In this episode, AIBF CEO Elaine Carroll sits down with Imelda O’Hanlon, founder of Star Recruitment and Business All-Star Thought Leader in IT Recruitment, to explore the real state of tech hiring in Ireland, the good, the messy, and the wonderfully human.

Imelda shares how she moved from selling IT systems to helping companies find the right people to run them. She talks openly about AI-written CVs, digital transformation pressure, the loneliness of being a solopreneur, and why she still believes recruitment is a “win–win” job at its core.

She also breaks down what she discovered in her new report The Rise of Strategic IT Leadership in Ireland and why SMEs must rethink how they hire, retain, and support their tech talent.

Highlights:

• Why she built Star Recruitment: blending a love of people, tech and long-term relationships.

• AI-enhanced CVs: why everyone looks perfect on paper and how to spot the truth.

• Digital transformation that works: pilot first, communicate often, and lead from the top.

• Every firm is a tech firm: from jam makers to construction to finance, digital is now everyone’s job.

• Retaining top talent: autonomy, impact, and treating the IT function as strategic, not “the guy in the corner.”

• Solopreneur life: routines, exercise, community and the family who listens to every mad idea.

• Upskilling that matters: Skillnet courses, AI literacy, cyber basics and why 2026 will demand even more.

• Building great teams: hire for communication, curiosity and business understanding not just technical depth.

• The role of leadership: IT managers must be at the decision-making table, not brought in after the fact.

• Growth vision: positioning Star Recruitment as the go-to partner for Irish businesses building tech capability.

Tune in for a grounded, practical and very real conversation about the people behind Ireland’s digital future and why hiring well is now a leadership skill, not just a HR task.