Recruiting and hiring talented employees is a crucial part of establishing your business in Ireland. You have to source the right employees for your workplace culture and mission. You must also follow Ireland employment compliance laws through each step of the process. Globalization Partners can help by hiring employees through our Ireland subsidiary and assigning them to work for you.
Recruiting in Ireland
A thorough understanding of Irish business etiquette will go a long way in ensuring a smooth recruitment process. However, you’ll also need to make sure that:
- you’re advertising through the right channels.
- your company complies with Irish law as you source and recruit employees.
One of the most challenging aspects of recruiting is figuring out the best way to reach the pool of talented candidates. In Ireland, newspapers have a wide reader base. You might have success targeting potential employees by advertising your open positions in the classifieds. Online job boards are another popular avenue for recruitment in Ireland.
Laws Against Discrimination in Ireland
Like many other countries, Ireland has a set of laws and regulations in place to promote equality and ensure that all prospective employees are treated fairly during staffing and recruitment. Under the Employment Equality Acts 1998-2015, it is unlawful to discriminate based on the following:
- Gender
- Age
- Civil status
- Religion
- Marital or family status
- Race
- Disability
- Sexual orientation
- Membership in the Traveller community (a nomadic indigenous ethnic group in Ireland)
You should know that the Acts cover nine aspects of employment:
- Advertising
- Terms and conditions of employment
- Access to employment
- Classification of posts
- Equal pay
- Vocational training and work experience
- Collective agreements
- Promotion or re-grading
- Dismissal
Under this law, it’s important to stay compliant from the beginning stages of recruitment. To stay compliant, be sure to avoid making any references to the protected categories in your job postings. Don’t ask any questions about them either, even if you’re just making small talk with potential hires.
How to Hire Employees in Ireland
Hiring employees in Ireland starts with a mandatory employment contract. Employers must give all new employees a written agreement that both parties sign within two months of their start date. Law requires that the employment contract contains a range of information including workplace, nature of work, start date, compensation, and hours of work. Make sure any compensation amounts in the employment contract and offer letter are in euros. As of 2019, employers are also required to issue a “Day 5” statement to notify each new employee in writing within five days of their start date, of the following:
- Full names of the employer and the employee
- Address of the employer
- Expected duration of the contract
- The rate of pay
- Work hours and schedule
You can also choose to institute a probation period when you hire employees in Ireland. Although no law mandates a probationary period, employers commonly include a three to six month period in the employment contract. After a full year of continuous service, the Unfair Dismissals Acts 1977-2007 will cover your employees.
Ireland Employment Laws
Ireland employment compliance laws range from common law to statutory provisions. The Irish Constitution, European Community Directives, and the European Court of Justice also govern the rights and framework of an employment relationship.
European Union (EU) directives govern working hours for Irish companies. The standard workday is 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. with a mandatory minimum half-hour lunch. Government departments and various other offices close between 12:30 and 2 p.m. The legal maximum for an average work week is 48 hours, and employees must get 11 hours of continuous rest per 24-hour period.
Onboarding in Ireland
When you onboard new employees, you’ll need to familiarize them with your workplace culture and expectations. Some of the best ways to make employees comfortable include:
- Examining the employment contract together before or during an employee’s first day
- Traveling to Ireland for your employees’ first day or week
- Reviewing any code of conduct paperwork
- Creating a welcoming space by introducing all employees on their first day
Benefits of Hiring Outsourcing in Ireland
Ireland hiring outsourcing services offer multiple benefits. First, Globalization Partners can help you recruit top talent for your business. You won’t have to worry about finding the right employees when you use our services. We also hire employees through our Ireland subsidiary and have them work on your behalf. This arrangement can reduce the hiring process from a few months to a few days.
Globalization Partners will also act as the Employer of Record, which means we put all compliance issues on our shoulders instead of yours. You can focus on running your new branch while we take care of the rest.
Work With Globalization Partners To Expand Globally
If you want to expand to Ireland, you’ll need a team behind you for the best Ireland hiring outsourcing services. Let Globalization Partners be the team that helps you succeed. Contact us today to learn more.