From Belfast to Madrid
If anything good came out of lockdown, it was the way we think about work, offering many people the freedom to work from anywhere in the world! This newfound flexibility has inspired many to pack their bags and set up their “office” in exciting new locations, like Madrid. With its sunny climate, vibrant culture, and dynamic lifestyle, Madrid offers an appealing temporary home for those seeking a change of pace. Yet, even as they immerse themselves in the Spanish capital, many still keep a close connection to Northern Ireland, with plans to eventually return home, bringing back new experiences and perspectives.
Mairead Doran, originally from Belfast has recently launched Hibernica in Madrid, a Recruitment and Relocation hub between Belfast and Madrid.
Mairead and Jaime Herranz who’s from Madrid, decided to join forces to create a hub between the two cities to create opportunities for talented candidates and companies to collaborate. Hibernica sources career opportunities in Madrid for English speaking and bilingual candidates from Ireland, NI specifically.
With a background is HR and recruitment, Mairead’s passion is working with people and building strong lasting relationships with people at all levels.
She relocated to Madrid as she noticed a gap in the market between Ireland and Spain in the tech recruitment markets. “Since Brexit, Spanish companies lost significant English speaking talent and I thought talent could be sourced through Ireland to meet this need and also add value to companies on both sides.
Ireland is full of tech talent and people craving the Spanish lifestyle, and the same is true for Spanish craving the Irish experience. I work on both sides and can help companies gain top talent for their teams, and candidates relocate seamlessly. We link talent between Ireland, NI and Spain helping people and companies grow and connect, creating more opportunity, diversity and collaboration.
Recruitment is everywhere and recruitment agencies are nothing new. What is new and different about Hibernica however, is our additional services of relocation and community - from NIE paperwork, housing, networking events, Spanish lessons, Madrid tours and making friends!"
So how does the business culture in Spain compare to Northern Ireland?
Probably the long lunches in Spain, while we eat at our desk at home!
I suppose in terms of culture including work life balance and way of life, Spanish people prioritise these things and value their wellbeing very highly. Sometimes the business culture in Ireland or the United States and UK can be to become a workaholic but this can lead to burn out and part of me believes we put most of the pressure on ourselves. This is why traveling and living in other countries is important because we pick up lifestyle tips!
Mairead is a great advocate of encouraging investment back into Northern Ireland in terms of talent pool and companies moving to NI to set up their business.
“I worked for the Belfast Chamber and a key focus was to promote investment into the city! This is my hometown so as long as I am interacting with clients and businesses it will be a topic of conversation and a natural one that comes up. For example, opening a Belfast office offers dual access for Spanish companies and with the rise of tech, businesses should be collaborating more and offering a competitive advantage. We can all learn from each other and there is no learning quite like learning from other counties.
The transition moving to Spain for NI was a relatively easy one for Mairead and she’s been travelling to Spain from a young child, and moved there when she was 21.
“Moving back felt natural to me, but I know that is not the case for many and that is where Hibernica steps in - to be your friendly support network. Having been through everything imaginable living in another country away from family, I have figured out how to do the things more simplified and I will share this with Hibernica candidates and clients.
Mairead is an active part of the diaspora community in Spain utilising Invest Northern Ireland and Spanish Irish Business Network (SIBN) events to not only grow her network but also meet up with the diaspora for a bit of home away from home!
She also makes sure she travels home frequently!
“The one thing I miss mostly about Northern Ireland is my family! I have a big family and with friends getting married it’s the perfect excuse to pop home! A direct Madrid to Belfast flight would be great please!
When home, I always like to go to the Lisburn Road to have a coffee or dinner with friends and the Cathedral Quarter is special for me.
Belfast will always be my home! I was raised with “don’t forget where you came from!”
To find out more about Hibernica check out their website...https://www.hibernicaconnect.com
