Employment Contracts – Understanding Key Terms and Phrases

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When signing up for a new job, the employee contract can be daunting at the best of times. It includes many terms and phrases that some may find difficult to understand. There are many types of employment contracts including permanent employment, temporary employment, seasonal employment and contracted employment contracts. Employees must agree to the terms when they accept the job, unless they negotiate in advance. Terms typically include elements such as areas of work, holidays, pension, salary, company policy and termination.

Citizens Information is a great source for employees, especially those who are signing contracts for the first time. Their website hosts useful information about employment in Ireland including this link to key ‘Terms and Phrases’ https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/reference/checklists/checklist_glossary_of_employment_terms.html.

Some terms and phrases included in an employee’s contract:

  • Agency worker – an individual who is employed by an agency
  • Breaks – brief duration periods, for a stretch, cuppa or rest
  • Career break – agreed time from career, unpaid, to care for personal responsibilities or undertake education. Some organisations offer to pay employees during this time
  • Duty of care – by the employer, to ensure the workplace is safe and promotes wellbeing
  • Employee permit – an employment permit is required to work in Ireland for most EEA Nationals
  • Freedom of information – employees are entitled to access government records, under the FOI legislation (freedom of information)
  • Grievance procedure – complaints that require immediate action, and once highlighted there is typically a pre-determined process to work through, for a satisfactory outcome
  • Holiday – paid annual leave including public holidays

Remember, if you’re unsure, contact the employer or HR personnel to query any items on the contract content if you are unsure. They will respond, and answer any queries, and there may be opportunity to negotiate. For additional support, phone Citizen Information Service on 0818 07 4000 Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm. Before signing the contract, ensure that the contract contains what was agreed, and that it is dated and signed by both parties. “It is impossible to un-sign a contract, so do all your thinking before you sign” – Warren Buffet. Once the paperwork is completed, you can start to enjoy the next chapter of your life, in your new career!

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Why Use Recruitment Agencies?

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Hiring the right employee & benefits of using a recruitment agency:

Hiring the right employee for your company can be a challenging and lengthy process. With so many sectors struggling with staff shortages and hiring, recruitment agencies are here to help. More and more companies are partnering with recruitment agencies to source talent.

But what exactly are the benefits of working with a niche recruitment agency?

Save time – The recruitment process from start to finish is a lengthy process. You must advertise your vacancy, go through CV’s, create a short-list, contact candidates & organise interviews then comes job offer, referencing & acquiring needed documentation. A recruitment agency will do all this for you, saving you valuable time.

Accesses to more candidates – Often recruiters will have a database of candidates they can reach out to regarding your open role. They also seek out passive candidates as well as active ones, through head-hunting.

Higher quality candidates – Recruitment agencies will screen suitable applicants prior to sending CV’s, ensuring that candidates presented are a good match and have relevant skills & experience required for the role.

Specialist knowledge – Recruitment agencies will often be specialised in a certain sector. Three Q Perms & Temps specialises specifically in Nursing and healthcare recruitment and so have ain depth understanding about the market.

Company & Brand advocacy – Candidates want to know the benefits of working with an employer. Recruiters will make sure to promote the benefits and career development potential to candidates. Three Q will promote your company on our various advertising platforms & social media.

If you want to find out more about working with Three Q Perms & Temps and how we recruit for in-demand professionals in the healthcare sector, through innovative search, selection & recruitment processes and find the best candidates for your company then call me on 01 878 3335.

Charissa Mulholland

Nursing & Healthcare recruitment professional

Three Q Perms & Temps

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Fall in Love with Your Job Again

Do you feel that you are just working through the day, with a ‘ground-hog day’ feeling – just going through the motions? While it’s normal to have an off day, experiencing many joyless days on the job can be exhausting. Regaining interest in an established career provides many benefits in the workplace and in your personal life too.

Sometimes all it takes is a little time to take a step back, ‘think outside the box’ and create time for some creative planning, but first we need to know where to start! There are many areas that you can look at to help you fall back in love with your job again. Consider both the positive and negative attributes of personal performance in the job, including confidence, communication and knowledge. These areas can provide clues for areas of improvement.

