Making the right connections
Richard Carron talks to John Legg about Carron Connected, the recruitment challenges facing the sector and the value of a more personal, industry-led approach.
Bringing together industry knowledge, technical expertise and the right people is at the heart of Carron Connected’s relationship-led approach to recruitment.
Carron Connected brings more than two decades of built-environment experience to recruitment, combining sector knowledge, industry relationships and a personal approach to connecting employers with the right people.
In an industry where project success often depends as much on the people delivering the work as the products and processes involved, finding the right talent remains a constant challenge for construction and fit-out businesses.
Carron Connected approaches that challenge from an industry perspective. With more than 20 years of management experience across construction, fit-out and manufacturing, the business brings first-hand understanding of the environments, pressures and specialist skills that shape successful appointments.
That background gives Carron Connected a perspective that goes beyond matching a job description with a CV.
Built on industry experience
Its experience spans the built environment, including specialist interiors, joinery and architectural metalwork manufacturing, alongside wider construction, engineering, manufacturing and logistics.
The company recruits for roles including Project Managers, Quantity Surveyors, Design Managers, Engineers and Facilities Managers, with permanent placements undertaken across Ireland and the UK.
For employers in the contract interiors and fit-out sectors, this industry familiarity can be particularly valuable. Understanding how a role functions within a live project environment, and the qualities required to perform under commercial and programme pressures, allows the recruitment process to begin with a more realistic picture of what both the business and the candidate need.
According to Carron Connected founder Richard Carron, some of the most persistent recruitment pressures are being felt in specialist roles where technical capability must be matched by wider commercial and interpersonal skills.
“Estimators and Design Managers continue to be in strong demand, particularly individuals who combine technical expertise with commercial awareness and good communication skills,” he says.
In many cases, Carron Connected is brought into the process after an employer has already explored its own recruitment channels and industry contacts.
“The challenge is often about bringing a fresh perspective rather than simply sourcing additional CVs,” Richard says. “Having spent more than 20 years within hospitality, commercial interior fit-out and bespoke joinery manufacturing in Ireland and Britain, I understand the realities of these environments and the skills required to succeed within them.”
That experience also means recruitment is not automatically treated as the answer to every resourcing challenge.
“Sometimes the answer is external recruitment, but just as often it’s about identifying potential within an existing team and helping businesses develop it.”
“The challenge is often about bringing a fresh perspective rather than simply sourcing additional CVs”
Automation engineers across engineering and manufacturing are in high demand
A relationship-led approach
Rather than operating as a high-volume agency, Carron Connected works with a limited number of employers and candidates, placing an emphasis on long-term relationships and a more personal recruitment process.
The company’s approach is structured around three areas: search, attract and retain.
Search focuses on identifying the right candidates through industry knowledge, networks and targeted talent sourcing. Attract considers how businesses present themselves to prospective employees. Retain looks beyond the appointment itself, recognising that successful recruitment is ultimately about building teams in which people can develop and remain.
For Carron Connected, that means taking time to understand the employer as well as the vacancy.
“The first conversation is rarely about the vacancy itself,” Richard explains. “I want to understand the business, its ambitions and its culture. I spend time on site to get a feel for the working environment and the people. That helps me understand what candidates will experience and who is most likely to succeed there.”
The businesses that compete most effectively for talent, he believes, are those with a clear sense of what they offer.
“The companies that attract talent tend to be clear about who they are and what they stand for. They communicate their culture effectively, provide opportunities for development and create an environment where people can see a future for themselves.”
“A strong employer brand, good leadership and genuine opportunities for progression can often be deciding factors when attracting the right people,” Richard adds.
More than filling a role
The company increasingly positions itself as a strategic hiring partner, supporting clients not only with individual appointments but with questions around team structure, succession, growth and senior recruitment. That can be especially relevant within interiors and fit-out, where businesses often need to scale teams around project pipelines while also retaining specialist knowledge and experience.
Relationships have been central to Carron Connected since the business was established in 2022. Its network has been developed over many years across Ireland and the UK, with connections formed through senior management roles, construction, manufacturing and specialist interiors.
That network is also used more broadly than recruitment alone.
“Alongside recruitment, I regularly connect businesses with people across my network in the UK and Ireland, whether that’s potential employees, clients, subcontractors or strategic partners,” Richard says.
That personal emphasis has deeper roots. The Carron family operated a bar in Clones, Co. Monaghan, from 1900, and the importance of reputation and community would later influence the philosophy behind Carron Connected.
“A strong employer brand, good leadership and genuine opportunities for progression can often be deciding factors when attracting the right people”
Looking ahead
Today, operating from Monaghan, Dublin and London, Carron Connected works with employers and professionals across Ireland and the UK.
As skills shortages and succession planning continue to shape the sector, recruitment is becoming an increasingly strategic consideration for businesses that want to grow sustainably.
Richard believes the strongest employers will be those that invest in people and communicate clearly what makes their business worth joining.
“Those that invest in their people, communicate their story effectively and create opportunities for development will be best placed to attract candidates.”
For Carron Connected, that creates an opportunity to support clients not only in finding people, but in strengthening the proposition they take to market.
“The opportunity lies in helping businesses showcase what makes them different. Employer brand, culture and reputation are becoming increasingly important when candidates are evaluating opportunities.”
For Richard, the direction of the business comes back to the principle on which it was founded.
“At its core, Carron Connected is a relationship-led business built on trusted connections, practical industry experience and a genuine understanding of the sectors it serves.”
With its industry background, established network and relationship-led approach, Carron Connected is well placed to support the next phase of growth across Ireland’s interiors, fit-out and wider built-environment sectors.
