful. Your feedback, suggestions, or&nbsp;questions are always welcome, as they help us refine and improve our offerings continuously.
Paul McClatchie Director
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As the Founder and Director of Engage people, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulmcclatchie/">Paul</a> is an established leader in financial recruitment with over 20 years of recruiting in Dublin and Sydney&rsquo;s top financial markets. Having established our talent agency in 2016, Paul has built a strong track record in the Senior Financial arena where he connects talent at Finance Director and CFO levels with some of Ireland&rsquo;s best-known companies.

2024 Employment Market Trends

We are proud to present the following interview from<a href="https://iob.ie/news/being-an-ally-is-so-easy-financial-services-recruiter-keith-grant-on-pride"> IOB</a> in which our Recruitment Manager Keith Grant discusses Pride, Inclusiivity, and how to be an ally to the LGBTQI+ community.
This article is fully credited to IOB with thanks from Engage People 💙🌈
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<h1 class="news-show__title margin-vertical-2">&lsquo;Being an ally is so easy&rsquo; &ndash; Financial services recruiter Keith Grant on Pride and inclusivity</h1>
This Pride month, IOB is hosting a special event on&nbsp;<a href="https://iob.ie/events/financial-planning-for-the-lgbtq-community">financial planning for the LGBTQIA+ community</a>. The event will discuss the potential financial challenges that members of the LGBTQIA+ community face and how financial services professionals can best consider financial planning for members of this community.
Ahead of the event, we speak with Keith Grant, Recruitment Manager at Engage People Recruitment &ndash; who will be MCing the event &ndash; to discuss his career journey, the growth of diversity, equity and inclusion in financial services and how easy it is to be a great ally.
<h3>Hi Keith, thank you for speaking with us. Can you tell us a little about your career journey in financial services and recruitment?</h3>
I always say I fell into banking &ndash; I studied Business and German in college and wanted to make sure I was able to use both in my career; a job at Deutsche Bank seemed like the perfect fit! And it was, I really enjoyed my 15 year stint at Deutsche, it shaped the type of person that I am.
In 2021 I felt that something was missing from my career though, whilst I worked hard, I couldn&rsquo;t see how my contribution impacted to the bottom line. I wanted a role where I could visibly and tangibly see the difference my contribution made. I looked back over my career at Deutsche at the time, and the piece of work that I really enjoyed was building teams and interviewing people. So that got me thinking about recruitment. This was January 2021&hellip; fast forward to November 2021 and I had resigned from Deutsche and started at Engage People Recruitment. The rest, as they say, is history!
<h3>We are looking forward to hearing from you as a speaker at our upcoming event on financial planning for the LGBTQIA+ community. What can our members expect from the event?</h3>
I am very excited to MC this event in partnership with the IOB. As it&rsquo;s Pride month, I think it&rsquo;s a good idea to shine a light on some of the challenges that LGBT+ community face with their finances. I did some research on the topic and some of the stuff I came across was really eye-opening. We have a world-class panel in attendance too, I can&rsquo;t wait to hear what they have to say.
<h3>Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is a key priority for the financial services sector. Have you seen DEI practices grow and evolve throughout your career working with and within financial services?</h3>
Absolutely. When this was a topic in my early days at Deutsche, we very much focused on diversity. Are we diverse enough? How do we become more diverse? The conversation then moved on to inclusion i.e. OK we&rsquo;re diverse, does everyone feel included though? Now we also look through an equity lens; are things fair and equal across the firm? Not only looking at compensation, but other aspects too. And the conversation continues because there is still work to do. But society has moved on in leaps and bounds from the time I started my career back in 2006. I&rsquo;m hopeful we&rsquo;ll continue to progress and evolve, although with the rising of the far right across the world in the recent past, we have our work cut out for us. But I am hopeful.