Best tips to fall back in love with your job:

  • Change your perspective and look for the best in each situation
  • Express your opinions and thoughts. Start asking for what you would like or what you think might work well. Change happens when we know what to change
  • Create new goals. Start with short-term goals, and expand to long-term goals
  • Redesign your work space, get creative here
  • Evaluate your current job and how it can be improved, or identify if this is the right job for you. It’s useful to ask; “is this job fulfilling” or “do I feel happy in this job”?
  • Connect with the team and engage to find create solutions, to find joy again
  • Stay open to opportunities for change
  • Support the team, take care of new employees in their first few months – become a role model
  • Live healthy! Plan snacks and healthy lunches to keep energy levels balanced
  • Start new hobbies, these can be with work colleagues or interests outside the workplace …have some fun with these activities
  • Take pride in your work – be consistent, clock in five minutes early, finish work ahead of deadlines and show that you care with positive actions
  • Be open to feedback and ask the right questions
  • Do a little self-reflection, ask; “when did I lose the spark and why?”
  • Learn to say ‘no’, ‘not yet’, ‘let me come back to you’ and ‘yes’
  • Know what’s happening in the workplace
  • Enjoy time off and celebrate achievements
  • Finally, make sure the job is right for you … ask; “do I fit in with the culture” and “do I truly love what I do”? Speak to your manager if you have any doubt

Marc Anthony once said; “do what you love and it won’t be work.” So find your true joy in your life, fall back in love with your job again, and maybe inspire and motivate colleagues as you go about your new sense of purpose!

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LinkedIn – Connect, Collaborate & Create

Recruitment platforms have really increased online in recent years. The jobs market has been greatly enhanced with these marketing cyber spaces. Employers, HR and Recruitment Agencies benefit from platforms such as LinkedIn. It’s an effective networking arena with many advantages to boost employee careers and their job search. Employers include this in their research when seeking additional information on potential new hires.

LinkedIn provides opportunities to Connect, Collaborate, Create – individuals can connect with a wider network, collaborate with existing and new LikedIn users, and create meaningful network connections! They can also secure new jobs through this social space.

Before setting up a new LinkedIn account, it is important to know the key items to include in your digital space. This is also true if you already have an existing LinkedIn account. The persona profile needs to stand out. The content needs to engage other users, which needs to be updated frequently. There is a great opportunity to widen your social network and find new opportunities.

Top tips to create a great LinkedIn profile in 2022:

  • Include a great profile picture
  • Create a punchy headline, not just a job title
  • Start with a great story in the summary content, make it interesting and check the content for errors 
  • Expand network connections, using buzzwords, and keywords to optimise SEO
  • Bullet-point skills, education, accomplishments and interests with a brief synopsis
  • Use relevant hashtags
  • Create a spotlight for services offered
  • Create a custom profile URL
  • Include colleague recommendations
  • Background images enhance your LinkedIn profile
  • Personality gains the attention of other users
  • Include ‘call to actions’ such as an email address. ‘Follow’ buttons to your website work well too
  • If unemployed, include “actively seeking work” or “actively searching for new opportunities”
  • Don’t slate former employers or colleagues – keep it clean
  • Recruiters look at work history so include this important information here
  • HR view LinkedIn often, to attract and recruit new employees. Make connections with organisations  
  • Ask well-known connections to endorse you, not new connections
  • Engage and ask questions
  • Include LinkedIn Certs in your resume
  • Keep your profile active with frequent updates, organic content is great too

Give it 100% and increase your visibility for a greater return on boosting your career, network connections and new collaborations. “Always put your best foot forward, because you never know where your next step may lead you” – Stephan Labossiere.

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How to Cope with Anxiety

Every Moment is a fresh beginning

Change and uncertainty in the workplace can bring unwelcome anxiety, which can take us down a path of unhealthy living and disrupt a healthy work-life balance. This is particularly true when these changes happen outside our control, whether you’re in temporary or permanent employment. Finding ways to cope with change and uncertainty isn’t always easy.

Dealing with anxiety and regaining balance in your life are just two of the necessary steps to help reboot the psychological, physical and emotional aspects of self. Understand how the change is impacting you and increase your self-care also help, as does talking about the new process.

