Mark Redmond is People & Property Director for Three Ireland. After its acquisition of O2, Three is now the second largest mobile provider in Ireland, with a 37% market share, 68 stores and 1,300 staff. The company is owned by Hutchinson Whampoa, a multinational conglomerate that employs 250,000 people in 54 countries.

Are you in hiring or consolidation mode?
We are always on the lookout for the best talent available. This year we opened a new customer service centre in Waterford, where there are 130 people employed, and we are planning an expansion of our tech support centre in Limerick. The pace of change is fast in our industry and a company at the moment we have vacancies in technology, finance, HR and our retail stores.

What do you look for when hiring?
Relevant technical skills and experience for a role are obviously important but we also look for a good fit with our corporate culture. We look for people who will work hard collaboratively. Typically, our employees will have a third level qualification but we look for people who can adapt and grow within the company. Ambition and drive are also core skills at Three.

What skills do you find hardest to secure?
Sourcing specialist staff with the latest technical skills applicable to our industry is our main focus. The challenge lies in hiring people with both the technical skills and the right cultural fit.

In Association with

Are people’s salary expectations increasing?
As the economy picks up, so are salary expectations. However, while salary is important, there is also a focus on other benefits, and opportunities for growth and development.

How to people climb the corporate ladder?
Know what you want, know your strengths and limitations and set goals to get you to where you want to go. Remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day. Managers need time to see consistent progression before new responsibilities are considered. Mapping out what skills you already have and which ones you need to develop, and reviewing your progress regularly with a mentor, is important. And don’t forget to work hard!

Any advice for aspiring leaders?
Surrounding yourself with the best people and developing them to their full potential is paramount. It's also important to be in an organisational culture that suits you. If you enjoy where you are, progression can be a natural stepping stone.

HOW TO RECRUIT FOR CULTURAL FIT

Organisations need to hire employees who in addition to meeting the technical requirements for the job have the right qualities that fit with the overall organisation or team. It’s not what you know, but how you fit in the culture that results in improved performance. While technical skills generally can be taught, cultural and motivational fit involve innate characteristics that can be difficult to develop.

That means identifying your organisational values, norms and beliefs, and how employees should act when they are behaving in accordance with that culture. While organisations often tend to describe their cultures using the same words, the definitions in the context of the organisation often differ dramatically, as do the behaviours required to support those values.

For example, organisations that value being customer focused may be willing to do whatever it takes to ensure customers come first. Other companies might want more conservative individuals interested in balancing the needs of customers and the business.

A thorough assessment process will identify not only cultural fit but areas of strength and weakness. Sharing this feedback with your new hire should lead to accelerated development of the new person and so improved performance in a shorter time-frame.