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THERE’S A BITTER war going on between tech companies in Dublin right now – a war for talent, that is. And they’re pulling out all the stops to win.
But it’s not just healthy wage packages and financial perks being used to tempt staff – a big focus has also been placed on creating workplaces where people want to work.
Recently, Squarespace showed Fora around its refurbished Dublin office, where the company has set up a dedicated video games room and hammock-fitted balcony.
Another company involved in the scramble for the best staff is Qualtrics, a billion-dollar market research firm from the US. The company recently raised $180 million in funding and plans to hire hundreds more staff in Dublin.
Four years ago, the firm opened its first European operation in the Irish capital with just four people around a desk making sales calls, and it has since grown to 200 staff.
Qualtrics EMEA chairman Dermot Costello gave Fora a tour of the company’s office near St Stephen’s Green – which comes complete with massage chairs and an Irish pub named after a company founder’s dog.
When Qualtrics first moved to Dublin, Costello was one of those shipped in to start growing the company’s footprint in Europe.
“Literally myself and three other people were brought in from the US. Previously they had been selling over the phone at 2am in the US over to Europe,” he told Fora.
We’ve now got about 200 people in this office and it has taken us four years to get to this point, but we honestly feel like we’re just getting started.
He added that the company has planned to hire another 250 people for its Dublin office in the coming years.
“We’re looking at putting extra space on the building that will allow us to have up to 500 or 600 people on just this site. We also have offices in London, Paris, the Netherlands and the Nordics, but Dublin will still remain our (European) HQ.”
Open plan
Like most tech firms, Qualtrics doesn’t believe in cubicles or personal offices, and opts for the open-plan alternative.
While not all workers are fans of the office-layout trend, Costello said he believes it helps teams work together, and it also makes senior staff more approachable.
“Everyone sits in open plan, including myself. We’re a big believer in collaboration and that’s very hard to create if people are sitting behind walls in offices.
So what we wanted was a real open space and open office. The trade-off is a bit of extra noise, but that creates that kind of buzz around the office.
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Written by Killian Woods and posted on Fora.ie
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Just like these “great” jobs at Google, everyone chilling out on hammocks, bean bags and games rooms…..Just remember you’ll need to work 7 days a week, miss a Sunday, and you miss the promotion!!
@Lord Clanricarde: and in America, you are expected to live on campus in Google’s shoe box apartments
@Lord Clanricarde:
I wouldn’t feel too sorry for them, many are on very hefty salaries with ample bonuses. And they’re constantly being poached by other companies. And those who were given shares years ago have done very well indeed.
@Fred Jensen: Maybe Fred, but these American companies promote like they are offering the perfect work/life balance with a great working environment…As we now know this is false and the industry is cut throat.
@Lord Clanricarde: I have friends who work for Google and Facebook and they don’t work excessive hours. While I have worked in Irish owned companies where there was unpaid overtime constantly with the boss bragging about their latest big purchase like a boat.
@Lord Clanricarde: work life balance is subjective though. Some folks prefer to work just enough to have what they need and get out n enjoy their hobbies, other folks use work as their hobby. Each to their own I say. If people like to work long hours n ain’t stressed out over it leave them off. Some people wana climb the ladder n get caught up in it, some are pretty happy just doing something they like in a nice environment with decent people around them.
@Lord Clanricarde: Isn’t it illegal to work more than 6 consecutive days? Certainly my company doesn’t allow it but your sentiment is correct. American tech companies do expect you to revolve your life around the company in a way Irish companies do not. It’s a good fit for some people but far from the perfect working conditions, I’d personally trade in the hammocks and higher salary for free weekends and no compulsory overtime.
A great success story for Dublin. Long may they continue to expand.
@Fred Jensen: Let’s keep this recovery going
@Dilly Phun: a lot done more to do
Open plan offices are popular because they are cheaper to fit out and maintain. Simple as that. You are more productive if you don’t work in an open plan environment. There seems to be a lot of window dressing to make a company look attractive with a bar? Who wants to drink beer at your work place?
While a lot of these workers appear to be talented and well paid they also appear to be incredibly naive about the fact that they are mere slaves in the quest for share price nirvana.
On a side note this part of so called tech sector (let’s be honest they are just old ideas re packaged into an ‘app’) is a sham and has proven to be a sexist racist environment where if you’re a white/Asian male who loves slapping women on the backside you can make it to the top.
@J: nice transition from cynical to batshit there.
@Bilbo Baggins: 2 concrete examples; Uber and Facebook IPO. I’m sure you can work out which one is which.
@J: I could name several doctors who have mistreated or murdered their patients. This doesn’t mean that the entire medical profession is full of carless murderers. There is many more examples of the tech industry actually driving diversity and equality. Believing an entire industry is the same as one or even several companies is ridiculously short sighted at best!
@Bilbo Baggins: my point is it’s not the all conquering ‘look at me aren’t I great’ industry it’s trying to portray itself as. It’s basically the same as any other industry and actually probably a bit worse given it’s so called cool image. It’s basically capitalism but with a smug face.
I mean look at San Francisco for example. Increasing property prices with no regard for locals driving them out of places they’ve lived for yrs. Driving out communities and filling it with vacuous knobs with smart phones. Zero social conscience.
Yay! Lots of money and a fake, shallow existence that people think is a life. No thanks!
@Brian Ó Dálaigh: It beats no money and a fake, shallow existence that people think is a life.
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