ISSUE 11 - November 2023
ISSUE 11 - October 2023
Clark
Celebrating 25 years in business.
A note from our MD and founder, Deirdre Coghlan-Murray
The idea for Clark was born in Brisbane Australia in the mid ‘90s. I was working for a world wide recruitment company called Drake and with 2 young children, wanted to be closer to family and was thinking of coming back to Ireland. What would a good name be for a recruitment company? Drake had done research into strong brand names back in the late 1950’s and the name Drake came about because the strongest brands at the time were one syllable words with a “K” – think Nike or Coke. And so, Clark was born. It came to be a reality in 1998 when Clark Recruitment set up office in a humble premises just off main street Naas. The plan was a simple but well thought out one: To provide a global standard recruitment service to a local business community which would enable a work-life balance for people in the world of work. 1998 was the era when fax machines still played a part in communication, when cheques were the standard form of payment and when the phones rang continuously. Email was just starting to become part of how we communicate. It was before the Celtic tiger and Clark built a business based on solid honest working relationships, heaps of energy and a “can-do” approach. By 2001, We had outgrown our little office space, despite taking on more offices across the laneway and we made the brave move to renovate what was a residential house on Johns Lane into what became Clark House and ultimately The Atrium. Our business grew during the Celtic tiger years and also proved its resilience in the dot-com bubble burst of 2001. By 2008 we were punching well above our weight and had built a strong reputation as a quality service provider in both temporary and permanent recruitment in the Leinster region – the world was our oyster. And then the economic crash happened and our resilience and creativity were put to the test. Between 2008 and 2013 we re-invented ourselves, we developed new services and worked like hell to survive. Cashflow was king and there were many weeks when we held our breath for payments to come in on time so we could pay our own creditors and of course our staff.
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During these years, Clark Managed Services was born and our Executive coaching and development service was conceived. In 2015, we could see light at the end of the tunnel and our strategy was once again about growth and not just surviving. By 2019 we were soaring as a business having won some lucrative contracts which gave us great visibility to future recurring revenue. We had 3 strongly performing business areas: Recruitment & Selection, Managed Services and Executive Coaching & Development . We were excited and our growth was on a serious trajectory. 2020 got off to a flying start and then – Bang – Corona virus or Covid 19 hit and it was all about survival. The words pivot, remote and blended working, virtual meetings, became part of our everyday vocabulary. The governments of the world introduced schemes to help people and businesses survive. Clark, like most people and businesses in Ireland and around the world had to dig very deep. Luckily, our resilience tank was full, well-tuned and our survival instinct was very much alive. 2020 and 2021 were extremely difficult years and required us to think on our feet, be extremely agile and pull together as a team to do what we could do for one another and for our community. The world of work would never be the same again. By 2022, remote working and blended working arrangements were the norm, zoom was part of our everyday business language and by 2023, Ireland was at full employment. Our core role is still to find great people for great business’s.
So on reflection, what is it that enabled us to survive – and to thrive - over the last 25years? Firstly, its our people. Our own team. The commitment, the energy, the desire to do a great job and the genuine interest in helping our clients and candidates realise their potential. Over 25 years of business, we have employed many people – several who have returned to work with us after career changes or family breaks – the tenure of most of our team is exceptional particularly for the recruitment consultancy industry - We have always encouraged people to grow and develop and continue to invest in our team. Secondly , it’s our processes – having very solid foundations based on delivering a quality service which can be flexible, adaptable and always reliable. Finding a way to deliver what’s needed while having integrity and embracing technology to enable us to deliver. Having an ISO standard has supported us and enabled us to compete against far bigger competitors – and win! Thirdly, it’s our passion. Always looking for new opportunities, always wanting to improve, always believing that we have something different to offer and always’ s striving to over deliver. Essentially always looking to punch above our weight and be at our very best. Our longstanding relationships with the business community in Co. Kildare and beyond, our ability to attract and retain great people and our recognition by our governing body as being the best in our field are all testament to what we believe in: Being leaders in our field by providing a global standard of service to the business community which enables a work-life balance for people.
Deirdre CoghlanMurray, MD and Stephen Farrell-OCallaghan Director of People, Recruitment & Outsourced Solutions
Here’s to the next 25 years and all it brings! “Two and a half decades of dedication, innovation, and perseverance have woven the tapestry of our success. As we celebrate 25 years in business, we cherish the memories of our humble beginnings and embrace the endless possibilities that lie ahead. With gratitude to our loyal customers, committed team, and unwavering belief in our mission, we stand tall, stronger, and ready to embark on the next 25 years of excellence.” 17
