From Warehouse to Wheels

Flanagan Flooring HGV Training Academy “From Warehouse to Wheels” offers staff the opportunity to enter a lifelong career as an HGV driver in as little as 3 months.

We pay for all the costs up front, and then give them a period of time shadowing an experienced driver once they've passed their test.

At the minute we have 4 members of staff: John F , Kieran, Mark Graham and Lee, that have signed up for the training this year.

Michael Toner, who came through the course 25 years ago, highlights how it was a great opportunity for him to gain the experience and knowledge required. It has enabled Michael to achieve a variety of skills from team work and responsibility, offering chances to travel all over Ireland.

Over the next 2 years we expect to expand our driving force by up to 1/3 and we're hopeful that most, if not all, of these future roles will be filled by employees who've been through our driving academy.

If you would like to find out more please email recruitment@flanagan-flooring.com.

Top 5 Interview Tips

Looking for a role in Sales and Customer Service? HR Manager, Laura Kelly, provides her advice for how to succeed in the interview process.

 As an HR Manager, my role is to support the growth of Flanagans by recruiting top quality candidates who will contribute to the success of our business vision. Leading the recruitment, I am responsible for finding and attracting top talent whilst supporting each individual.

I’ve interviewed many candidates who have been successful in joining Flanagans. We understand how daunting the interview process can be. However, my top 5 tips below can help anyone prepare for an interview for one of our many roles within Flanagans.

Top 5 interview tips

1. Know why you want the role. 

Be honest with yourself and with us about why you're looking to work here.  Don't try to guess at what we want to hear, doing that usually comes across as insincere.  Everyone has a different reason for why they want to join us and we genuinely want to know yours.  By being open about this from day one, if you are successful, then we can help you in your career by giving you more of what you're looking for and less of what you're not. 

2. Be ready to tell me how good you are.

This tip is about self-awareness.  You are good at something in a way that no-one else is and you've only got one opportunity to tell me about it.  Of course you don't want to come across as arrogant but an interview is your chance to sell yourself, so go ahead and tell me not only why you're great at the job you're being interviewed for, but whatever else it is that makes you brilliant.

3. Really listen to the questions being asked.

There are a couple of ways you could slip up here.  The first is if you start giving an answer before I've finished asking the question.  I know you might be really excited and want to show your energy but you might guess wrong and why risk it by jumping the gun?  The second is you might not take the time to think about an appropriate answer.  I don't mind if you take a moment to consider what you're going to say if it means you give the best answer you possibly can.

4. Proof read your c.v

This tip comes before the interview stage but your c.v is how you get through the door in the first place.  Use spellcheck, get a friend to read it before you hit send and always make sure it's got your up to date contact details on it.  

5.  Arrive on time and ready.

Not only does this show us that you're serious about wanting to work here, but it also shows respect for our time.  We might be interviewing a number of people on the same day and if you're late this can really disrupt things for us.  If you're relying on public transport make sure you've checked the route and know how long it will take and in the worst case if you know you're going to be late ring in and let us know so we can rearrange things if needed.

Laura Kelly, HR Manager

Three interior design colour trends in 2019 to match with your flooring

The world is a little smaller and a little fuller when we are all connected, sometimes the choice can be a little overwhelming. So we have pin pointed just three simple colour and interior design trends for your inspiration, that we see being big in 2019.

Navy and Gold

Rich navy and royal blues paired with strong golds and mustards are being seen more at the end of this year. After a few years of mute tones people seeking a bolder identity for their home will find it with these hues. This paired with floral and animal imagery will set a bold and unique tone in any room. You’ll find complimenting boldness in our Ornamento and Xpressions laminate ranges.

Dark greens, blacks and nature

Carrying on with the nature theme, these dark natural greens bring us back a little more to the natural world. Giving a more holistic and natural palette for kitchens and bathrooms, allowing the space to feel more natural and relaxed. These greens mixed well with blacks and whites but also more natural hues like sands, browns and warm greys. Some of our more rustic looking vinyls and laminates will suit these colours and styles. Such as our Supreme 4v flooring above.

Textures and Pastels

The trends toward Millennial pink and rose gold are starting to fade, but have been revived slightly through textured walls and furniture. Pastel pinks and cold greys will continue to be popular at the start of next year. We have many options for beautifully soft grey carpet for added warmth and a sense of superior relaxation for any living room or bedroom.