<h3>As a recruitment expert, is diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) becoming more important to candidates when looking at potential employers?</h3>
Yes. I recently worked with a trans lady on a role and the first question she asked me is &lsquo;what is the DEI policy, can I take a look at it before I submit my application&rsquo;. This happens more than you would imagine. And it might not be as overt as &lsquo;what is their policy&rsquo;, but candidates have spoken to me many, many times about workplace culture. I am an out gay man, many candidates follow me on LinkedIn and know this, so they feel comfortable to ask me about life at prospective companies. I have been asked over 20 times in my 2.5 years of recruiting something along the lines of &lsquo;would I be ok in that company as a gay man/lesbian/trans woman etc.&rsquo; It can be a huge factor for some LGTB job seekers.
On the employer side, my clients want a diverse set of CVs to be sent across to them for roles at all levels. Some DEI elements (LGBT+ for one) can be &lsquo;invisible&rsquo;, but others such as ethnicity are not, so it is imperative that I am able to offer as diverse a range of profiles as I can to my clients. And that&rsquo;s what I do!
<h3>What would your advice be to financial services professionals looking to become better allies for the LGBTQIA+ community?</h3>
Being an ally is so easy. You don&rsquo;t need to wave a flag, attend events etc. (I mean it&rsquo;s amazing if you do!). You just need to treat everyone with respect and recognise that the LGBT+ community is a marginalised community. Some LGBT+ people genuinely have zero issues and they&rsquo;re happy out and loving life, some are bullied incessantly and have massive mental health issues as a result. Understanding that just because the LGBT+ people that you know have zero issues, but others could and do, is key.
<h3>Finally, if you were to give one piece of advice to your younger self, what would it be?</h3>
I don&rsquo;t think this is a valid question for me because younger Keith wouldn&rsquo;t listen to any advice from anyone&hellip;! But if I had to, I&rsquo;d tell younger Keith that yes, you can completely change your career at 37 years old and make a massive success of it, so don&rsquo;t stress over it. If you want it, you can do it.
<h3>Register now: Financial Planning for the LGBTQIA+ community</h3>
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Join Keith Grant and a panel of industry experts and leaders at our forthcoming online event on 28 June. Register&nbsp;<a href="https://iob.ie/events/financial-planning-for-the-lgbtq-community#speaker">here</a>.
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‘Being an ally is so easy’ – Keith Grant speaks to IOB on Pride and inclusivity

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The Engage People team had a fantastic time at the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.charteredaccountants.ie/leadership-summit-2024">Leadership Summit</a>, and it was an honour for us to partner with <a href="https://www.charteredaccountants.ie/">Chartered Accountants Ireland</a> in this event. We had the pleasure of meeting several influential professionals, each offering invaluable insights and a wealth of knowledge to absorb and apply to our own leadership journeys. &nbsp;
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Through a series of engaging discussions, industry leaders and professionals came together to explore key challenges, emerging trends, and innovative solutions shaping the landscape of business leadership. &nbsp;
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As we reflect on the summit, we are excited to share some of the key takeaways and highlights from the event. Let&rsquo;s delve into what the keynote speakers taught us.