‘Blue Zone Living’ has inspired thousands of individuals globally in a curious movement of on-going research which seeks to understand why some countries have populations with healthy aging individuals. The invaluable advice and insights are relatively simple and can be used to regain a healthy balance in your life.

9 healthy regimes to manage anxiety include:

  1. Understand what your purpose is; why you wake up every morning? Find meaning and develop an internal inventory of passions, values, gifts, talents, likes and dislikes
  2. Body movement relives stress, particularly high stress levels. Natural continuous body movement is just as beneficial as strenuous exercise
  3. Use the Pareto Rule during meal times. Choose to stop eating when 80% full, and let go of late night snacking. Remember – ‘breakfast like a king and dinner like a pauper’
  4. Become more aware of, and increase, self-care and wellbeing, and work on ways to reduce stress levels. The body holds stress in different ways, so embrace rituals that work for you – nap for twenty in the afternoon, partake in a happy hour after work, engage in creative activities or simply pray
  5. Include healthy food in each meal serving – fruit, whole grains, rich and colourful vegetables, beans and nuts. Consume lean-meat a few days a week, and avoid processed and sugary foods
  6. The fun doesn’t have to stop with this new way of being. Enjoy things and food that give you pleasure. A glass of wine with a sociable meal can provide powerful antioxidants
  7. Positive social circles promote healthy behaviours with self. These can be fun, nurture talents and advance your personal development journey. Find which ones work for you
  8. Belong and have faith – join your preferred faith-based community, to form strong social relationships, which can provide a powerful sense of belonging. Find one that suits you.
  9. Finally, the depth of love holds many amazing benefits, so stay connected and open to those that you love!

Change isn’t always a negative. It can be liberating, exhilarating and bring some, or many, new opportunities. Remember; “Every moment is a fresh beginning” – T. S. Elliot.

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Chef Referral Competition

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Attention all Three Q Temps, do you know a qualified chef looking for a new career? Are you interested in wining €100? Then refer a Chef to Three Q today for your chance to be in with a €100 One 4 All voucher. If your Chef successfully completes the sign up process we will provide you with a €50 gift card. If your referral works with Three Q for three months you will receive another €50 voucher. For your chance to win this amazing prize, send your Chefs CV to cvs@3qrecruitment.ie with your details, or call 01 – 878 3335 for more information.

Terms & Conditions:

  • Chefs must hold a QQI level 6 in culinary arts, or the equivalent to qualify for a role with Three Q
  • Referral must be submitted between 28/01/2022 – 28/02/2022
  • You will receive a €50 gift card when your referral successfully completes the sign up process (including all mandatory training) and is placed by Three Q
  • You will receive a second €50 gift card when your referral completes 3 months of service with Three Q
  • Should your referral leave before a 3 month period, you will not receive the second gift card.

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Working as a Detox/ Addictions Nurse

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Are you a Staff Nurse who is looking for a new career path? Would you be interested in working with people affected by problem substance use and homelessness?

Ireland’s Homeless crisis stems from a number of issues which include – Lack of affordable housing, unemployment, and mental illness. Addiction and substance abuse have also found to be one of the reasons for homelessness, according to studies and surveys carried out by charity detox services in Ireland.

A simple stroll around Dublin City centre really highlights the problem of homelessness in Ireland. This was even more obvious during the lockdown, when the usually busy Dublin streets were devoid of shoppers and in their place were countless tents set up around popular shopping streets.

Though mental health and addiction problems are cited as a cause for homelessness, there are also those would not have been problem substance users throughout their lifetime, who found themselves in homeless situations, and as a result, in order to cope with the harsh reality of homelessness turned to problem substance use.

The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage posted a report which showed a total number of homeless individuals at 8,475 in September 2021.

There are many organisations in Ireland whose mission is to help those suffering from problem substance abuse and homelessness. These organisations are often recruiting for Registered General or Psychiatric Staff Nurses.

So, what exactly does it take to become a Detox/ Addiction Nurse & what are the necessary qualities for the role?

