Cliffs of Moher, Co. Clare
When you join the team at Fáilte Ireland, you’re joining a community with a shared passion. We work hard to cultivate a supportive environment where our employees can thrive. It’s one of the reasons we’re officially recognised as a Great Place to Workand are named as one of the Best Workplaces for Women. Our team tells the story best, so we asked them what it’s like to work at Fáilte Ireland.
Life in the office
At Fáilte Ireland, we value collaboration and know that teamwork is the key to our success. That spirit of cooperation is a vital part of life in the office, where colleagues work together, share expertise and communicate openly. Our offices are spread around the country from Dublin, Limerick, Galway, Sligo to Cork, Waterford, Dundalk, Westport and Mullingar. Our employees work between our offices and recognise the value of their in-person workspace. “There is an openness, a friendliness. There is always someone you can bounce an idea off and people are really willing to help,” says Aileen, Manager, Climate Action. “It's in our name, Fáilte – it's welcoming.”
While our offices offer a base for our staff to work in person, we also use a blended working model, giving our team flexibility and the opportunity to create a balance that suits them. “The blended working model works for me personally, as a mother,” says Claire, Finance Officer. “As a female in this organisation, you can balance how busy you are with your other duties in life.”
As well as fostering a better work-life balance, our staff value the variety that this system provides. “I feel very lucky with our blended working model,” says Rebecca, Industry Digitalisation Officer. “Some days I'm at the desk and then other days we get to go out and meet businesses and see the impact of our work.”
The work we do
Our blended model brings flexibility into our schedules, but there’s also a variety to the kind of work we do and how we do it. “I work on the Wild Atlantic Way team, and there’s really no typical day,” says Geraldine, Projects Support. “I’m on the road a lot, it's very varied. I really like the balance… I'm energised by the dynamic nature of the role.”
Michael joined Fáilte Ireland over 20 years ago. He worked on the Wild Atlantic Way launch and with the Trade Promotions team before moving to the Activities team. “The Activities team is great for me,” he says. “I love the outdoors and developing the product. Every day is really different.”
At Fáilte Ireland, our primary goal is to promote and support the development of tourism across the country, which means a lot of our team get the chance to travel and experience the product directly. “I'm really passionate about the tourism industry here,” says Amy, who has recently joined Fáilte Ireland and is working in finance support. “Seeing the impact of our work where is great,” she says. “You get to see the products we are promoting.”
Personal growth
We provide excellent opportunities for professional and personal growth, a system that’s benefited employees like Claire. “When I joined, I wasn't a fully qualified accountant,” she says. “I got support to gain the full qualification, which was fantastic. The organisation helps you learn and grow through different courses that help you develop professionally and personally.”
Michael was supported in getting his master’s in business studies in UCD by Fáilte Ireland “There's a huge opportunity to grow within the organisation. You are supported in different ways to be able to make that step to the next grade.”
Rebecca also appreciates the opportunity to progress within Fáilte Ireland. “I got a really strong sense when I joined that there was great scope to grow and join different teams” she says. “There are frequent opportunities that come up within the organisation. Management and senior colleagues are very supportive.”
That spirit of support and encouragement is vital to the success of Fáilte Ireland. We cultivate a working environment that’s inclusive, caring and respectful, to ensure all of our team feels part of a community. “It’s just such a friendly place to work,” says Claire.
Making an impact
As passionate advocates for Ireland, we take pride in what we do and the impact that it has. “Fáilte Ireland has a huge impact,” says Aileen. “We can see this every day. Our Climate Action Programme has meant that we are helping tourism businesses to be more sustainable, helping them with grants, and to reduce their costs. These are the hooks that really matter to businesses and are really beneficial to visitors.”
“We have great pride in saying that we work for Fáilte Ireland because of our impact within communities and for the tourism industry in general. I think that pride is a huge part of our culture” says Claire.
“The support network here is incredible,” says Amy. “We're passionate about tourism, and everyone wants to see their areas develop. It's an energising place to work.”
Our projects
Find out more about the work we do.