When it comes to attracting the best and brightest graduates to their team, being based in both Dublin and Waterford is proving to be a big selling point for PKF.
‘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, managing director of PKF, explains.
A full-service accountancy practice, PKF made the move outside of Dublin recently, opening a regional office in Waterford with a team based in the local connected hub, WorkLab in the IDA Business Park.
Donal 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 these people 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.’
Just one of the regional teams PKF are in the process of setting up, the Waterford-based crew are in regular contact with their colleagues in Dublin, thanks to the services offered by their base in the Connected Hubs network.
Denise Tully, Marketing Director says: ‘One of the big benefits for us of WorkLab was that there is a workspace here that was readymade. It’s state-of-the-art and was literally ready for us to move into within the space of four weeks.’
As for the day-to-day team environment, Denise adds: ‘For our employees based here in Waterford, it also means that they have the feeling of being part of a much bigger team. On a daily basis, they can meet and connect with other businesses in WorkLab.’
‘We also run regular training with all of our team both here in Waterford and in Dublin, and have regular meetups where the Waterford team will come up to Dublin for company events and get-togethers.’
For graduates keen to join a company that not only provides flexible working, but also supports strong career progression, Donal says: ‘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 and get-togethers means they can see the different career paths within the company.’
With Waterford’s WorkLab the first regional base for the company, there are plans underway to spread the company footprint further into Cork as well.
Once again, the team is confident that the regional Connected Hubs network will provide the ideal base.
‘The Hub network gives us that flexibility to go into different regions and locations and see how it goes,’ Donal says. ’It’s an ideal way of working for us and our teams.’
Along with PKF’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.
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