As recruiters deeply embedded in Ireland’s SME ecosystem, we are constantly talking to businesses about their growth goals and hiring challenges. So, when the latest Ireland’s Talent Landscape 2025 report dropped, we paid close attention—because it tells the real story of where SME talent strategies are headed, and where support is needed most.
Here are the key insights we think every SME leader should know:
💼 SMEs: The Beating Heart of Ireland’s Economy
SMEs account for 99.8% of all businesses in Ireland, generate 43% of the nation’s revenue, and employ 68% of the workforce. In short, your success is critical to the wider economy.
And there’s optimism in the air—92% of SME leaders rated their business’s economic strength as “strong” or “very strong”, with 29% planning to grow their teams in the year ahead.
📉 The Talent Strategy Gap
Here’s the catch: while business is booming, many SMEs are under-resourced when it comes to structured talent planning.
Just 26% of SMEs have a formal talent strategy in place (compared to 83% of larger firms).
Yet, those investing in talent development are seeing real results—SMEs with higher levels of upskilling reported stronger performance across the board.
This suggests a clear opportunity: talent development doesn’t just “tick the HR box”—it drives growth.
👷 Hiring Headaches & Skills Gaps
Recruitment challenges are real. 42% of SMEs say they struggle to find people with the right skillsets. The most in-demand areas?
Technology
Engineering
Digital Skills
As recruiters, this aligns with what we see daily. Finding these skillsets—especially at mid-level—has become a real bottleneck for scaling businesses.
🚀 Upskilling: Progress, But Barriers Remain
There’s good news: SME engagement in workforce development is growing.
42% of SMEs enabled over half of their employees to upskill in the past year.
Only 5% reported no upskilling activity—down from 21% last year.
SME leaders themselves are investing in their own development: 46% reported engaging in upskilling or mentoring in the last 12 months, focusing on:
Business Development (39%)
Digitalisation (38%)
Leadership (35%)
But time and cost remain the two biggest barriers, cited by 43% and 32% of SMEs respectively.
🌍 Preparing for a Digital & Sustainable Future
The report also highlights a growing awareness of the need to prepare for major transitions:
60% of SMEs believe emerging tech will boost productivity.
More SMEs are investing in sustainability skills—from energy efficiency to circular economy knowledge.
This is not just future-proofing; it’s now a business imperative.
🤝 What This Means for Your Recruitment Strategy
Talent is the engine of SME success—but you don’t have to tackle the challenge alone.
At Alternatives, we help SME leaders:
Source hard-to-find skillsets
Build talent pipelines aligned with growth strategy
Integrate mentoring, onboarding, and training into recruitment models
Stay ahead of shifting workforce expectations
If you are thinking about how to scale your team, build resilience, or navigate the digital/sustainability shift, let’s talk. The future of work is here—how ready is your business?
Need help building your 2025 hiring plan?
Drop us a message—our team is ready to support your next chapter.