If you have gone through the process of applying for a new job in recent times, then you will know that the landscape of interviewing has undergone a huge transformation. This is largely driven by the change in work dynamics due to the pandemic, coupled with advancements in technology. The traditional in-person interview, once the undisputed standard, and the only real way to secure a new job, now shares the stage with remote video interviews.

The assumption may have been that all would revert to ‘normal’ once we got back on our feet after the pandemic, but that had not been the case. Much like the office vs remote working conundrum, it would seem increasingly evident that remote interviews are here to stay in the evolving world of recruitment and hiring.

This raises the questions of which is the better approach and which do candidates prefer?

Let’s take a more in-depth look at the pros and cons:

In-person interviews have long been considered the gold standard for evaluating candidates. Not only can they assess the candidates’ qualifications, but they offer a personal touch, allowing candidates and interviewers to establish a direct, immediate connection. Perfect for showcasing soft skills.

In-person interviews also offer an insight into the company’s culture and environment, giving candidates a genuine feel for the company and potential new colleagues and thus helping to gauge compatibility. However, in-person interviews can be logistically challenging and simply not feasible for candidates who live in different locations or countries.

On the other hand, remote interviews are convenient and accessible thus offering undeniable advantages. They save time and resources and enable access to a much wider pool of talent simply due to not having any geographical constraints. They can also be less intimidating for some candidates, allowing them to showcase their skills without the anxiety often associated with face-to-face interactions.

At E-Frontiers, we recently conducted some research into this and asked the question ‘what do candidates prefer?’

In a recent LinkedIn poll of 474 candidates who were asked what their interview preference was, a resounding 55% responded with the choice of ‘Remote video is the way to go’. This coupled with a strong response of 30% for the choice of ‘In-Person only for the final stage’, means a whopping 85% prefer remote video interviews. ‘Always in-person is best’ scored just 15%. Certainly food for thought for clients.

Our team of recruiters report similar experiences to the above findings:

John Ryan, Technical Recruiter, reports that ‘candidates are still very keen to do remote interviews, purely for convenience as much as anything else. But, when it gets to the 2^nd stage and they are onsite interviews, they are happy to attend, meet potential new employers, and see the site’.

Similarly, Eddie McAndrew, Recruitment Consultant for engineering and customer success roles at E-Frontiers, has found with recent roles that ‘2 stage interviews have proved most popular. The first stage is via teams, with the second onsite. It is rare that an offer will come without the client meeting the candidate face to face. Candidates prefer Teams interviews but generally for second stage interviews they are always comfortable with onsite, as they usually want to get a feel for the office and get to meet who they will be working for’.

This research tells us that the ideal approach for clients is not a one-size-fits-all solution. While the nature of the role, the industry, and personal preferences must be considered, a hybrid model that combines in-person and remote interviews seems to be the most promising path forward. And I think is the best solution for clients to ensure good hires.

Certainly, initial screening rounds and tech assessments can take place remotely and clients not already doing this should consider moving towards it. This works in accommodating obvious candidate preferences for video and works in favour of the client by casting a wider net to a broader talent pool and bringing efficiencies and inclusivity to their hiring process. In-person interviews can then be reserved for the final critical stages, where cultural fit and deeper personal evaluations are important.

Conclusion

The changing landscape of interviewing highlights the importance of flexibility and adaptability in the hiring process. Employers should adopt a flexible approach and consider a mix of both in-person and remote interviews, offering candidates genuine options. By embracing this diversity in interview formats, organisations can ensure they are making the best and most informed hiring decisions.

Feel free to get in touch with our commercial team to discuss your recruitment and resourcing needs:

IRE:  Nigel Bolger : [email protected] (m: 00353 86 3888147)

UK: Kenneth O’ Connor : [email protected] (m: 0044 740 365 1213)

Python is the 2^nd most popular coding language, taking over the old reliables such as Java and .Net. Octoverse reported in 2022 that Python continues to see a surge in its usage across GitHub, experiencing a remarkable 22.5% year-over-year increase. This is no surprise given the advantages Python has.

-It’s easy to learn

-has an impressive library

-It is such a versatile language with a vast spectrum of applications, from Web Development to Automation, Machine Learning, Data Science, and AI

But more importantly, Python has a strong community and fosters collaboration. PyCon conferences are famous around the world with hundreds of Pythonistas attending every year. E-Frontiers has been a regular sponsor of PyCon Spain over the years, but this year we have moved our focus closer to home.

