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New research shows that 70% of employers have experienced employees leaving within the first year due to being a poor match for the organisation.
According to a survey conducted by recruitment and workforce solutions experts in Hays Ireland, 44% of professionals have at some point left a job within the first year because it didn't meet their expectations, as outlined in the initial application phase.
The main issues causing the disconnect between expectations and experience include the level of training not provided as expected (43%), incorrect job advert content (37%), and a lack of consistency between an employee's expectation of the specific role and that of their direct manager's (28%).
Almost two in five (37%) employees have left a role or come close to leaving a role due to a poorly managed onboarding process.
Hays Ireland state that in the current market employers must be aware that applicants expect to be informed at application stage of wider factors when considering a role. These include indications of a positive work-life balance, a workplace culture they enjoy, salary details and clear career pathways. Only 39% of employees say a job description alone will convince them to apply for a role.
68% of professionals are now using employee value proposition (EVP) to determine whether to apply to an organisation compared to 57% in 2018. Employee Value Proposition, or EVP, outlines why someone should consider working for that organisation.
The survey also shows the importance of the subsequent interview process with over half (59%) of employees saying they have been deterred or almost deterred from a prospective employer because of a poor interview experience. The most common reason for being put off a role at this stage is because the process was too long (42%) - most employees (63%) think two rounds of interviews are acceptable as part of the overall application process.
Managing Director of Hays Ireland, Maureen Lynch, says:
"Interviews and application processes offer professionals a first-hand view of an organisation's culture and work environment. It's crucial for employers to recognise that negative interview or application experiences, such as lengthy processes or unprepared interviewers, are causing high applicant attrition rates.
"Recruitment and retention continue to pose significant challenges for Irish employers. Poor retention not only comes with a significant financial cost, but also contributes to decreased productivity, low morale, weak culture, and can damage client relationships.
"As employers prepare planning for the remainder of the year, investing in robust recruitment and retention strategies is imperative for sustained growth and success."

In the ever-evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI) (Figure 1), the phenomenon of hallucinating facts and figures has emerged as a perplexing challenge. Determination of the root causes behind this curious behaviour involves a deep understanding of the underlying technology.
In this article, we will delve into the intricacies of why large language models (LLMs) occasionally veer into the realm of the untrue, exploring the technical, ethical, and practical implications of this enigmatic occurrence.
Figure 1: The Map of Artificial Intelligence by Dr. Milan Milanovic. Originally published on LinkedIn.
What is a Large Language Model
A LLM is a type of artificial intelligence system designed to understand and generate human-like language. It is built on sophisticated neural network architectures, trained on vast datasets and can perform various natural language processing tasks, such as language translation, text completion, and answering questions. LLMs can comprehend context, infer meanings, and generate coherent and contextually relevant text based on the input it receives.
The Black Box of Neural Networks
LLMs are built on a type of neural network called a transformer model (Figure 2), and there is no way of working out exactly how these models arrive at specific conclusions. In other words, the output of an LLM is considered to be 'Non-deterministic'. This means that from the output, it is not possible to determine the input, meaning that the detection of AI-generated content can only be evaluated based on a margin of confidence rather than a certain 'true/false' evaluation.
Figure 2: Transformer Architecture; the backbone of LLMs
In the absence of a concrete understanding of every learned parameter, the models may occasionally generate seemingly plausible information that is, in fact, a fabrication. This phenomenon, known as hallucination, occurs when the LLM extrapolates from its training data, creating information that appears accurate but lacks a factual basis.
Overfitting challenges
Hallucination in LLMs can be attributed, in part, to the challenges associated with overfitting. Overfitting occurs when a model becomes too closely tailored to its training data. As a result, the model may hallucinate information that aligns with the peculiarities of the training dataset.
For example, If the machine learning model was trained on a data set that contained mostly photos showing dogs outside in parks, it may learn to use grass as a feature for classification and may not recognise a dog inside a room. When faced with novel scenarios or inputs, LLMs may resort to generating responses based on superficial similarities to the learned data, leading to the production of inaccurate or hallucinated information.
