Category: Uncategorized

Staffing is biggest concern for 69% of Irish food businesses

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

 

69% Irish food businesses say the availability of skilled workers is a serious concern, according to new research released by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI).

Brexit was shown to be the second greatest future worry for food businesses, with over two thirds (67%) identifying its unknown impact as a business concern going forward. The food businesses interviewed cited particular concerns around increases in costs of supplies, tariffs and exchange rates in respect of Brexit on the Irish food industry. Dr Pamela Byrne, CEO, FSAI, said: “Our research shows that difficulties in attracting skilled staff and increased regulations and taxes are among the perceived threats that food businesses are citing. At the same time, the final outcome of Brexit is still not yet known almost three years since the referendum took place, and this is also concerning food businesses here.”

The research was carried out by Amárach and looked at the attitudes and feelings of over 200 national and international food business SMEs, including importers, wholesalers, manufacturers, producers, operators and retailers. The research also showed that food allergens and ingredients labelling is the number one concern for Irish food businesses from a regulatory perspective. A majority (73%) were increasingly confident about food safety regulation, believing that Irish produced food is safer now than it was five years ago. Despite the increased confidence, numerous food safety concerns remain for food businesses. The food industry is apprehensive about allergens and ingredients labelling; food hygiene and handling requirements; and other widely noted food safety concerns including the use of hormones, pesticides, antibiotics and additives.

Around one third (31%) of those surveyed do not feel well enough informed in terms of food safety information, despite a high proportion claiming to cover this in-house or via consultants.

If you are a hospitality, food or FMCG manager looking for assistance with your recruitment, get in touch with any of our expert team at 01-8717676. If you would like to enquire more about Manual Handling or HACCP training for you or your team email info@futureprooftraining.ie

tax system changes

Tax system changes explained: How does it work for temporary workers?

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty | Leave a Comment on Tax system changes explained: How does it work for temporary workers?

As a temporary worker, you may have noticed that this year, Revenue has made some big changes to their PAYE system- changing the way people can register new employers and claim tax back.

Every year thousands of individuals end up either overpaying their tax or not claiming their warranted tax returns. Revenue say this was because the old system was too complicated and confusing. In the new system, which was rolled out in January, all your tax issues will be dealt with online and the old paper forms such as P60, P45, and P30 don’t exist anymore.

What is myAccount?

MyAccount is the new online tax & revenue system which makes it easier to update your personal details, review your tax affairs, and make payments and apply for tax reliefs and incentives. With details on what you’re paying in income tax, universal social charge (USC), PRSI (pay related social insurance and income tax rate for the staff member), local property tax, pension etc. which are updated by employers on a monthly basis. You can now view all these submitted details (which were previously given to you on your P45 forms when you left a job) and have a more accurate up-to-date view of your tax situation.

What does this mean for you?

Basically, instead of getting lots of various forms or having to wait long periods for amendments/ band adjustments to your tax credits when you start a new job, all of your tax needs will be adjusted and managed in you myAccount. All you have to do now is set up for a myAccount with your Personal Public Service number (PPS), date of birth, a phone number, email address and home address, and all your details will be available to you on your account.

Requesting end of year statements

The steps to Requesting end of year statements are as follows:

  1. Sign in to myAccount
  2. Select ‘Review your tax 2015-2018’ on the ‘PAYE Services’ card
  3. Select ‘End of Year Statement (P21)’ for the appropriate year.

How to claim back Tax using myAccount?

A P21 is if you are claiming tax back for the previous year. In case of making any tax claims, you only need to sign into your myAccount, request a P21 (End of the year Statement), which you’ll receive within 5 working days, fill a Form 12 and submit them. You will then either directly get the claim deposited in your account (if your bank details are entered in your profile) or receive a check in the post. It can be used to claim tax back if you have left the country and have gone at least 6 weeks.

For more information please visit: https://www.revenue.ie/en/online-services/services/register-for-an-online-service/register-for-myaccount.aspx or contact your Revenue Office.

Barry Whelan Excel Recruitment

Question time: Asking questions in a job interview

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty | Leave a Comment on Question time: Asking questions in a job interview

 

Candidates are usually comfortable answering lots of different types of questions in job interviews, but often forget to ask a few of their own. Excel CEO Barry Whelan discusses one of the most overlooked parts of job interviews and sets out a handy guide to the right and wrong questions to ask.

