TechWest 2016: Go west (and midwest) for jobs, delegates told

High-tech companies based in the midwest and west are on the hunt for talent as a new tech ecosystem develops in the region, a Dublin tech conference heard.

IDA regional manager for the midwest Niall O’Callaghan said the companies based in the west and midwest of the country were “in recruitment mode” and the requirement for talent had never been greater.

“In the last month alone, we have had announcements of almost 1,000 jobs in the midwest that will be created over the next three to five years, and they are mainly in the tech space,” Mr O’Callaghan told TechWest 2016.

The conference showcased opportunities in the west and midwest of the State, with roles on offer ranging from IT specialists and engineers to software developers and data analysts.

“A lot of the companies that we work with in the midwest region are in recruitment mode. Our clients have a range of roles that they are trying to fill and are doing everything they can to attract talent back to the regions,” said Mr O’Callaghan.

“We are developing a tech ecosystem in the west and the midwest and are eager to demonstrate to people that the Western Corridor is an ideal place to live and work.”

Retain talent

Meanwhile, a survey commissioned by Ricoh and carried out by TechPro has found that business could save money and retain talent better if they adopted a more innovative style of working.

The survey found Irish businesses could be losing up to €2 billion every year by continuing to use outdated work practices and failing to adapt to more flexible work styles.

More than three-quarters of businesses felt under pressure from their employees to adopt new technology that would facilitate mobile working. The demand is coming from a mixture of younger workers entering the workforce and an acknowledgement that mobile working can increase productivity.

It’s a sentiment that many employers agree with, with 58 per cent of businesses saying they found mobile working boosted employee productivity. And 46 per cent of respondents said it helped attract and retain talent. More than half also said increasing investment in digital infrastructure and tools to adopt new work styles would increase profitability.

Work remotely

Despite this, only a third of office workers said they could work remotely. The restrictions this placed on both businesses and workers could be seen during the recent transport strikes, when 38 per cent of businesses said some employees were unable to get to work as a result of the industrial action.

"Increasingly, employees are demanding more flexible work conditions and those requests must be met if businesses want to grow and retain talent," said Gary Hopwood, general manager, Ricoh Ireland. "Irish businesses don't need to look at our survey to learn that the workforce is changing – they see it every day themselves. But our findings show that despite this awareness, there is still a reluctance to transform the workplace."