Recruitment

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Think outside the box

Small benefi ts like discounts on local gyms, canteen discounts, extra days of annual leave for birthdays, free tea, co ee and newspapers go a lot further than you may think! These small inexpensive perks are a great way to attract candidates. Be sure to list all your perks – no matter how small and include them with every job that you are looking to hire for.

Profi t share

With basic salaries going up, this can be an ideal option by putting in place bonuses linked to a store’s profi tability. You can o er outstanding on-target earnings without impacting your store’s wage budget.

Q: From the job candidate’s perspective, how will you help them to prepare for their best interview performance?

A: We tailor our candidate preparation depending on each individual, and the role that they are going for. By getting to know each candidate and by understanding their past experience/future ambitions, we’re positioning ourselves to support the candidate through each step of the hiring process. This can be anything from helping them to phrase answers, giving them the company background, suggesting the best stores for them to visit beforehand or teaching them how to conduct a virtual interview. And sometimes, we’re just simply a sounding board for a candidate to voice their concerns.

Q: It has become increasingly common for employers to hold multiple interviews. What specifi c advice would you give candidates when embarking on the second or third round of interviews?

A: I would recommend to clients to get all decision makers to sit in on the fi rst interview so that you can conduct a thorough fi rst round. This allows us to move at a faster pace in this overheated market and leaves no need for subsequent rounds. However, if you are a candidate who is called back for additional rounds: • Treat it like the fi rst round! You may be meeting a new interviewer – and it is imperative you come across as well prepared, professional, interested and engaged as you did in the fi rst round. • Don’t worry about repeating information from the fi rst round – often the previous interviewer is anxious for the new interviewer to hear what you had to say. • Prepare and recap on your preparation for round one. Think about any questions you would like to have asked and prepare answers for any questions you felt you underperformed on during the previous rounds. • They liked you in round one, so relax, be yourself and enjoy!

Q: As we tentatively emerge from the Covid19 crisis, do you believe that sta shortages will signifi cantly lessen in the next 12 months?

A: No, looking forward, I can’t see any factors in play that will dramatically increase supply or decrease demand so it’s hard to see how these shortages will cease in the near future. Having said that, I do believe there are still great people available in the retail industry, if you know where to look. It’s essential to have a strong recruitment partner now more than ever to recruit talent for your business, and we will continue to help our clients and candidates in whatever way we can. ■

Rum in high spirits!

The explosion of cocktail culture and mixology are driving excitement within the gin category, with premium brands proudly leading the charge, writes Gillian Hamill

The fourth most popular spirits call in the drinks trade (after vodka, Irish whiskey, and gin), rum sales look set to increase in both volume and value. Total volume in the category may have fallen by 3.5% in Ireland in 2020, but the IWSR expects to see 1.5% category annual growth rate between 2020 to 2025. Premium rum brands are likely to have a part to play in this growth.

While much of the spirit’s success can be attributed to its use as a mixing ingredient, IWSR stated that premium rum will re-position the spirit as a sipping drink, moving it away from its consumer perception as a party drink.

Rum is undoubtedly an excellent base for cocktails and in recent years, brands have expanded their portfolios to develop a more diverse range of fl avoured rum, and thereby enabling consumers to fi nd the perfect match for their favourite cocktail concoction.

Infusion-fest

In a Mintel blog, analyst Suzanne Montfoort recently refl ected on the factors driving the rise of fl avoured spirts or as she describes it, the “extraordinary infusion-fest” currently occurring. According to Montfoort: “Many players in the drinks industry appear to have decided to invest in product development as a way to broaden their consumer base. While young consumers in general remain an important target market, women in particular have caught marketers’ imagination, as they are underrepresented in categories such as whiskey and beer. Attracting more women would allow brands to tap into a vast yet underexplored market.”

However, as Montfoort points out, “consumer research by Mintel shows honeyfl avoured whiskey and spiced rum appeal to a larger percentage of men than women, highlighting that it takes more than sweetness to get the girls”.