Job interviews can be very stressful. You need to research the company, decide how to best dress, find the office and get there on time. There is a lot going on before you even worry about the interview itself!

No wonder people breathe a sigh of relief as the interview starts to wrap up, having spent the last hour trying to come across as effortlessly brilliant while answering an employer’s tricky questions.

But remember not to let your guard down. At the end of an interview, you will still be tested and any employer will expect some interaction in the form of questions from you.

So, before you go and start asking your potential employer some carefully thought out questions about their company and the role, here are some examples of the best questions to ask and the ones to avoid.

Don’t ask: Do you have flexible working arrangements or can I work from home?

It may be tempting to ask this question, particularly if you have a tough commute or kids to drop off and pick up, however the interview is not the time to ask this. You should know the working arrangements and the hours of the position in advance of the interview. There are other ways in order to get a steer on working arrangements in the future.

Do ask: What is the company like to work for?

Here you are asking a broad question which can cover company culture, work arrangements, flexibility and retention. Getting to know a potential work environment is important in determining if you will be comfortable there and to gauge expectations. Here you will find out the level of professionalism, the interviewer’s enthusiasm for the business and important aspects of the job, like flexible working arrangements.

Don’t ask: How soon do people get promoted?

If you want to improve your chances of being recruited, asking how soon you are likely to get a promotion or raise is not the best question at interview. Firstly, how can your new employer know since you don’t work there at this point and they haven’t seen your performance or capability? It also projects a sense of entitlement that could be off-putting to an employer.

Do ask: What are the expectations of the role for the first 90 days?

A better job interview question to ask would be about the 30, 60 and 90-day expectations for the role. If you receive this information upfront, you will know whether you are meeting or exceeding the company’s expectations after you have worked there for a while. You can then use that knowledge for any performance evaluations or promotion talks later on. You will hear talk of development in this answer which will show you how soon you can expect a step up.

Don’t ask: What will my salary be?

It is extremely important to negotiate your starting salary. However, firstly, the role will have been advertised at a salary level and secondly, you should only approach this question if asked. Salary negotiation usually comes at the job offer stage and at that point everyone’s expectations have been discussed. Plus, your interviewer might not actually know the answer.

Do ask: What direction is the company headed in the next five to ten years?

A good question to ask in an interview is about the company’s short and long-term growth plans. It shows your potential employer that you have a strong interest in being part of the company. This question could also reveal whether or not there are opportunities for growth, promotion and salary improvements.

Don’t ask: How did the company start?

You don’t want to ask about the company’s origin story, competitors, products or anything else that you could and should have already researched. You will only come off as unprepared.

Do ask: What do you enjoy about working here?

A good question to ask at the end of an interview is what your interviewer thinks of the company. By asking about their favourite aspect of working there, you will get an invaluable insight into the culture and demands of the job.

Brian Shane Excel RecruitmentKorea 2019

South Korea: Key to Solving the Chef Crisis?

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty | Leave a Comment on South Korea: Key to Solving the Chef Crisis?

 

It’s a continuous loop: hospitality businesses cry out for chefs, everyone points to different causes and solutions, nothing really happens and businesses remain in desperate need with the chef crisis.

While there are many proposed long-term action plans from governments, industry experts and think groups about how to solve the chef crisis going forward, none of these will put chefs in the kitchens of under-pressure businesses now. Last year, I was delighted to be asked to head to South Korea with the Restaurants Association of Ireland on a specialist chef recruitment drive. The trip turned out to be hugely successful we recruited fantastic chefs for own temporary chef team who over the past year have worked across Dublin for many of our clients. They have settled in nicely to life in Ireland and feedback from our clients regarding their work ethic and skill level has been fantastic. All of our client’s teams have loved the opportunity to learn from them about different techniques and about South Korean and other Asian cuisines.