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Our Recruitment Operations Manager, Alexandra Pop, has recently attended PyCon Ireland as a speaker. PyCon Ireland was organised by Python Ireland, and it’s now a fixture in the calendar for November. This year’s conference took place at Radisson Blu and the chairperson, Nicolas Laurance, put together a great team of staff and volunteers that delivered an excellent 2 days of networking, workshops, and talks.

PyCon Ireland 2023 featured an extensive and diverse range of talks, covering various Python-related topics. Insights on architecting dashboards and exploring AWS automation. Real-world applications of AI with AWS SageMaker. From Python’s latest updates and improvements to its applications in Quantum Computing and AI, the conference had something for everyone.

Important topics such as Python education, AI Biases were also addressed, and there was a mix of workshops where new and experienced Pythonista came together to share and collaborate.

It was interesting to see that the community is collaborating and making advancements in the areas that Python is lacking, such as improving speed and performance. It’s safe to say that the popularity trend will continue.

Alexandra spoke with a few of the attendees about the latest applications in AI, the trends that they are seeing, and the challenges that they are experiencing. The consensus is that while AI is growing and the buzz around it makes it a must-have for a lot of organisations out there, it is very hard to implement and adopt it in a way that will improve productivity and efficiency unless data quality is not there. The advice from the Python community is before adopting and implementing AI, make sure you know exactly what issue you are looking to solve and review your data first.

One of the final talks of the conference was delivered by Alexandra, and the focus was on applying Python coding principles to a job application, from CV writing to the interview. The session was very successful with a mix of graduate and senior engineers attending and taking great interest in how to approach the job search in the Irish Market and what the best ways are to showcase your skills to a potential employer. You can view Alexandra’s presentation here, and the talk will soon be uploaded on the Python Ireland Youtube channel.

It has been a great experience to meet and talk with the Python talent in Ireland. It’s great to see this area growing, and graduates taking a big interest, it is for sure one with a bright future.

In a recent webinar hosted by Anca Antonica and Paula Coffey from E-Frontiers Recruitment Agency, technology enthusiasts and industry professionals had the privilege of gaining valuable insights from Paul Lynch, the Co-founder of Showtime Analytics. This captivating webinar took participants on a journey through Paul’s extensive career in technology and his experience in revolutionising the cinema industry through data analytics. Let’s dive into the highlights of this engaging discussion.

Exploring Paul’s career

Paul’s journey in technology began at a young age, influenced by his father’s role as a software developer. Growing up with computers in his household, Paul’s fascination with technology drove him to attend coding schools and develop his skills in building flash games and applications. His early exposure to technology laid a solid foundation for his future endeavours.

Starting his career at Vision, a consultancy firm, Paul gained a wealth of experience working across various industries. He highlighted the advantages of working in consultancy, where he had the opportunity to reinvent himself with each new client. This exposure allowed him to learn from talented individuals and strengthen his technical and business acumen.

Paul’s career path took an exciting turn when he joined Acceleration, a product-focused company within Vision. This experience made him realise his passion for working on innovative products, which led him and his co-founder, Richie, to establish Skupe Net—a global classified ads venture. While the ideas were promising, Paul acknowledged that the company faced challenges in implementation and eventually pivoted to focus on the lucrative motor industry.

Embracing the Value of Failure

During his career journey, Paul had a profound realisation about the importance of embracing failure and learning from it. A job interview that emphasised the need for a “fail fast” approach shaped his perspective. This valuable advice inspired him to constantly assess the value his initiatives provided to customers and iterate accordingly.

The Birth of Showtime Analytics

Paul’s passion for data analytics and an opportunity within his family’s cinema business sparked the birth of Showtime Analytics. Recognizing the data-rich nature of the cinema industry, Paul and his team aimed to provide actionable insights by consolidating and leveraging data assets. Their efforts quickly positioned Showtime Analytics as a leading player in the cinema data realm, working closely with cinemas and now expanding to collaborate with studios.

Paul Lynch’s webinar presentation illuminated the transformative power of data analytics in the cinema industry. His personal journey showcased the importance of early exposure to technology, embracing failure as a catalyst for growth, and the incredible potential of data-driven decision-making. As the co-founder of Showtime Analytics, Paul continues to drive innovation and empower the cinema industry with actionable insights derived from data.

Relationships between Showtime Analytics and E-Frontiers

Paul mentioned the relationship between Showtime Analytics and E-Frontiers recruitment has been mutually beneficial. Showtime Analytics values the screening and recruitment services provided by E-Frontiers, ensuring a more efficient hiring process. Additionally, E-Frontiers’ insights into various markets and their expanding technical talent pool have proven invaluable to Showtime Analytics. This partnership has facilitated the expansion of Showtime Analytics’ QA team in Spain and the exploration of new markets and countries. The collaboration between these two companies has fostered growth and success for both parties. Showtime Analytics expresses gratitude for E-Frontiers’ contributions and acknowledges their positive impact on their operations.

