Niamh O'Brien, Director, BDO Talent Management, BDO Ireland
Niamh has over 20 years of experience working across recruitment, talent acquisition, people solutions and, most recently, in the broader world of talent management.
Having started her career in agency recruitment, then moving into RPO, managed services, Niamh is now working as a Director - of Talent Management in BDO Ireland.
Niamh is also about to complete a Diploma in Life and Business Coaching and has recently launched Returners in Ireland – a LinkedIn group targeted at those who may have taken time out of their career for family or other reasons and who are now looking at re-joining the workplace.
What is your favourite social media platform, and why?
LinkedIn for everything work-related; I spend a lot of working time there! I like to browse Instagram in my own time - I love anything interior or travel-related.
Tell us about you and your current role or area of interest.
I work within BDO - a global consultancy firm. I head up BDO Talent Management within BDO Ireland, where we offer a range of people solutions, including: executive search, interim resources, employer of record and people consulting. My passion has always been people; I started as a recruiter over 20 years ago and have remained in the talent space since.
We launched BDO Talent Management in 2019 and have built a range of service lines that respond directly to our client's pain points. To have the freedom to create bespoke services from within a global consultancy has just been the perfect balance for me. We have exceptional internal expertise across our traditional service lines of tax, audit, advisory and consulting, and we can now offer our clients a range of People Solutions too.
What do you like about your career or area of focus?
I love the variety of my role; on any one day, I could be working on recruiting a CFO for a client company, onboarding a team within our employer of record offering, or building a future work policy with a client.
The world of work has changed dramatically in recent years. By designing service lines that respond to our client's requirements, we are always looking at how recruitment and talent services can be improved - by streamlined processes, new technology or responding to emerging trends. We work with our clients as true partners, understanding their challenges and helping them design solutions that will work for them.
What is the best advice you have ever received?
Always do the right thing! I always keep this front and centre with every decision that I make. I know we are on the right path by doing the right thing for our clients, our candidates, and our team. Doing what is right, not what is easy, has stood me in good stead to date!
What inspires you, motivates you, or helps you to move forward?
I have been thinking about this a lot recently, analysing what really makes me happy and what will continue to inspire me. The answer is that I love my current role; I love working with my team, colleagues, and partners in BDO.
I am inspired daily by the work that my colleagues do in our Business & Technology Consulting Teams. I am motivated by our clients by always looking for a solution that works for them, and I am really excited about the future and what lies ahead for BDO Talent Management.
What are you proud of in your life so far?
Definitely, my two boys, Max and Finn, who are eleven and eight years old. They make me belly laugh on a daily basis and never fail to amaze me with their wit, intelligence, resilience and very often cheek!
What is your preferred way to meet new people/network?
I use LinkedIn heavily to build my network and to reach out to people, but I have always enjoyed real life, old fashioned networking. So, when I joined BDO, building my internal network was my first objective, and I have reaped the rewards ever since. The network within BDO is superb and has opened so many doors while also giving me access to a diverse talent pool.
I also try and get involved in committees and working groups where I can. For example, I am a proud member of BDO Ireland's D&I committee and also represent BDO within the 30% Club focusing on female representation in professional services.
What skills or qualities do you feel have helped you?
My initial training as a recruitment consultant has been instrumental in my career to date; being able to deal with people at all levels but also having a solid understanding of financials has definitely helped me throughout my career.
I am in the process of completing a Diploma in Life and Business Coaching. So, my own personal development has been getting lots of time and attention in recent months! My listening skills, awareness, and motivation have all improved through the course; it's been like a rollercoaster of emotions!
What do you wish you had known when you started out?
Don't stay in a role where you are not happy - it doesn't serve anyone. I spent too long in a role that I wasn't enjoying, and it was only when I left and started in my current role that I realised how important it is to really enjoy what you do. You only get one life - work with people who inspire you, support you, and make you laugh!
Who do you most admire in business, academic or creative circles and why?
An Irish female leader that I have always admired is Anne Heraty, who recently stepped down as CEO of CPL's recruitment company. She founded the business in 1989 and was Ireland's first female chief executive of an Irish publicly quoted company. She has been a trailblazer both in recruitment but also in terms of female leadership.
Outside of your professional/work area, what hobbies or interests do you have or what other areas of your life are of real importance to you?