<h2 class="Paragraph SCXW25924783 BCX0" lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US">Multi-generational Leadership with <a class="Hyperlink SCXW19176939 BCX0" href="https://www.mcsporranleadership.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">James McSporran</a></h2>
James McSporran's session on multi-generational leadership highlighted the diverse traits and tendencies across the different generations of workers. Each cohort has their own unique qualities and strengths. Baby Boomers (1946 &ndash; 1964) tend to be excellent at networking and growing businesses by connecting with others. &nbsp;
Gen X (1965-1980), on the other hand, were the first generation of workers to challenge authority. They were also the first to experience a dual-income household and therefore tend to be more independent. &nbsp;
Millennials (1981 &ndash; 1996) grew up exposed to world events such as 9/11 and the recession, developing fears and anxiety about the world before even entering the workforce. They are more likely to seek alternative employment or career paths if they are not fulfilled because they have witnessed how prevalent job dissatisfaction is among their Gen X counterparts. &nbsp;
They are also more tech-savvy and are skilled at using media to connect with others. &nbsp;
Similarly, Gen Z (1997-2009), the most recent entrants to the workforce, grew up with computers and digital media, and tend to care more about what's happening in the world. They value global perspectives and digital skills, but they also feel anxious about the future due to societal instability.&nbsp;
Then there is Gen Alpha (2010 &ndash; 2024) whose behaviours will be influenced by AI and global events, further emphasising the need for cross-generational collaboration and supportive environments which promote personal growth, autonomy, and a sense of purpose.&nbsp;
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<h2 class="Paragraph SCXW202438496 BCX0" lang="EN-US" role="heading" xml:lang="EN-US" aria-level="2">Evolving as a Leader with <a href="https://simplescaling.com/about-us/brendan-mcgurgan/">Brendan McGurgan</a><span class="EOP SCXW202438496 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:160,&quot;335559739&quot;:80,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}">&nbsp;</h2>
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Brendan&nbsp;McGurgan advocates for the transformative power of effective leadership, highlighting the need for leaders to continuously challenge themselves and create environments where everyone can thrive and succeed.&nbsp;
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During his segment, Brendan addressed the importance of ambition and self-awareness in leading successful organisations. Leaders&nbsp;must challenge their limited beliefs and&nbsp;understand themselves well to drive their organisations forward. Language plays a pivotal role in this, with a shift towards positivity and accountability essential for overcoming excuses and fostering a collaborative and supportive environment. &nbsp;
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As a leader, surrounding yourself with like-minded individuals who share a broader vision can catalyse personal and professional growth. Embracing a growth mindset and prioritising the well-being and development of team members&nbsp;can help leaders drive their organisations towards greater achievements.
<h2>Entrepreneurship with <a href="https://www.sculptedbyaimee.com/pages/about-us-sculpted-by-aimee">Aimee Connolly</a>&nbsp;</h2>
In her segment about entrepreneurship, Aimee Connolly explains how starting your own business can be exciting but also full of surprises. Aimee&rsquo;s advice to those thinking about starting a business it that it's crucial to stay positive and keep learning from your experiences, even when things get tough. No matter how much you prepare, you can't be fully ready for everything that comes your way and therefore it is very important to continuously look back on what you've learned.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Success in entrepreneurship hinges on strength, adaptability, and an openness to new ideas. Maintaining a positive mindset and a hunger for learning are non-negotiables, especially during challenging times. Being able to adapt and seek support from your network becomes instrumental in overcoming obstacles along the way. Additionally, resilience has been a steadfast companion on Aimee&rsquo;s journey, reminding us of the importance of embracing change and continuously evolving. Reflecting on pivotal moments has offered Aimee profound insights where every setback is an opportunity for growth and success.&nbsp;
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The Leadership Summit provided a platform for leaders and industry professionals to exchange ideas, experiences, and best practices for navigating the complexities of modern leadership. It was truly an enriching and enlightening experience from which we learned so much. Engaging with these influential professionals and absorbing their invaluable insights has broadened our understanding of contemporary leadership challenges and we are confident in our ability to drive positive change and lead our clients towards greater organisational and career success.&nbsp;
We are delighted to share with you the <a href="https://www.engagepeople.ie/download/leadership-handbook/">Engage People Leadership Handbook</a>. &nbsp;
The transition into a leadership role can be challenging. &nbsp; &nbsp;
It involves a lot of &lsquo;learning by doing&rsquo; and there&rsquo;s often obstacles to overcome that nobody can warn you about. &nbsp;&nbsp;
This guide is designed to prepare you for just that. &nbsp; &nbsp;
Dive into the stories of 4 of Ireland's top finance as they share their experiences and lessons learned on the path to leadership.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.engagepeople.ie/download/leadership-handbook/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Download your guide here</a>
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Exploring Modern Leadership: Insights and Best Practices from Aimee Connolly, Brendan McGurgan and James McSporran

We are thrilled to bring you insights from our very own Head of Growth, Rob Cullen, whose expertise on the importance of soft skills was recently highlighted in the April edition of Ibec's <a href="https://www.ibec.ie/connect-and-learn/insights/insights/2024/04/02/soft-skills-are-no-longer-optional">Networks Engage newsletter.</a>&nbsp;
In a conversation with<a href="https://www.ibec.ie/"> Ibec</a>, Rob delved into the transformative value of soft skills in today's world of work. As businesses navigate an increasingly complex and dynamic environment, the significance of these attributes has never been more prominent.&nbsp;
Join us as we explore Rob's invaluable perspectives on how cultivating soft skills can drive individual and organisational success.&nbsp;
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In the dynamic landscape of modern business, technical expertise alone is no longer sufficient for sustained success. Employers and recruiters increasingly recognise the value of soft skills &mdash; those intangible qualities that define how individuals interact, collaborate, and navigate the complexities of the professional world.