The webinar left participants inspired and eager to explore the limitless possibilities of data analytics in their respective fields. It served as a reminder that by harnessing the power of data, industries can unlock new opportunities, make informed decisions, and stay ahead in the ever-evolving digital landscape.

Late 2022 and early 2023 were certainly a rollercoaster for many – the ever-evolving workplace, a further shift to remote work, inflation, cost of living crisis, layoffs, and talks of recession causing concerns to both business owners and candidates alike.  

We are now well settled into 2023 with the end of the first quarter already looming large. 

A good opportunity perhaps for us to pause for reflection on what has been an uncertain start to the year for some, and a look ahead with our thoughts on what 2023 could hold for recruitment.   

Given the well-publicised recent Big Tech layoffs…each passing week still seems to have a new announcement of global downsizing….it has caused many companies of all sizes to reassess if they need to hire more staff, resulting in a wait-and-see attitude by employers and some reluctance by candidates to move roles.  

Despite the above, there are strong fundamentals in the economy resulting in reasons to be optimistic.  

• Despite the Big Tech layoffs, most skill sets are still in short supply, and demand for IT, Sales, and Finance candidates among others is strong in sectors like Pharma, Financial Services & Consultancy.  
• We are also seeing examples of clients developing a strong candidate pipeline directly, but finding at the offer stage that candidates have multiple offers to consider. Further evidence that there is strong recruitment demand and a candidates market.  
• Indigenous Irish tech companies are showing promising signs of growth for 2023. The supply of tech candidates especially is up, and salary expectations are a little more realistic on the permanent side of recruitment right now. The result is that the market is now more balanced to the benefit of these companies. The last 2 years have seen the Big Tech companies with big budgets over-hire and overpay, but with the recent spate of redundancies, candidates are more open to considering local enterprises where they will be closer to the decision-makers.  

• Demand has increased on the contracting side of the business – projects need to get finished and this is the best way forward when plans for new permanent roles may be on pause. Contractor renewals are extremely high with over 95% being renewed and rates being maintained.
• Hybrid work is here to stay. The great return to office debate will rage on in 2023, but the hybrid approach will reign supreme. Companies will need to adapt to their employees’ needs, whether that’s creating a single schedule for the whole company or letting individual teams decide when they attend the office. Offering hybrid or remote working is key to attracting and retaining staff – candidates are willing to forgo or trade off some salary in return for that all-important work-life balance. We are finding that employers who support remote, hybrid, or flexible working are actively engaging candidates – those that don’t are dramatically reducing their candidate pipeline and finding their roles increasingly difficult to fill. 
• Big is not always beautiful – candidates are more and more conscious of the experience of redundancies over the last six months, whether directly affected or simply through the consistent headlines. Smaller companies can offer employees more rewarding work by being responsible for a wide variety of tasks rather than just a cog in the process and hence resulting in a more fulfilling work experience for employees. Companies that focus on well-being and extra benefits will do better in filling roles.
• Historically, when there are redundancies and uncertainty, there has been an increase in the start-up sector – layoffs usually have the knock-on effect of innovation flourishing. Many Tech professionals tend to have their own side projects on the go while also working. Some who have been laid off may decide now is the time to focus fully on and progress their opportunity rather than returning as an employee. While various funding sources may have reduced over the last six months, there is still a range of funding options to support these fledging enterprises. 

In conclusion, the Big Tech layoffs have led to a sense of nervousness in the recruitment market during Q1/2023. However, given the strong fundamentals in the Irish Economy, there is an expectation that this feeling will recede in the very near future and this is evident from conversations with clients who are expecting to increase recruitment from Q2/2023.

The fact that more women are being appointed to leadership positions in companies and increasing the female workforce representation is not an accidental trend. It’s part of a Global Acceleration plan adopted at the UN-sponsored Generation Equality Forum hosted in Paris, in 2021.

According to a study in 2021, 47% of the labour force in the USA were women. They are making slow but steady progress in creating a gender-balanced environment in the workplace. However, the numbers are much lower when one looks at female representation in US big tech companies, with women taking up fewer than 1 in 4 tech roles.