Ethical considerations: The fine line between assistance and misinformation
The implications of LLMs hallucination extend beyond technical challenges, delving into ethical territory. As these systems become integral to decision-making processes in various fields, from healthcare to finance, the potential for disseminating misinformation raises concerns.
When an LLM hallucinates facts or figures, it may inadvertently contribute to the spread of false information (Figure 3), with consequences ranging from misinformation in news articles to inaccuracies in critical decision-making processes.
Figure 3: Oops.
Striking the delicate balance between providing assistance and avoiding the propagation of misinformation poses a significant ethical challenge for developers, researchers, and policymakers.
The quest for explainability and accountability
Addressing the issue of hallucination requires a concerted effort to enhance the reference-ability of LLMs. Researchers are exploring methods to make neural networks more interpretable, allowing stakeholders to trace the decision-making processes of these systems. Additionally, accountability measures must be implemented to ensure responsible development and deployment of LLMs.
The

A €104 million investment in scientific research across Ireland is being announced today by Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Patrick O'Donovan TD, and Minister for Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue TD.
The funding is being allocated to four SFI Research Centres: BiOrbic Bioeconomy SFI Research Centre; FutureNeuro SFI Research Centre for Neurological Diseases; I-Form SFI Research Centre for Advanced Manufacturing; and VistaMilk SFI Research Centre.??An additional €21 million has been committed by these Centres' industry partners.
Commenting on the announcement, Minister O'Donovan said: "The bioeconomy, agrifood, neurological disease and manufacturing are each critically important to how we function as individuals and how we develop our economy. While significant scientific advances have been made in these areas by Ireland's research ecosystem, we need to remain vigilant in addressing challenges old and new, and turning these opportunities into real world impacts that people can see and feel."
He added: "Today's investment is as a result of close collaboration between individual researchers, research teams, research institutions, industry and government departments. I warmly welcome this multilayered partnership approach, and wish, in particular, to thank industry for their integral role."
Minister McConalogue stated: "My Department is proud to commit over €8.7 million in co-funding to the SFI Research Centre programme. Supporting VistaMilk SFI Research Centre over the next six years will help drive development and deployment of digital technology to improve the sustainability and competitiveness of dairy production and processing in Ireland.
"This progress will help to secure a sustainable food system that delivers safe and nutritious dairy products, positively impacts the environment and safeguards viable livelihoods for primary producers and rural communities."
Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine with special responsibility for Research and Development, Martin Heydon TD, commented: "I warmly welcome the announcement today of Phase 2 funding for the VistaMilk SFI Research Centre for Digitalising Dairy Production and Processing. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has co-funded this Centre since it first began in 2018.
It has a strong focus on soil, pasture, animal and food research and this announcement will allow this collaboration to continue in Phase 2 and I look forward to seeing the outputs of the research over the coming six years."
Welcoming the announcement, Deputy Director General of SFI, Dr Ciarán Seoighe said: "The continued investment for these four SFI Research Centres follows a rigorous and extensive expert international peer review process of scientific excellence and strategic impact of each Centre.
"The four Centres represent a national research network of 17 host and partner institutions that, to date, has collaborated with over 130 industry partners ranging from SMEs to multinationals, across all regions and in a variety of sectors. Research Centres play a vital role in developing and nurturing the next generation of research leaders and innovators, and today's funding awards will support over 600 researchers at senior researcher (PIs), post-doctoral, PhD and MSc levels."
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Irish sustainability experts ConnectGreen has launched its innovative biodiversity and carbon offsetting platform, connecting farmers and landowners with companies who are looking for guaranteed, certified and verified biodiversity and carbon offsetting initiatives.
By leveraging the new EU carbon framework, ConnectGreen makes it possible for ordinary landowners, including farmers, to participate in the carbon and biodiversity credits global marketplace and maximise the financial benefits of carbon farming.
John Kelleher, CEO of ConnectGreen commented: "We are calling on farmers and landowners across Ireland to see the revenue potential in the evolving biodiversity credits and carbon offsetting sector. We come from a farming background ourselves and we understand the pressures that farmers are currently under.
With Ireland's biodiversity plans that aim to rewild and rewet 20 percent of the country's land, we are partnering with farmers and landowners helping them unlock the potential and opportunity of realising a dependable, long-term income stream from carbon and biodiversity assets on their own land".