Needless to say, when the opportunity arose again, I jumped at the chance. This time along with myself and RAI CEO Adrian Cummins, Excel’s very own Brian Nixon also made the trip. Brian has become something of an expert in recruiting chefs from abroad and the visa process over the last year, handling the administrative process for both our own chefs’ visas from start to finish. There are a number of steps to getting chefs over from Korea and into Irish kitchens, but Brian is the number 1 expert in Ireland for chef work permits and knows the minute details of each part of the process.

We again attended the World Job+ Recruitment Fair to meet and interview chefs who are interested in coming to Ireland on the Chef Work Permit scheme. As most people know, new regulations came into effect in March of last year, removing some chef grades from the ineligible occupations list and making it easier to recruit chefs from outside the EU. There is an overall quota of 610 employment permits available each year. Alongside meeting with the chefs themselves. Since returning from Korea, we have already placed nearly all the chefs we met in Korea with clients nationwide but we have a few really great candidates left and are in the process of matching them with potential employers.

Brian and myself also met with a number of Korean officials, including Chang Gyun Jaegal, the head of the leader in the Korean food services industry, a major group with over 400,000 restaurants to discuss the further cooperation and commitment between Irish businesses and Korean jobseekers.

If you are struggling to hire Chefs or retain them for long periods and want to find out about how Excel Recruitment can help you through the work permit process please do not hesitate to contact me for more details.

hotel jobs

New study shows rising costs for hotels due to staff shortages

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

A new study has highlighted the risk of rising staffing costs for hotels as the industry faces fierce competition for staff in an economy with falling unemployment.

According to Crowe Ireland’s annual survey of Ireland’s hotel sector, the industry has seen increased turnover for the seventh consecutive year and is reaching record profitability, record occupancy and record room rates in all regions across the country. The annual Crowe Ireland survey of the country’s hotel sector said that the industry has enjoyed the seventh consecutive year of increased turnover.

The survey found that average room rates across the country rose 6.9% last year compared to 2016. In Dublin, the average room rate was 6.8% higher at €136.96. The pace of growth in average Dublin room rates last year was half that recorded in 2016, despite just 237 new rooms coming on stream. In the southwest and western seaboard, average room rates soared 8% and 9.7% respectively to €100.67 and €87.49.

Luxury hotels saw room rates rise 6.2% to €218.02, a new record. Economy hotels saw the biggest growth in average room rates, which rose 11.8% last year to €68.43.

The survey found that Dublin hotels increased their profits by 12%. Profits at hotels in the southwest jumped 17.4% on average, and by 17p% along the western seaboard. At hotels in the midlands and east, profits were 13.9% higher on average.

While this profitability is welcomed, it puts the special 9% VAT rate for the hotel industry , introduced by the Government in the depths of the financial crisis, under scrutiny as budget day approaches.

In a review of the 9% rate , the Department of Finance said it had cost the Exchequer €2.6bn since its introduction in 2011, and was now a “significant deadweight”. The Department said the reduced rate cost €490m in 2017.

Crowe Ireland partner Aiden Murphy said that payroll cost increases were the most significant threat to the hotel sector’s profitability.

The falling unemployment rate in Ireland means the premium that hotels must pay for staff above minimum wage “will have to increase”.

“There is a concern that the payroll cost for hotels, which was 34.5pc of revenue in 2017, could return to much higher levels,” he said. “Going back seven years, it would have been as high as 38pc or 39pc.”

The minimum wage currently stands at €9.55 an hour but just last month, the government agreed that the rate will rise to €9.80 from next year, following a recommendation from the Low Pay Commission. Mr Murphy said that hotels typically pay between €1 and €3 an hour above minimum wage.

Mr Murphy also said that the cost of living and accommodation in particular could push hotel workers in Dublin to move to hospitality jobs outside the capital.

“There’s a concern for certain staff in Dublin about the cost of living increasing,” he said, pointing out that workers at regional hotels would find the cost of living much lower.

Barry Whelan Excel Recruitment

CEO Barry Whelan on Budget ‘18 and it’s impact on retail

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

CEO of Excel Recruitment Barry Whelan offers his thoughts on yesterday’s Budget and its effects on both the retail and hospitality industries

Budget day is always a big news day and yesterday’s announcement by Minister for Finance Pascal Donohoe was no different. Among the old reliables and headline items, there were few big-ticket wins for business owners but the income changes, reductions in USC and increases in social welfare will be a welcome way to encourage and increase consumer spending. There was a number of important measures that will affect both the retail and hospitality sectors, both directly and indirectly. Below are some of the highs and lows….