·        Passionate – Have a genuine interest in working with those who suffer from substance abuse and or homelessness.

·        Knowledge – Understanding of drugs, mental health and why people become homeless and their needs.

·        Compassionate – Motivated to help the needs of others, be they physical, mental, or emotional.

·        Good Communication Skills – Able to give counsel to service user and be able to listen.

·        Build & Maintain Relationships – Gaining the trust of service users is vital to the role of a Detox Nurse.

·        Manage Challenging Behavior – Confident in de-escalation and conflict resolution.

·        Teamwork – Be a Team player & Liaise with the multi-disciplinary team.

·        Respect – Ability to treat all service users with the upmost dignity and respect.

·        Experience – Registered as a RGN or RPN with post graduate experience in healthcare.

If you want to find out more about working as a Detox/ Addictions Nurse in Ireland, then call me on 01 878 3335.

Charissa Mulholland

Nursing & Healthcare Recruitment Professional

Three Q Perms & Temps

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New Year, New You – How to Prepare for Interviews

Three Q News

New Year, New You – Is part of your New Year resolution to find a new job or advance into a more managerial role in your career? Then you are going to need to prepare for interviews.

Interviews can be daunting, we always want to put our best foot forward, but sometimes our nerves can get the better of us. Interviews can prove even more difficult for those who have only recently graduated and have never interviewed before, or those who have been in their current job a long period of time and haven’t had an interview for several years.

We can’t control our emotions or nerves but what we can do is prepare, after all, knowledge is power!

As someone who has personally struggled trying to control my nerves and anxiety before an interview, I have found some tips which have helped me in the past:

  1. Know the company/ organisation you are interviewing for – A common question employers ask is “Why do you want to work here?”, so ensure you know plenty about your possible future employer.
  2. Fully understand the job description – Outline your own experience and skills which match that of the job description, you can use this to show you are a perfect match for the role.
  3. Prepare and rehearse common questions and answers – You can easily look online for a list of popular question which are asked at interview. As a recruiter I always provide my candidates with a list of questions & topics to research and do interview preparation where we go over these mock style questions.
  4. Prepare questions for the interviewer – Employers will always ask if you have any questions at the end of an interview, this is your opportunity to show that you have thought in depth about the role and company and genuinely want to work there.
  5. Plan your travel – Ensure you arrive to interview early and aren’t rushing; I always advise to be at least 15 minutes early to interview. This gives you time to sit down, compose your thoughts, and even go over some interview prep.
  6. Remember to breathe! – This may seem like such a simple and obvious thing, but as someone who has almost found myself hyperventilating before an interview, I find it helps to sit and take some deep breaths before interview to bring your heart rate down and calm those nerves.
  7. Speak confidently and clearly –I have found that I can speak a million miles an hour which can make it hard for the employer to fully grasp everything you are saying. I make sure to take a few seconds before answering a question and speak clearly and confidently. 
  8. Use the S.T.A.R (Situation, Task, Action & Result) approach when answering questions – This will help give your answers structure and ensure you don’t end up rambling so that your answers are relevant to the question.
  9. Remember to ask questions at the end of interview – Even if for some reason the employer does not ask you if you have any questions, remember to ask those all-important questions you prepared earlier.
  10. Leave a good impression – At the end of an interview, always make sure to smile and thank the employer for the opportunity & tell them how interested you are in the role and how you look forward to hearing any updates about the outcome of the interview.

If you are looking for a new Nursing, Healthcare or Hospitality job and would like some help finding that prefect job or to spruce up your CV & arrange some interview preparation, then you can call me on 01-878-3335 or visit our website for a full list of current jobs –

Charissa Mulholland

Nursing & Healthcare recruitment professional

Three Q Perms & Temps

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Resolutions for the New Year

The New Year can bring great opportunities and exciting beginnings, and is a great time to start new resolutions. The Christmas holidays provides us with time to reflect and see what new things we can start working on over the next year. “Learn everything you can, anytime you can, from anyone you can. There will always come a time when you will be grateful you did.” – Sarah Caldwell.  We can learn from what worked for us this year and improve on what can work better. New learning and introducing beneficial changes into our lives can have many positive effects in both our personal lives and work life.

