Most commonly reported Work Activities

•   Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
•   Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
•   Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
•   Staffing Organisational Units Recruiting, interviewing, selecting, hiring, and promoting employees in an organisation.
•   Making Decisions and Solving Problems Analysing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
•   Getting Information Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
•   Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
•   Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
•   Provide Consultation and Advice to Others Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.
•   Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.

Most commonly reported Work Tasks

• Serve as a link between management and employees by handling questions, interpreting and administering contracts and helping resolve work-related problems.
• Advise managers on organisational policy matters, such as equal employment opportunity and sexual harassment, and recommend needed changes.
• Analyse and modify compensation and benefits policies to establish competitive programmes and ensure compliance with legal requirements.
• Perform difficult staffing duties, including dealing with understaffing, refereeing disputes, firing employees, and administering disciplinary procedures.
• Represent organisation at personnel-related hearings and investigations.
• Negotiate bargaining agreements and help interpret labor contracts.
• Identify staff vacancies and recruit, interview, and select applicants.
• Plan, direct, supervise, and coordinate work activities of subordinates and staff relating to employment, compensation, labor relations, and employee relations.
• Prepare personnel forecast to project employment needs.
• Provide current and prospective employees with information about policies, job duties, working conditions, wages, opportunities for promotion, and employee benefits.

This occupation is typically suited for people with the following Career Interests:

 Enterprising

Enterprising people like situations that involve using resources for personal or corporate economic gain. Such people may have an opportunistic frame of mind, and are drawn to commerce, trade and making deals. Some pursue sales and marketing occupations. Many will eventually end up owning their own business, or in management roles in larger organisations. They tend to be very goal-oriented and work best when focused on a target. Some have an entrepreneurial inclination.

 Administrative

Administrative people are interested in work that offers security and a sense of being part of a larger process. They may be at their most productive under supervisors who give clear guidelines and while performing routine tasks in a methodical and reliable way.

They tend to enjoy clerical and most forms of office work, where they perform essential administrative duties. They often form the backbone of large and small organisations alike. They may enjoy being in charge of office filing systems, and using computers and other office equipment to keep things running smoothly. They usually like routine work hours and prefer comfortable indoor workplaces.

 Social

The Social person's interests focus on interacting with the people in their environment. In all cases, the Social person enjoys the personal contact with other people in preference to the impersonal dealings with things, data and ideas found in other groups.

Many will seek out positions where there is direct contact with the public in some advisory role, whether a receptionist or a counsellor. Social people are motivated by an interest in different types of people and like diversity in their work environments. Many are drawn towards careers in the caring professions and social welfare area, whilst others prefer teaching and other 'informing' roles.

There are many entry routes to a career in recruitment, sales, customer service, and marketing forms the foundation skills to develop.

Sample Education and Training Pathways
A number of courses are available throughout the country that focus on learning and skills that may be useful for this career. The examples and links below may guide you in your research. 

Further Education (FET)
Further Education & Training (FET) Courses are delivered by local ETBs, ranging in duration from several weeks up to 20 months. Courses are designed to meet the labour market needs and often include a large element of work experience.

Example search terms include: business, office administration, sales associate, supervisory management, leadership.

Search for FET Courses

PLC Courses (FET)
PLC courses are full-time courses, one or two years duration, with awards at Level 5 and 6 on the NFQ. They are offered nationally in Schools and Colleges of Further Education.

Example search terms include: sales, business administration, business management, marketing.

Search for PLC Courses

Apprenticeships: 
Apprenticeships are structured work-based training programs that combine on-the-job training with classroom instruction. They run from 2 – 4 years and are open to individuals of all ages, including school leavers, those seeking a career change, and existing employees who wish to upskill.

Examples: Sales, Recruitment Executive.

Search for Apprenticeships

Higher Education CAO (Undergraduate) 
Higher Education courses at Levels 6 to 8 on the NFQ, delivered in Universities and Technological Universities & Institutes. Courses run from 2 – 5 years and places are allocated on a points-based system, processed by the Central Application Office.

Example search terms include: sales, marketing, business administration, business management, marketing and sales, digital marketing.

Search for CAO Courses

Higher Education (Postgraduate)
Postgraduate courses are courses at Levels 9 and 10 on the NFQ and usually last 1 – 2 years full time, or longer if a PhD or part time. Entrants typically require an undergraduate award (Level 8).

Example search terms include: sales, business, management.

Search for Postgraduate Courses

Professional Development 

Professional development (CPD) courses are specialised training, formal education, or advanced professional learning that improves skills, professional knowledge, competency, and overall effectiveness in the professional world.

• National Recruitment Federation 
• NRF Skillnet
• The 30% club: Growth Through Diversity

Check the Useful Contacts tab on this page to see if there are any professional bodies listed who may provide training related to this career.

Salary Range (thousands per year)* €40k - €85k

Salaries Vary by employer, location, role, duties, shift pattern, and experience.

Data Source(s):
Brightwater / CPL / Morgan McKinley/ Indeed

Last Updated: July, 2024

Note: The following information relates to occupations that include: Human resource managers; directors Human resources; industrial relations officers.

This information has been derived from the Solas National Skills Bulletin (2023).

The annual average employment growth rate for this occupation was almost on a par with the national average, with employment growing by 3,600 persons between 2021 and 2022. Of the total employment permits issued in 2022, over half were for the ICT sector. The number of online job adverts (OVATE) declined by 5% in 2022, following strong growth the preceding year.

Although there was little evidence from employers that these roles were proving difficult-to-fill, the skills required for this occupation have shifted somewhat, with data from Spotlight on Skills indicating a strong demand for talent management/employee engagement skills, as companies increasingly focus on staff retention rather than recruitment in a tight labour market.

Demand for this occupation depends very much on hiring activity in the economy overall; slower growth and a reduced number of job-changers, particularly in sectors such as ICT, will likely dampen the demand for HR staff, and a return to the 2021 increase in employment (driven by post-pandemic re-hiring) is unlikely in the short-term.

• National Recruitment Federation

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