This one is a little random! While I have always worked in recruitment and talent until 2020. I also owned a Dance School in South Dublin - I had classes for kids aged from three to eighteen and loved every minute of it, my car was my travelling office, and I got many strange looks when colleagues would see a car filled with pink tutus and pom poms!
My niece has since taken it over, but dance will always have a place in my heart, though I've definitely packed away my legwarmers for good! Now that I have packed away the tutus and the legwarmers. I spend my weekends at the side of a pitch. My two boys are avid football players, and my husband is a rugby coach, so if I'm not acting as a taxi service between matches, then I'm usually found on the sideline shouting support with a large coffee in hand!
Has the pandemic had a positive or a negative effect on you and/or your business, and how have you managed it?
We launched BDO Talent Management in May 2019, so we were only really getting started when Covid hit. But we have had continuous business growth and are still building our internal team. In addition, our streamlined process was easily converted online. So, we could continue to partner with clients by offering flexible people solutions or helping them hire permanent staff.
Our future of work service offering also has been busy during Covid as we worked with clients to help them design and implement flexible working policies. So, I would say for BDO Talent Management; we have not been impacted negatively; we have had to work smarter, focussing on innovation and trying new things.
On a personal level, prior to Covid, I worked a four day week to allow me to do school pick-ups and spend some extra time with the boys. Because of Covid and a shift towards hybrid and flexible working. I now work between home and the office, and I have moved to a five day week. It means I still get to do a couple of school collections and drop-offs and spend more quality time with my family. So, that has been an unexpected positive that has come out of the pandemic.
Do you have a mentor, or have you ever mentored anyone?
Mentoring has become a recent passion of mine, and I have been quite active in terms of both acting as a mentor and also working with mentors myself. BDO have a mentor programme that I have been part of, and I have one of our female partners as my mentor, which has been really beneficial. But outside of that, I would credit many of my BDO colleagues as being informal mentors on a daily basis.
I also mentor several people within BDO and have acted as a mentor within a programme run by Riseup Women, where I was paired with a female financial services professional who was looking to progress in her career - it was a really positive experience that I would recommend to anyone who is looking to explore mentoring.
What advice would you have for someone looking to get into the same area of work or interests?
Go for it! I love working in recruitment and now in the wider talent management space. I get to work with great clients, helping them to create solutions for their people. As a recruiter, you can really impact peoples' lives - I still get a buzz when I get to call someone to offer them their dream job!
My own degree was in English and Economics, but I do think that an academic background in HR really helps when working in talent management. It is important to understand the fundamentals of employee legislation, reward, performance management, and general HR trends when dealing with people in any area. It can be a great starting point for anyone looking to work in talent or recruitment.
What do you feel is the most common reason for people failing or giving up?
For me, I see lack of confidence as being a real issue, and it is of particular concern to females in the workplace. I speak with females frequently who are afraid to progress due to issues around confidence. Imposter Syndrome is prevalent at all levels, and confidence-building should be a skill that is taught and nurtured throughout a business.
We have a huge talent shortage at the moment and a large cohort of workers who left the workforce for varying reasons, many to have families or because of home commitments. The recurring theme with this cohort is a lack of confidence in their skills and how they would integrate back into the workforce.
I have recently created a group on LinkedIn to try and support "Returners" called Returners in Ireland. Suppose we could offer the right training, practical support, flexible working and build confidence. Then, I know there is a fertile pool of experienced employees that could be tapped into.
Is there a phrase, quote or a saying that you really like?
"We can't become ourselves by ourselves" - I recently heard this on a podcast, and it really resonated. So, surround yourself with people who support you, challenge you, inspire you and who, champion you, find your tribe!
What companies, brands, or institutions do you like or do you think are getting it right?
A business I love following is Tony's Chcolonely - not only because I love their products but also because of their ethos and mission. I know that "disruptive" and "challenger" brands have become the norm, but they seem to consistently rewrite the script in how they go to market and how they run their business. If you haven't seen their employment contract - you should google it; it's ground-breaking!
How do you define success, and what lessons have you learned so far that you could share with our audience/readership?
For me, success is about being the best you can be while feeling happy and fulfilled. So, I have been on a bit of a personal journey since starting with BDO and embarking on my Life Coaching Diploma. That journey has shown me that I love my job; I know what makes me happy and what motivates me, and I will continue to focus on that. But it is an ongoing journey, and my aim is to continue growing and developing the business and myself.