As we anticipate and look forward to clearing the cobwebs of the winter season, most of us will start planning new resolutions in our personal lives, such as losing weight, quitting a habit that doesn’t serve us well or improving our fitness levels, at the start of the year. We can also plan for positive changes that improve our working life. Improving this area can greatly improve our personal and family lives. Suggestions that can help will include doing a couple of tasks on Saturday that will ultimately improve our working week, such as:

  1. Plan a weekly menu for each meal including healthy treats. This reduces the amount of trips to the shop and can reduce our weekly spend on groceries, and time spent on trips to the supermarket.
  2. Batch cook dinner meals and freeze them. This reduces the need to phone our local takeaway for a fast meal, when we get home after a long day at work. It is also a healthier option and improves the balance of good food in our diet and significantly improves our wellbeing.
  3. Fill the car with diesel for the coming week. This saves stopping during the week and picking up extra unnecessary refreshments, also reducing weekly spending costs.
  4. Plan our weekly wardrobe for each day of the week. Having key items of clothing can help with planning outfits for the week ahead.
  5. Exercise routines have a greater chance of success if we do our workout before returning home from work. If time is of the essence in the evening, morning exercising is another option. Invest in some good quality rain gear, for rainy days. Then there is no excuse to cancel a planned walk/run. For those of us that are a little less motivated, it is a good idea to call on the experience of a personal trainer to help boost our motivational levels. They can plan a workout programme that suits our needs, thus ensuring that it is the right one for us.

Plan some fun and feel good activities for the weekend. Whether it’s doing some retail therapy, meeting friends for brunch or getting out into nature, the benefits can be amazing. These can really boost the good-feeling factor in us and our energy levels to help us step into spring with a bounce in our step.

While the weekend can be a busy time, with catching up on household tasks and meeting with family and friends, it is important to have some down-time. We all need one day in the week where we can recharge our batteries and bring a little rejuvenation and restoration in the way of self-care. This can include having a Sunday morning lie-in, a long soak in the bathtub, a trip to the spa or getting an earlier night’s sleep. Whatever resolutions we plan for the coming year, improving our quality of life is essential for living a happier and more fulfilled life. We can give our best when life is easier and who knows maybe even inspire colleagues at work.

#NewYearResolutions #Planning #Tips

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Wisdom to Explore a New Career

As we grow on our journey in life, we begin to realise that exploration, self-discovery and learning are an integral part of the process of living. “Never mistake knowledge for wisdom. One helps you make a living; the other helps you make a life.” – Sandra Carey. We learn that making mistakes is also part of the journey. They teach us valuable lessons which can propel us into a new direction, one that we never imagined or thought possible. Life’s experiences teach us what we like and don’t like. From this we have better insight to recognise what works best for us at this time.

When beginning a new career, it can be hard to find our feet. We may even feel like we don’t belong or that we haven’t made the right decision. It is only with hindsight that we are wise enough to know if it was the right choice. Either way, we can learn from it. We can also learn from others that we met along the process, if we are open to it. There is no wasted opportunity, only opportunities to learn and self-develop.

Here are some tips to help with starting the exploration:

  1. Recall a time in the past that was similar to this new one. Identify valuable insights that can be applied into this new situation.  
  2. Leave plenty of room for mistakes, there is valuable learning here.
  3. Be open to learning from others. They can be useful guides and teachers along the way that were part of our journey.
  4. Make it a practice each week or month to learn something new. Keep the explorer within alive and life exciting. Try something different and outside our comfort zone.
  5. Sign up with a Recruitment Agency. 3Q Perms & Temps Recruitment Agency is a great source of knowledge to help with exploring options and opportunities, phone: 01 8763335 or email temps@3qrecruitment.ie.

It is only when we trust the process, and ourselves, that we begin to realise where the best options lie ahead of us. It’s as if each step is illuminated with a little more clarity certainty than yesterday held. “The greatest wisdom is knowing that we know very little. when we adopt this perspective, we open our hearts and minds to learn and be inspired” – Ashish Godara. #Wisdom #Explore #NewCareer #Learn

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