When it comes to attracting the best and brightest of accountancy graduates, having teams based in Dublin, Enniscorthy and the WorkLAB hub in Waterford – part of the Connected Hub network – is helping to support the ambitious growth plans of Azets Ireland.
The professional services firm, which specialises in meeting the needs of entrepreneurial, owner-managed, and family-owned businesses, recently announced plans to double the number of employees employed in the south-east by the end of 2025.
The planned recruitment will involve hiring for graduate and professional positions at its new offices in Seanan House, Enniscorthy and the WorkLAB hub in Waterford.
The WorkLAB hub in Waterford is a key facility where Azets colleagues across the South-East can come together to collaborate and foster creativity.
By using the hub and its new office space in Senan House in Enniscorthy, where another Connected Hub – Greentech HQ – is based, to grow its presence in the south-east, Azets has been able to strengthen its advisory and professional services to local businesses and enhance the depth of expertise of its team.
The strategy has already shown success in opening access to skilled talent across the country, helping to fuel the firm’s ambitious growth plans.
“One of our remits at the moment is to develop and create locations outside of Dublin, particularly for our graduates, many of whom come from regional universities and institutes from around Ireland,” Donal O’Leary, Chairman of Azets Ireland, explains.
“For a graduate, working in Dublin is a very expensive ask at the moment due to the cost and availability of accommodation. So, we need to ensure that we can facilitate them outside of Dublin – finding a way of operating where they get the experience of working not just on their own, at home, but in a hybrid set-up. That way, they get the benefits of coming into the office here in Waterford and are part of a team environment.”
One of the fastest growing professional service firms in Ireland, Azets Ireland provides a range of services including audit, due diligence, tax and restructuring to the Irish mid-market. Earlier this year Azets completed a merger with PKF O'Connor, Leddy & Holmes, achieving a total headcount of more than 220 employees across its hubs in Dublin and the South-East.
As the firm rapidly expands, the services provided by the WorkLAB hub enable Azets colleagues based in Waterford to seamlessly connect and collaborate with colleagues based in Dublin, Enniscorthy and other communities around the country.
With businesses around the country facing an evolving set of challenges from increased costs to new regulation, Eoin Kenny, Tax Partner, South-East at Azets Ireland describes how regional hubs are enabling Azets to support businesses across the South-East achieve their growth potential,
“As we grow, we believe it is crucial that we continue to address the needs of ambitious businesses in communities across the country, who are the lifeblood of the Irish economy.
“The WorkLAB hub in Waterford is helping to strengthen our local footprint across the South-East and make sure that we have the right talent in place to deliver the high-quality services that enable businesses in the region to thrive.”
For graduates keen to join a company that not only provides flexible working, but also supports strong career progression, O’Leary says the benefits of working across a diverse and experienced team in the south-east and Dublin are huge.
“The type of graduate we want to attract is really keen to see there’s a chance to progress beyond their current role and having those all-team meetings means they can see the different career paths within the company.”
With plans to employ 400 people across the country by 2025, the Waterford WorkLab will provide an important base for expansion in the south-east.
“The Hub network gives us that flexibility to go into different regions and locations and see how it goes,” O’Leary says. “It’s an ideal way of working for us and our teams.”
Highlighting the success of this collaborative approach to working across its regional hubs, Kenny notes, “For our employees based in Waterford, and other regional hubs, it’s really important that our team members stay connected and always feel part of the wider team.
“By regularly bringing together colleagues across these hubs for training and meetups, we can ensure that our team across the country are fully aligned on our mission of meeting the needs of mid-size businesses around the country.”
Along with Azets Ireland’s base in Waterford’s WorkLab, the Connected Hubs network offers a host of flexible working spaces for businesses across Ireland. Find out what sort of space would suit your business needs here.
Check out connectedhubs.ie to see how the expert team can help your business and plans for the future today.
Connected Hubs is part of Our Rural Future – a Government of Ireland Initiative
This article is sponsored by Connected Hubs
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