Kelleher added: "We are also highlighting to Irish-based companies the option of securing their biodiversity and carbon creditshere in Ireland - why invest in projects in Africa or South America, when our platform offers a wide range of biodiversity and carbon offset initiatives available across Ireland.
Your customers and shareholders will appreciate your action in ensuring your ESG investments are helping to improve the environment right here at home rather than in a project half way round the globe".
Cattle and sheep farmers Mike Cremins and his Uncle Pat Cremins who are fourth and fifth generation farmers from Meenganaire, Knocknagoshel, Co. Kerry, said: "We have been saying for years that someone has to pay farmers for the great work they do in managing the landscape, in particular, for farmers who own what could be termed poorer land in peatland and mountain areas like ourselves where economic viability is always difficult.
ConnectGreen's platform with its biodiversity credits and carbon offsetting opportunities is a great way of compensating small farmers and landowners like ourselves for the work we do day in and day out in nurturing the Irish countryside".
From the outset, ConnectGreen has focussed on providing an opportunity for companies and landowners to collaborate in carbon offsetting in a thoroughly verifiable and certified way, guaranteeing that a reliable and quantifiable level of offsetting is taking place.
Mr. Kelleher concluded: "That is the essence of our 'triple-lock': verified, certified and guaranteed. We offer an unwavering commitment to authenticity and integrity, so every carbon credit purchased through our platform has been rigorously verified by our expert team.
"The carbon market is evolving rapidly and we're excited to be at the forefront of this new movement in Ireland and across the EU. ConnectGreen is already engaged with a number of biodiversity and carbon offsetting projects across Ireland, and we have ambitious targets to oversee deals that will facilitate the removal of 250k tons of carbon from the atmosphere by the end of 2024."
Full details on how the ConnectGreen platform works can be found on the company's website:
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The Irish premiere of 'Show Her The Money' will take place on Friday 24th May at 11 am at the Irish Film Institute, Dublin. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion and Q&A with producer Catherine Gray, founders and investors.
Show Her The Money aims to demystify the world of Venture Capital and address why women get only 2% of available Venture Capital funding.
The film follows four visionary founders as they endure uphill battles to turn their ideas into reality and the women who invest in them.
The movie showcases the rockstar women angel investors who support them and features Primetime Emmy and Golden Globe Award winner Sharon Gless (known to many from Cagney and Lacey), and award-winning movie producer, author, TEDx speaker, podcast host, and founder of She Angel Investors, Catherine Gray.
"For the first time in history, women are starting their venture capital funds, and we are on a mission to educate women about why we need more women investors to support these funds,"states Gray. "I just couldn't bear the thought that these innovations would go unfulfilled. I do believe film and television can help change culture - thus the creation of this film. We want SHOW HER THE MONEY to move the needle by telling the stories of these exceptional women.
We're on a 50 city tour and excited to be coming to Belfast and Dublin."
"TechFoundHer is on a mission to ensure women have the opportunity to fully contribute as tech entrepreneurs and innovators," says TechFoundHer Lead, Mairin Murray. "Women are currently massively under-represented as the founders of tech companies. This has to change. Tech has no gender, and it's time we come up with bold solutions to address the underinvestment in women's startups.
Show Her The Money is critical as a key moment to start our campaign for entrepreneur equity - this is a global movement."
The Dublin event includes a post-screening discussion and Q&A with producer and investor Catherine Gray, Dee Coakely - CEO and founder of Boundless, startup ecosystem connector - Suzanne Mills and Lata Setty VC, How Women Invest Fund, "The New Table".
The film, directed by Ky Dickens, takes audiences on an emotional journey through the lives of resilient and visionary women who have defied societal norms, shattered glass ceilings, and overcome obstacles to build their businesses. "Show Her the Money" is not just a movie; it's a call to action, urging the world to recognise and support the incredible potential of women-led enterprises.
Featuring rock-star female investors who invest in diverse women entrepreneurs with innovations that will change the world, "Show Her The Money" reminds us that money is power, and women need it to achieve true equality.
