60 second interview with Brendan Murphy – The Irish CEO that went down under

Who are you, what company do you work for and what’s your job?

My name is Brendan Murphy; I’m the CEO of Osborne Recruitment, which operates in Ireland and Australia

Why did you decide to move to Australia?

Osborne had been placing skilled workers in Australia since 2010 and it made sense to open an office there; Perth is the centre of the natural resources boom so I arrived with my family in mid-April and hit the ground running pretty much straight away. We decided to move to take advantage of the business opportunity but also to bring up our kids in a different place – with great weather, an outdoor lifestyle and a really positive approach to life

How has it been going so far on a personal and business level?

Pretty good; the business opportunities are great and there’s no comparison versus trying to service clients remotely. On a personal level the kids have settled into school and we’ve just experienced a late Autumn/early Winter day – drop the kids to schoolfor 8:30, have a swim in an outdoor pool where the all-year-round water
temperature is 26 degrees, followed by a quick brekkie near the beach, and then back to the daily grind; it’s tough out here

 What are the main differences in doing recruitment in  Australia v Ireland?

The obvious difference is the demand here; most companies  in the mining sector are hiring and as they find it hard to find people there  are a lot of opportunities for recruiters.  To a large extent recruitment is quite similar to Ireland  in terms of process, competition (which is just like Ireland in 2004 – 2006) and employer expectations; however, the whole economy is not booming and many sectors are under pressure so that’s also similar to Ireland.

 Have you come into contact with many other Irish HR professionals?

Not yet; however, there are thousands of Irish here and  it’s only a matter of time; I’ve met Irish people here for 20 years, and those like ourselves, just off the plane

 What sectors are hot in the recruitment industry in Australia?

Engineering and trades, per the above; also, technology is as hot as anywhere in the developed world

What type of mobile phone have you?

Two – I still have my Irish iPhone but I’ve a local non-smart Nokia which is very handy for the time being

 What’s your favourite app? 

Viber, though I have no idea how it can be maintained  given it’s a free service for anyone who’s on it

 Do you have any [good] jokes?

Some years ago a small town in Ireland was twinned with a similar town in Greece. The mayor of the Greek town visited the Irish town  shortly afterwards. When he saw the mansion belonging to the Irish council chairman he wondered how he could afford such a house. The Irishman said; “You see that bridge over there? The EU gave us a grant to build a four-lane bridge, but by building a single lane bridge with traffic lights at either end this house could be built”. The following year the Irishman visited the Greek town. He was simply amazed at the Greek mayor’s palatial house with its gold taps and marble floors. It  was simply marvellous. When he asked how this could be afforded the Greek said; “You see that bridge over there?” The Irishman looked, and confused, replied that he could not. The Greek just smiled….

Favourite Australian saying?

As busy as a lizard drinking!

 What you miss about Ireland?

The weather, the politics, the headlines, wearing six layers of clothes to go out, the banks, eternal optimism and seeing Kilkenny winning the All Ireland (I’m a Corkman)!