A recent LinkedIn report found the top ranked soft skills among recruiters are: Communication, relationship building, adaptability, problem-solving and business acumen.
These are not just checkboxes on a CV; they are the driving forces behind successful teams and thriving organisations. Here&rsquo;s a breakdown of each one and why we all need to improve on these so-called soft skills.
<h3>Communication</h3>
Communication stands as the cornerstone of effective collaboration and workplace harmony. In a study where 78% of employers deemed communication skills crucial, it's evident that the ability to articulate ideas, actively listen, and convey information clearly is paramount.
Effective communication ensures that team members are on the same page, reducing misunderstandings and enhancing collaboration.
Clear communication with clients builds trust and fosters lasting relationships, vital for business growth.
Strong communicators inspire and motivate teams, creating a positive work culture.
<h3>Relationship Building</h3>
Business is inherently social, and the ability to build and maintain relationships is a skill highly valued in professional settings.
The significance of relationship building is underscored by the number of employers who prioritise this soft skill.
Strong relationships with clients lead to loyalty and repeat business.
A cohesive team is built on strong interpersonal relationships, fostering a positive and productive work environment.
<h3>Networking (Which is my favourite part of building relationships):</h3>
It&rsquo;s a skill that can be taught and is so essential now, post covid.
We need to train and encourage our teams to get out there and network.
Building relationships with industry peers and professionals opens doors to new opportunities and collaborations.
When you learn how to network, it doesn&rsquo;t just improve your career &ndash; it improves your life too. You just never know where the next conversation could lead, but you do need to have the ability and want to start that conversation.
I could probably write a full article on networking alone, maybe that will be next.
<h3>Adaptability</h3>
The pace of change in the business world is relentless, making adaptability a critical soft skill. With 58% of employers recognising its importance, the ability to pivot, learn, and thrive in evolving circumstances is a key determinant of success.
Adaptable individuals bounce back from setbacks, contributing to a resilient workplace.
An adaptable mindset encourages openness to new ideas and creative problem-solving.
Businesses face constant change; adaptable employees ensure the organisation can navigate uncertainties.
<h3>Problem-Solving</h3>
No business is immune to challenges, and the ability to solve problems efficiently is a soft skill held in high regard by 53% of employers. Problem-solving involves critical thinking, creativity, and resourcefulness.
Swift problem-solving minimises disruptions and keeps operations running smoothly.
Creative problem-solving leads to innovative solutions, fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
Effective problem-solving contributes to informed and strategic decision-making.
<h3>Business Acumen</h3>
Business acumen is the ability to understand and make sound judgments about business situations.
With 51% of employers emphasising its importance, this soft skill is the bridge between technical knowledge and effective business decision-making.
Individuals with business acumen contribute to strategic planning and decision-making.
Understanding business dynamics enhances the ability to identify opportunities for growth and profitability.
A keen business sense allows for effective risk assessment and management.
The narrative around soft skills must change.
Call them strong skills, brave skills, essential skills or leadership superpowers- just stop calling them soft: They are essential skills and anything but soft!!
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<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/engage-people-recruitment/">Connect with us!</a> 
<a href="mailto:rob@engagepeople.ie">Contact Rob</a> to learn how you can leverage these insights to improve your company's hiring and retention strategies.&nbsp;
Rob Cullen
Head of Growth, Engage People Recruitment

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