Building Your Career in Ireland: Culture and Workplace Culture

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Building Your Career in IrelandCulture and
Workplace Culture
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Culture Workplace Culture in Ireland

Suzanne Buckley Support Officer for International
Students UCC Deirdre Parker Senior Careers
Advisor UCC Saturday 1st October Email
d.parker_at_ucc.ie s.buckley_at_ucc.ie
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Aspects of Culture
Visible Aspects of Culture
Less obvious Aspects of Culture
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Iceberg model of culture
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Perceptions
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Perceptions
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Hofstede Culture

• http//www.youtube.com/v/4uFa0hBPqOY
• Hofstede
• Individualism versus Collectivism
• Power Distance
• Masculinity/Feminity
• Uncertainty Avoidance
• Hall
• Relationship to time

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Stereotypes

• a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image
  or idea of a particular type of person or thing.
• Positive
• Negative

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Caveats

• Collective Programming

• The characteristics of the Irish workplace are
  very similar to those of other Western countries
  (e.g. UK and USA)
• It may be the same in your countries in some
  ways!
• This are collective characteristics
  individuals vary widely!

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Ireland in Snapshot (Hofsted 6D Model)
https//geert-hofstede.com/ireland.html
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Power Distance Ireland

• Hierarchies exist for convenience but superiors
  are accessible.
• Communication with superiors tends to be
• Informal on a first name basis
• Direct
• Consultative
• Participative
• Expect to be asked your opinion regularly before
  and after before and after being hired.

What do you think?
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Individualism Ireland

• Employees are expected to show
• Self-reliance
• Initiative
• At interview, you must demonstrate that you have
  clear, well-researched goals and a genuine career
  motivation - YOU choose your future direction.
• Hiring and promotion are based on merit. You must
  provide evidence of your achievements at the
  interview. Good examples include more I than
  we.

I took the initiative by
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Masculinity Ireland

• It is generally expected that employees will
• Strive to be the best they can be
• Be motivated to progress and advance within a
  field/organisation
• Enjoy competition and achievement
• At interviews, it is expected that candidates
  will show drive and ambition.

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Uncertainty Avoidance Ireland

• For rules and regulations, people tend to be
• Pragmatic
• Flexible (also in relation to planning projects)
• When it comes to risk and uncertainty, people
  tend to be
• Willing to take a chance (entrepreneurialism)
• Open to creativity practical ideas highly
  valued
• When preparing for interviews, find out what
  problems does this organisation have?
• How can I solve them?
• What might be a new, faster, better way of
  implementing a task/process?

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Normative Ireland

• These topics can be risky at work as your views
  could affect relationships
• Religion
• Abortion
• Sexuality
• Politics (and Irish politics)
• Social values
• Overly personal weight, age, marital status.
• Boundaries social media

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Indulgence Ireland
Its called having the craic!

• Tips

• It is helpful to share information on your
  leisure time activities.
• Being somebody who enjoys life (as well as works
  hard!) will help employers to feel that you are a
  good fit for an Irish organisation.
• Its important to be able to take a joke.

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Communication
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Email and Written Communication

• Formality is expected in written communications
• Open with
• Dear. Mr/Ms Surname (in job applications and when
  you havent met)
• Dear Professor/Dr. Surname (use correct academic
  title)
• Dear First Name (when you are on first-name basis
  with lecturer/potential employer)
• Close with
• Yours sincerely (for job applications)
• Best/Kind regards/Regards (for all other emails)

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Non-Verbal Communication

• Eye contact
• Facial Expression
• Space
• Body language, gestures
• Touch
• Accent, pitch, tone, silence

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Non-Verbal Communication
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Humour
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Communicate

• Getting it wrong intention is what matters.
• Be understanding.
• Tell each other what you did last weekend without
  using the letter m

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Personal Physical Space
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Dress Code

• http//uk.businessinsider.com/how-to-dress-for-wor
  k-business-attire-2014-8?rUSIRT

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Key Tips for the Irish Workplace

• Humour and Sarcasm if in doubt, laugh!
• Informality and rapport building weather, sport
  and culture
• Personal physical space social distance is 4
  Feet
• Business dress varies with industry, err on the
  safe side

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Become the Ultimate Professional

• Monday 10th of October, Lunchtime 1 2 pm
• Creative Zone in the Boole Library
• Learn more about workplace culture, business
  dress, email communication and more.

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Thought for the day

• Ceremonies are different in every country, but
  true politeness is everywhere the same.
• Oliver Goldsmith

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Questions Answers