9% VAT retained- Firstly, I was delighted to hear that VAT at 9% was retained. Excel’s hospitality division has long supported the #KeepVatat9 campaign and its retention yesterday will be greeted with a sigh of relief from many in the hospitality industry. The rate is crucial in keeping not only the tourism and hospitality industries but the Irish economy as a whole, encouraging overseas visitors, economic growth and jobs nationwide. The move will also benefit retailers in tourist hubs.

Sugar tax- While it was a surprise to no-one, many retailers will still be concerned about the sugar tax introduced yesterday. The new tax will mean a 30 cent per litre of tax will be placed on drinks with over 8g of sugar per 100ml. The tax has caused huge controversy and debate, with major lobby groups campaigning furiously for and against in the months leading to the budget. There are still vastly varying opinions about whether it will exactly make a difference and its success in the UK, Mexico, France and beyond. It is important that the results are monitored closely to ensure the tax fulfils its public health agenda.

Cigarettes & Alcohol- A price hike for cigarettes is always on the cards but it’s still going to agitate retailers, particularly when combined with the new sugar tax. The hike will undoubtedly lead to the increase in cross-border shopping and cigarette smuggling, already big problems for hard-working retailers. There will be mixed feelings regarding excise duty on alcohol, relief that it hasn’t gone up but also disappointment it hasn’t be reduced, particularly with the worry of structural separation still hanging over retailers heads.

Brexit Loan Scheme- While it’s still unclear what the Brexit Loan Scheme will look like, the €300m scheme will still a welcome announcement for SMEs trying to safeguard against the unknowns of Brexit. As the only country to have a land border with the U.K and the country bound to be most affected when the U.K leave the EU, it’s vital we begin to protect vulnerable businesses. The success of the scheme will rely on how quickly the details can be ironed out. How competitive will the ‘competitive rates’ be? What will be the eligibility requirements be? How will the government ensure those business most in need will avail of the Scheme?

Ireland’s most popular brands revealed

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

 

Avonmore has been revealed as Ireland’s favourite brand. Kantar Worldwide have revealed their annual barometer of consumer brands, which illustrates the most popular brands by Irish consumers. Half of the country’s 50 most popular brands came from traditional local names. The study reported on sales between October 2014 to October 2015 using a metric called ‘consumer reach points’.

Interesting statistics

  • Over 12 months, 75% of Irish households purchased an Avonmore product.
  • Those who did buy Avonmore jobs, did so an average of 27.4 times a year.
  • Avonmore sold 35 million products from supermarkets throughout the course of the year.
  • Four Irish brands are in the top 10.
  • Coca Cola retained first place in worldwide ranking.
  • 25 Irish brands made it into the top 50 brands domestically.

 

Most popular Brands

David Berry, KantarWorldwide Director said that Irish brands “continue to represent a strong contingent in our shopping baskets”.

Feeding Ireland’s Future 2016

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

Excel Recruitment are delighted to be partaking in Feeding Ireland’s Future 2016. The initiative is facilitated by the ECR and takes place from February 29th to March 4th. The ‘Skills for Work week’ places young unemployed people aged 18-24 in skill centres across the country, equipping them with CV workshops, interview preparation, HR resources and first-hand experience on the retail industry in Ireland.

Some of the largest names throughout Ireland are taking place in Feeding Ireland’s Future 2016, now in its third year. This year Youthreach, the training and work experience programme run by the Department of Education and Skills, will provide skills sessions to early school leavers in 13 centres throughout the country.

Excel Recruitment are delighted to welcome in prospective jobseekers to our offices in the Skills to Work Week. Here we will show each participant the daily ins and outs of placing candidates in the best grocery retailers throughout Ireland, providing CV and interview advice, HR knowledge and the best in digital practices to all attendees.

The Feeding Ireland’s Future seminar launches on February 19th, with MD of Excel Recruitment Barry Whelan presenting to all those in attendance the importance of the programme and how it demonstrates collaborative leadership throughout the Irish Food industry.