Recruitment specialists, who are an essential part of the hiring process for many companies, play a crucial role in supporting women in tech. At E-Frontiers, a recruitment agency sourcing candidates across Ireland, UK, USA and Spain, we strive to support the advancement of women in key positions, particularly leadership appointments. This support includes initiatives such as applying gender-neutral language in candidate information, emphasising capabilities and not just experience, and allowing time for passive candidates to consider.

Here are some of the strategies that we have developed and applied to support the advancement of women in tech.

1. Appointing women to important positions

The E-Frontiers team is always looking for potential candidates for jobs, this very much includes the passive candidate. We encourage women applicants to grow out of their limits by challenging themselves at higher or new positions. They are booked for a call or meeting to discuss their background and skills and will receive professional advice from our recruitment specialists to enhance their career path. Our consultants truly become their allies in finding and connecting women in tech to exciting opportunities.

2. Supporting women applicants through the hiring process

Our recruitment specialists will support the candidates by working with them on acknowledging their achievements, polishing their portfolio and practicing skills that will serve to represent themselves in the best way possible. Besides helping our candidates prepare the responses and necessary skills for interviews, our consultants also help women applicants emphasise and own their successes in tech and build confidence in order to highlight their strengths.

The visibility of women in the labour force in general or in a company is important not only for fairness, but also because it contributes to good decision-making, innovation, better organisational results, and more effectively run institutions.

3. Being aware of the bias during the hiring process

When preparing panel members beforehand, and while debriefing on candidates’ performance afterward, we encourage interview panels to adopt a behavioural approach of a focus on capability, and not just experience. Our recruitment specialists focus on the link between the candidates’ strengths and the requirements of the role.  This moves the focus to the candidates’capacity.  We can also expand on a candidate’s strengths if they have been reluctant to highlight them in an interview.

Finally, we can explain some of the unintended biases that occur in the selection and thus help to focus the discussion on the key attributes of the job and away from the historical characteristics of past incumbents. We encourage conversations with clients to review internal policies and processes and foster a diverse and inclusive organisational culture.

We believe that recruitment agencies like E-Frontiers have an important part to play to create a more level playing field for women in tech by providing critical support and guidance throughout the hiring process.

Are you a woman looking for a job in tech?

Do you know a woman that needs to be supported to develop her career in tech?

Are you looking for a partner to represent your brand in the market and ensure a diversity of candidate options?

Don’t hesitate to contact our recruitment specialists for their support.

All the daily conversations I have with clients or with candidates always reflect and evaluate the Contracting market – How are you seeing it? Where is the opportunity? What skills are in demand? How are the rates?  

Given my role and the industry we are in, we are always keen to hear our clients take on things as our demand will be driven by them. With all the talk of layoffs and the talk of an impending recession, it did feel like things would inevitably slow, which they did – on the permanent side of the recruitment world. Subsequently, we saw an increase in the flow of new contracting requirements coming in. This occurred from November through to the end of January and could be attributed to several factors such as year-end, budgets, and all the other usual reasons.  

The expectation is that in times of uncertainty permanent headcount requirements can always be paused. This is true. Being the eternal optimist and working on the contracting side of the business, I am of the opinion uncertainty can be good for contracting. This has certainly been the case since November. A recent conversation with a senior figure in a large consulting firm has reinforced this viewpoint. Albeit some clients may choose the consultancy route over the contractor route.  

The demand is remaining consistent across the PM/BA skillsets as well as the Software Engineering. Noticeable increases have been seen in the DevOps skillset in the last 6 months also – although this may not surprise many.  

Additionally, a publication from Contractor UK echoes our own experience in the market for January, leaning toward cautious optimism.  

What we have seen in 2023 so far  

• Contractor renewals are extremely high with above 95% being renewed.  
• The number of requirements coming to us is maintaining. 
• Lead time has lengthened from interviews to offer – could be due to hesitancy in the market in general. 
• Candidates converting from permanent roles to go contracting have reduced (albeit not significantly). 
• Demand for 12-month contracts is at an all-time high. 
• Supply of 12-month contracts is not at an all-time high.  
• Rates are maintaining. 

Now, why am I writing this article? I guess it is to try to convey a sense of optimism in the market that is currently seeing lots of layoffs from Big Tech. While this is no doubt a very difficult transition period for those affected, I am speaking purely with my contract recruitment hat on. Outside of the fact that while there may be a slight softening at some stage, we are seeing signs of the contractor market maintaining for the foreseeable.  

I am having more conversations with clients who are looking to explore or even just gather more information on the contractor market and process given some of the challenges around permanent headcount. My role is to advise and present the contractor route as a solution to our clients who still require projects to be delivered.  

