News

Why Cyber Security Matters in Recruitment Our Commitment as Aspire Recruitment In recruitment, trust underpins everything we do.  Clients and candidates place their confidence in us not only to act professionally and ethically, but to protect the sensitive personal data they share throughout the recruitment process. At Aspire Recruitment, data security is not treated as a box-ticking exercise or a regulatory burden.  It is a core responsibility and a fundamental part of how we operate. As part of that commitment, our Founder; Laura Bourke; achieved a Distinction in the Professional Diploma in Cyber Security with UCD Professional Academy. A Deliberate Investment [...]

What the EU Pay Transparency Directive Means for You The EU Pay Transparency Directive is due to come to into force across Ireland by 7th June 2026. The purpose of this directive is to allow for fairer and clearer pay for jobseekers. This Directive will introduce some of the most significant changes to recruitment, pay transparency and employee rights in decades. Here are the Top 3 Main Points for You: You Will Know the Salary Before You Apply There will be no more guessing what ‘competitive salary’ really means! Employers will be required to share the starting salary or a salary [...]

Auto-Enrolment 2026 – What It Really Means for Your Pay As 2026 approaches, one of the most significant changes to employment in Ireland is about to take effect.  The Automatic Enrolment Pension Scheme will be introduced.  While it’s a positive step toward helping people save for retirement, there’s an important detail that many employees may not yet realise: auto-enrolment contributions will be deducted not only from your base salary, but also from bonus payments, commissions, and mileage allowances that count as taxable income. What is Auto-Enrolment? From January 2026, all employees aged 23 to 60 earning €20,000 or more per year who are [...]

What are the New Sick Pay Benefits I've Heard About? Sick Pay for Everyone? For years, paid time off when sick has been viewed as a company benefit or perk for employees.  It is usually given to employees in the public sector and large scale organisations.  Some employers have very attractive paid sick pay schemes which give employees security if sickness occurs. The Pandemic showed us the Importance of Good Health It is safe to say that nobody wants to be unwell.  Most people like their job and go willingly each day.  Paid sick leave is generally availed of by very [...]

GDPR - Greater Data Quality for Professional Recruitment Agencies The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will come into force on the 25th May 2018, replacing the existing data protection framework under the EU Data Protection Directive. This date fast approaches at the end of this week. It is imperative that organisations involved in data processing of any sort within the EU comply with this regulation. There will be huge benefits of GDPR to job seekers using recruitment agencies. The media has focused on the work required for organisations to comply with this regulation. However, it’s more useful to look at the [...]

What’s the Benefit of Work/Life Balance? Job satisfaction is important and once we’re earning enough to cover our lifestyle costs, we can look at ensuring we’re achieving full job satisfaction and ultimately reaching our self actualisation goals, as per Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs! Throughout the education system, we are encouraged to push ourselves and achieve the best results we can - often so we can get the best job possible! However, “best job” usually refers to “highest paid job possible”. Is this the right approach? Does job happiness merely rest with remuneration? In my many years experience of speaking with [...]

How Should I Deal With a Counter Offer? Attractive job offers are welcome and the excitement builds about the new job opportunity that has presented itself! In the midst of the excitement about the upcoming change, the conversation concerning your resignation needs to take place. Ideally, have this conversation face to face and have a brief letter written confirming your resignation that you can hand to them after the conversation, so that the formalities are taken care of. Ensure that you thank the employer for the opportunity as often your current position has allowed you to move to your new [...]