Why Engineering Managers Need a Community
Being in a leadership position isn’t always easy and that’s something I’m reminded of constantly in conversations with Engineering Managers. You’re supporting your teams, driving delivery, navigating change, and balancing a whole range of expectations. Yet more often than not, you’re doing it alone. You might have a strong internal…
Candidate A vs. Candidate B: The Soft Skills That Made All the Difference
In this blog I’ll break down how soft skills in tech interviews—like communication, adaptability, and curiosity—can be the tipping point in a competitive job market like Ireland’s. If you’re wondering how to stand out in a job interview, read on for real-world insights, practical interview tips, and reflections for both…
Ireland’s Labour Market: End of Q2 2025
We are half way through 2025. The recruitment profession has been quite volatile. For tech recruitment, which GemPool specialises in, there have been pockets of activities but also, noticeably, plenty of caution resulting in less demand for recruitment. Taking a wider view, despite global uncertainty and evolving economic headwinds, Ireland’s…
Employee Benefits Survey: What Tech Professionals Really Want
In today’s tech talent market, salary alone is no longer the sole differentiator, benefits have an equal impact. But what benefits actually matter most in 2025? Are your offerings helping you win talent—or quietly pushing them away?
Retention Unlocked: What Works for Gen X vs. Gen Z
As a Senior Recruiter in the IT field with over 3.5 years of experience in recruitment, I’ve witnessed the evolving dynamics of workplace expectations across generations. One of the biggest challenges companies face today is retaining both Gen X, who value stability and long-term growth, and Gen Z, who prioritise…
A Recruiter’s Guide to Assessing Tech Skills—What Candidates Say Matters Most
In today’s competitive IT world, assessing IT skills is more important than ever. There is a growing demand in the market for speclised talent from technical professionals, for example AI or Machine Learning based roles that have been on a continuous growth, these are some of the technical skills that…
The Future of Hybrid Work in Ireland’s Tech Sector
That dynamic shifted throughout 2023 and continued in 2024. Most notably, we have seen high profile announcements like Amazon bringing their staff back five days a week since January 2025. Another reason is that the gloss of remote working wore off as employers started to see company culture and collaboration…
4 Main Signs Indicating It’s Time To Switch Jobs
This is always an interesting topic to discuss. It’s important to be conscious of these signs. It may be the time you take the leap and take that next career move. In this blog let’s dissect these signs and see how each of these can contribute to deciding it’s time…
Developing the Ideal IT Recruitment Process
The Irish IT sector is rapidly evolving, and so is the need for a tailored recruitment approach to meet its unique demands. I’ve seen first-hand the impact of an efficient, well-designed recruitment process that resonates with the Irish IT market. This guide offers practical steps and insights for talent acquisition…
Recruitment: A Barometer Of The Economy
As we near the end of 2024, the recruitment industry is reflecting a wider economic sentiment of caution and uncertainty. Ultimately, there are a number of factors that are making employers very careful about hiring and growth. In this blog I will outline some of the key factors right now…
How to Tackle Employee Retention Issues
As we navigate through 2024, I’ve been having more and more conversations about one pressing issue: employee retention. The way we work has evolved, and so have the expectations of our teams. What worked in the past might not cut it anymore, and adapting to these changes is essential for…
Work-Life Balance in the Irish Tech Industry
Having a good work-life balance is something that is imperative for both employers and employees. For an employer’s side, the better the work-life balance culture the easier it is to attract talent. From an employee’s point of view, it is more attractive to engage with a company that really prides…
Navigating the Remote Work Revolution
We’re seeing a rise in companies going both ways as the months go on. Some are shifting back towards a full-time in-office model. Whilst others are going in the other direction, pushing things to full remote or even once to twice a quarter in the office. It’s an interesting time…
What benefits are important to employees in 2024?
At GemPool, we spend all day talking to candidates about their salary expectations, but also the benefits they currently have. It’s not always the salary that is the most important aspect of the remuneration package. All parts of a benefits package have the ability to sway a candidate to accept…