If this is you then do reach out, even if it is just to gain a better understanding of the area. We can provide a turnaround within 24 hours depending on the complexity of the request. Enough of the sell for now.  

Demand is still there if you are thinking of becoming a contractor and leaving the security of a permanent job. Just do your research and speak to the agencies (or rather our recruitment company 😊) to get a feel for what’s on offer. 

Kenneth O’Connor

Head of Contracting

4. Ireland, the only English-speaking country in the EU

The official language of Ireland is Gaelic. But you don’t have to worry because most of the population still use English more often in daily life, study, and work in Ireland. This is the only country in the EU that uses English as its first language.

5. Multinational culture

Over time, Dublin became an international city attracting senior talent from around the world to work in IT and financial areas. The working environment of companies is far more diverse. The foreign communities live in harmony with local people to develop and contribute to Ireland’s economy.

In addition, Dublin is certainly an LGBT-friendly city. Everyone is welcome to come and work in Ireland. Every June, the annual Dublin Pride Parade takes over the city centre to celebrate diversity too.

6. The world-leading business culture

The Irish Financial Services Centre was established in 1987 which aimed to attract investment sources and build up a centre of internationally traded financial services such as banking, funds, and insurance.

The governments offer business-friendly policies to attract international firms and talent. This helped to develop Dublin’s Docklands to become a new home for many technology and financial companies. Today, the Docklands is home to over 500 companies operating in this area, including more than half the world’s top 50 banks and top 20 insurance companies as well as headquarters to many big technology firms.

At e-Frontiers, without really realising it, we have been allowing remote working (working from home) for a number of our staff for a long time.

Some have been almost 100% remote working since day 1!

However, in recent weeks out of necessity, we have gone to a fully remote operating model. I guess ideally this is not the way a company would want to introduce a new, radical change to the way we work but these days decisions are being made for us and you have to sink or swim.

There seems to be a certain pressure for everyone to proclaim that working from home is the best thing ever; that everyone is more productive and that it will be the new normal even after the current crisis has passed.

I feel both employers and employees should hold fire on making any big decisions on the best way forward in the long term. This situation has been forced on everyone and we have had to adapt. Being adaptable is a winner for sure, but that doesn’t mean that working from home is the best long-term solution for everyone. We need to treat it a bit like a crazy experiment.

When the dust has settled, and people have had a chance to pause and reflect, rational decisions around working from home should be made. Maybe it’s a no-brainer for some employers and employees, while others feel that it doesn’t suit them. Take the time and try to make the right decision, not the easy decision for everyone’s sake.

So far, the change has gone pretty well at e-Frontiers. I am proud of how the team have responded and adapted in this difficult, stressful time. Thank you guys for keeping positive and keep pushing on. Being recruiters, we are used to dealing with a lot of uncertainty, and negativity on a daily basis so it feels like things have just been ratchetted up a notch or 2.

Estamos asistiendo a una situación sin precedentes. Debido a la falta de demanda, de la noche a la mañana hemos visto como determinados sectores están colapsando y con ello la imposibilidad de retener el talento en esas empresas. Muchas organizaciones tienen miedo de afrontar nuevas contrataciones y, mientras esperan la llegada de tiempos mejores, sus competidores se adelantan y se atreven a invertir en ese talento ahora sin proyecto.

Un ejemplo de ello nos lo ofrece HP a finales de los años 40. Tras la segunda guerra mundial, su negocio decayó al mismo tiempo que numerosos ingenieros que trabajaban en la industria militar se quedaron en la calle. No se lo pensaron dos veces y aprovecharon la situación para la incorporar ese talento a sus filas, lo que les ayudó a crecer en los años venideros y convertirse en una de las mayores empresas del mundo. Esto fue posible debido principalmente a dos factores: porque podían y porque se atrevieron. Actualmente, por desgracia no todas las empresas pueden. Pero las que si tienen esa posibilidad de invertir en talento, depende exclusivamente de ellas decidir si salir de la crisis por delante de sus competidores o no.

Por otro lado, por parte de los candidatos que cuentan con trabajo estable existe cierta incertidumbre a la hora de buscar una nueva oportunidad. Si hace unos meses eran más proclives a aceptar una oferta interesante, ahora muchos prefieren mantenerse en su puesto aunque no cumpla con sus expectativas. Es especialmente importante en estos casos mostrar un proyecto consolidado, con un desarrollo profesional claro y eliminando todos los obstáculos innecesarios del proceso de selección.

Y vosotros que pensáis, ¿es un un buen momento para invertir en el futuro con nuevo talento y para redefinir los procesos de selección?

Spanish team

June 2020