Irish pivot to rum

Another interesting development within the rum category is the decision by some Irish distilleries is to pivot away from more traditionally ‘Irish’ spirits towards rum. In an article entitled ‘Can Irish Rum Turn the Tides of Tradition in Ireland?’, Emily Cappiello, writing for Vinepair.com, spoke to several people within Ireland’s drinks industry who are playing a key role in shaking up the nation’s perceptions of rum and educating consumers on the more diverse range available nowadays. One such individual was Kiran Shiva Akal, the founder of Akal Chai Rum, who noted: “Ireland would not be traditionally regarded as a rumdrinking nation, with whiskey and gin dominating tastes. However, during the last 15 years, [the country] has had something of a renaissance with food and drink. Mixology has exploded in the cities.” Shiva Akal is also the founder of the bar, Ohana on Dublin’s Harcourt Street, a ‘rum lover’s dream’ which serves over 200 rums, complete with expert mixologists to create cocktails. In itself, the existence of such a bar clearly demonstrates the growing demand for rum and Irish consumers’ more adventurous tastes.

“We’re realising that people are drinking less, but they want higher quality,” added Jason Kidd, founder of Outcast Brands, who observes: “Rum is now moving from tiki-style drinks to that of prestige.” What’s more, Drinks Ireland forecasts that rum will grow at a rate of 5.5% until 2027, making it the third key growth spirit behind whiskey and gin.

This chimes with an earlier report from IWSR published in 2017 which shows the category’s clear upward trajectory of recent years, noting: “‘Excitement’ is surely the word to describe the current mood surrounding premium-plus rums. While not quite showing the growth of premium gin, the category clearly has long potential, sharing many of the craft credentials of other brown spirits, but also appealing to the cocktail driven upscale on-trade. The report found the premium-plus rum category “continues to fi re on all cylinders,” with IWSR fi gures showing that at that time, premium, super-premium and ultrapremium rums were growing at a rate of 8.35% to reach over 3.42m cases in 2017.

Read on to learn more about the brands and new fl avour developments creating a buzz in the rum category within the Irish market.

What exactly is rum?

Irish retailer O’Brien’s Wine describes rum as “a distilled spirit made from sugar cane or sugar cane by-products, such as molasses. It comes in many varieties and styles. White, gold and spiced rum are perfect for cocktails or long drinks while premium aged rums are designed for sipping.”

Molasses meanwhile, is described by www.thespruceeats.com, as “the dark, sweet, syrupy by-product made during the extraction of sugars from sugarcane and sugar beets. Molasses has a rich history in the Caribbean and Southern United States, where sugarcane and sugar beets are heavily cultivated. Perfect for old-fashioned recipes, molasses is used in gingerbread as well as baked beans, barbecue sauce, and other dishes that benefi t from its dense sweetness.”

Sublime for cocktails

Bacardí has a rich and proud heritage dating back to 1862 when, after ten years of perfecting his rums, Don Facundo Bacardí Massó introduced the world to his Bacardí Carta Blanca rum. A sublime rum for cocktails, it doesn’t dominate other fl avours nor does it disappear when mixed. Perfect for classic rum cocktails like the Mojito. With rum now accounting for 8% of total spirits* in Ireland, Bacardi has a perfect portfolio from classic to premium, which includes the following:

Bacardí Superior Rum: This is a light and aromatically balanced rum. Subtle notes of almonds and lime are complemented by hints of vanilla. The fi nish is dry, crisp, and clean. It inspired the cocktail revolution as the fi rst mixable rum. This distinctive spirit is aged in American white oak barrels and shaped through a secret blend of charcoal for a distinctive smoothness, making it perfect for classic rum cocktails.

Bacardí Coconut Flavored Rum: Made with all-natural fl avours, Bacardí Coconut Flavoured Rum provides an intense fl avour of creamy coconut with refreshing aromas of coconut water. A special Bacardí rum blend was