Insight HR
Insight HR is a HR consultancy and outsourcing firm based out of Kilkenny. We have been in operation for over 20 years and our consultants work across a wide variety of industries and sectors. Each of our consultants share the same goal – to help Ireland’s leading organisations discover the true potential of their workforce.
From a consultancy and outsourcing perspective, we offer the full suite of HR services, which includes workplace conflict management, employment law compliance, development of policies/procedures/contracts/handbooks, recruitment process outsourcing, interim HR management, as well as a range of support services that include retainers and a HR helpline. The last year has shown us the importance of having a trusted voice, and we also offer a range of free media content in the forms of blogs, monthly webinar forums and a podcast, The HR Room, which has proven to be extremely popular.
We currently have 10 core employees, ranging from HR advisors to senior HR consultants, as well as our newly appointed head of workplace investigations, who also happens to be an ex-member of an Gardai Siochana! In addition to our core employees, we also maintain a panel of interim HR consultants who we place into businesses on short-term and long-term projects, either virtually or onsite.
There’s such a wide range of businesses here in Kilkenny, from homegrown local businesses to global corporates, and all share the common trait of supporting one another. On a personal level, we really value the great relationships we have with local Kilkenny businesses such as BITS, Red Lemonade, Jones Business Systems, Worksafe Solutions and Mindaclient. Taking a more holistic view of Kilkenny as a whole, the quality of life here is top-par. The city has a vibrant culture which makes it easy for Kilkenny based businesses to attract the best talent.
What is your favourite part about your business…
I’m a social person, and one of my favourite parts of working in HR is getting to build relationships with clients over time. We’ve been extremely busy conducting our work online throughout the pandemic, but I can’t wait to be able to actually sit face to face with our clients. Video conferencing has been a Godsend, and it has served a huge purpose throughout the pandemic. With that said, nothing will ever beat being able to meet clients personally.
We have been really busy throughout the pandemic. However, that means we’ve also had to help clients through some extremely challenging situations. COVID-19 was unprecedented, so a lot of businesses needed immediate advice and guidance. Our consultants and advisors managed those increased pressures admirably, but of course being in HR you’re always aware of the impact that dealing with stressful situations can have on employees. It meant that it was even more important to keep the social and fun aspect of our roles alive through our lunch ‘n’ learn sessions, Monday catch-ups, after-work drinks and treat deliveries. And while moving to conduct all of our services online threw up some challenges, we found initiatives such as the Online Trading Voucher Scheme extremely helpful. Through this, we were able to access the support we needed as we took our online services, webinars and podcasts to the next level.
What is your favourite thing to do or see in Kilkenny
Where to start! Kilkenny city itself is stunning for its medieval architecture and ‘festival’ vibes. Living here for so long, there is a danger of becoming complacent, but the pandemic made us all view our surroundings with new eyes. We’ve had the time and opportunity to notice things about the city we’ve never noticed before because of the general hustle and bustle of non-pandemic times. There are so many great walks along the River Nore, great access to nature, lovely parks to stretch your legs in and ducks to feed in Kilkenny Castle Park. Of course, it would be remiss of me to talk about Kilkenny and not mention the huge number of incredible restaurants and bars in the town. I can’t wait to be able to sit down in Zuni or Rive Gauche again!