"Show Her the Money" follows four visionary entrepreneurs as they endure uphill battles to turn their ideas into reality. Despite their dedication and passion constantly being challenged, these women, with the financial support and mentorship of their angel investors, become even more determined, resourceful, and resilient, and the growth of their businesses is mind-blowing. Each business has the potential to become a 'unicorn'… a billion-dollar business.
Vicky Pasche aspires to change the world of fashion with Dapper Boi, a gender-neutral, body-inclusive apparel line.
Jasmine Jones, founder of Myya, wants to make shopping for mastectomy bras empowering, convenient, and sexy for breast cancer survivors.
Diipa Büller-Khosla, founder of ind? wild, creates beauty products influenced by ancient Indian medicine known as Ayurveda. She is empowering South Asian women to celebrate their brown skin in a country that historically markets skin-lightening products.
Marian Leitner, whose company Archer Roose sells luxury wines in cans, reinventing the image of wine drinkers while lowering the carbon footprint of the wine industry.
Synopsis: The film captures the essence of their struggles, triumphs, and the unwavering determination that propels them forward.

Cork Carnival of Science promises a fascinating weekend of discovery where families can unearth the magic of science in the great outdoors. This highly anticipated FREE two-day free STEM festival will return from the 8th-9th of June 2024 in Fitzgerald Park, thanks to funding provided by Science Foundation Ireland and Cork City Council. The well-loved oasis of green space within the city will be transformed overnight into a 12-acre science super park that has to be seen to be believed!
More than 75,000 people have previously attended the Cork Carnival of Science confirming its position as Ireland's biggest outdoor STEM engagement event! This year budding scientists are invited to unlock nature's secrets with more nature based and environmental science than ever before! Your mission (if you choose to accept it!) is to explore, investigate, experiment, discover the wonders of science… and have fun!
This year's Carnival of Science will be even more of a 'blast' with 45 different STEM based activities, 26 live seated science shows in Circus Top and Stretch Tents, demonstrations throughout the scenic park, walkabout scientific performers, the animal roadshow, interactive stands, an active zone, microscopic wonders, and discoveries big and small along the way - all for free.
New activities this year include 'Bee-ology' circus science performance that juggles bee and insect stories and facts; there's also 'OurKidsCode' offering parents of primary school aged children's taster coding club workshops which they hope will inspire a network of coding clubs around the country; while UCC will be on hand to showcase their Free Hydro Cells research project which aims to create energy from sustainable materials.
Adding to the long menu of science engagement opportunities will be street cuisine, picnic benches, toilet facilities, a gigantic playground, extensive gardens, the Cork Public Museum and Café all on site it truly makes for the ultimate family day out!
The programme of events will be unveiled soon but for now, families are invited to save the date for this unmissable stem-tastic weekend.
Cork Carnival of Science is supported by Cork City Council and Science Foundation Ireland and organised by the Lifetime Lab @ Old Cork Waterworks.
Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Kieran McCarthy welcomed the return of Cork Carnival of Science for June 2024 saying "Cork City Council are delighted to continue our support for the Cork Carnival of Science festival which is a superb day out for all to enjoy in the scenic and historic surrounds of Fitzgerald Park.
This festival aligns with our goals of supporting STEM engagement from a young age, which is essential in keeping Cork City as a leader in scientific endeavors into the future, be it as a place to study, do research, or operate a business. I welcome the inclusion of environmental themes in this year's programme and I hope everyone will come out and enjoy this free day out."
Dr Ruth Freeman, Director of Science for Society in Science Foundation Ireland, commented: "SFI is delighted to continue our support for the Cork Carnival of Science festival which is a unique opportunity to get up close and personal with all types of science from physics to chemistry, biology and more.
If you know a curious young person who loves animals, nature, outer-space, dinosaurs or magic, there will be something of interest at this event to bring science to life before their eyes and hopefully inspire some future scientists."
Ellen Murphy, Executive Scientist at Cork City Council, said, "We're very proud to have Ireland's largest STEM engagement event right here in Cork, and to facilitate a greater understanding and love of science with people young and old. This year's event will also emphasise the wonders of the natural world and delve into lots of fascinating life science content in addition to chemistry, physics, engineering, and math's."
Accessibility is a key focus to ensure enjoyment for all, and in consultation wit