Highlights from Colette Lane, HR Manager

Posted September 3, 2009

Unum's first summer family outing was a great success. We hosted a barbeque in Eire Og GAA club, located conveniently close by our offices. The sun amazingly smiled down on us for the entire event, and we managed to escape those dreaded rain showers. After a frantic day in work it was pure bliss to tuck into some sizzling barbeque steaks and savor the aroma of mouth watering food with colleagues and family and friends.

We have a very impressive entertainment line up. Some of our male work colleagues were (to their mortification) dragged onto the dance floor, and had no escape until they demonstrated their dancing skills to tunes that included the hokey pokey. Tears of laughter poured down everyone's faces as I watched them strut their stuff, and was really chuffed that my husband captured those memorable moments on camera!

Surprise guests included Minnie and Mickey Mouse, Bob the Builder, Dora the Explorer, Barney, Donald Duck and Winnie the Pooh. The children (and adults!) were ecstatic to see some of their favorite characters. The boys and girls danced the evening away with their Disney heroes, and queued up eagerly to have their photos taken with them.

For me, the highlight of the night was the adult rodeo bull competition. I would like to extend a big congratulations to Oleg Kalenbet who won the "Lone Ranger Award." Oleg far surpassed everybody else's attempt to keep the bull under control. Many of us tried to surpass Oleg's impressive time but failed miserably!

The evening flew by and it was lovely to see the children's faces light up peeking into their goody bags on leaving to see what treats were in store for them.

Our next big event is a 10k charity walk on September 26th in aid of the Delta Centre and Saplings. More details to follow shortly in aid of these very worthwhile causes.

Posted August 13, 2009

Last month Unum moved into the brand new Shamrock Plaza complex, right in the middle of Carlow town. On our first day in the Plaza we all got together for a joint celebratory lunch, combining the office move and congratulating Tyrone Woo on winning a Performance Edge Award for his outstanding IT contribution on one of his recent projects. Tyrone joined Unum just over a year ago, relocating from Dublin to Carlow, and everyone was delighted to see Tyrone rewarded for his spectacular achievements.

We are now well settled into new offices and enjoying the conveniences of being within walking distance of the shops, restaurants and sandwich bars.

The Sports and Social Club organized some terrific events recently. The Scavenger Hunt was a huge success. Every participating team received an envelope with a list of activities and items they had to scavenge for, including some crazy items like sea shells, lumps of coals, ice cubes and 10 different beer mats. Their task lists also included finding out what time the last bus departed for the airport from Carlow town, counting the number of steps on the stairwell to the entrance of the office, and finding a local Robocop and taking a team photo with him!

Also everybody had a great time after a busy Friday evening session of paintballing, with no major casualties, apart from some minor bruises.

Stay in touch to hear about our upcoming charity event and new recruits joining in August.

Posted March 12, 2009

Hello, this is Richard Breheny writing to you in almost disbelief that we have just celebrated Unum Ireland's first anniversary. Wow! Where did 2008 go?

I joined Unum in April 2008 as the head of IT, and I can honestly say that I have enjoyed every minute of my time here. As you can imagine, setting up a software development centre from scratch brings daily challenges and the pace of change is phenomenal. I'm glad to say that we are at a staff of 45 and growing our business and technical knowledge on a daily basis.

As a little aside, I am from Dublin and have been living in Carlow for 12 years. Anyone that has met me will tell you that I'm enthusiastic about 2 things — living in Carlow and golf. What a fantastic town, where there is everything you need close at hand with little traffic to contend with. Dublin is only an hour away if I need to visit. Of course with a championship golf course on my doorstep, it doesn't get any better.

Unum Ireland was officially opened on February 8, 2008, and we had a great celebration here last week. We had mini-events every day leading up to the main event on Friday. On Friday, we decked out the office in a Disney theme and had Disney music playing to a slide presentation of all the events we had during the year — recruitment open days, visits by Unum executives, nights out, ice skating at Christmas, the children's Christmas party — including a visit from Santa and on and on and on...

Why the Disney theme for our first anniversary, I hear you ask? Well, at Unum there is a program called ASPIRE, where 400 of Unum's highest-achieving employees are sent to a conference at Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Although our area has only been in existence for a year, we had an ASPIRE nominee! Pete Burrows (pictured above) will be winging his way to Florida for a week in May. Year 1 has been fantastic, and year 2 has started off in the same vein already!

Posted December 11, 2008

Greetings from a chilly Carlow! I would like to extend a big thanks to our US guest blogger Betsy Powell and to all of the local Unum staff for their recent contributions.

I have experienced a couple of hectic months, with all those year end deadlines suddenly looming closer and closer!

In late October and early November, we attended two graduates jobs fairs, one in the RDS in Dublin and one locally at Carlow Institute of Technology. I really enjoyed both events, and got the opportunity to interact with a wide variety of students, careers offices, lecturers and other organizations hiring graduates. I also discovered one of Carlow's best-hidden secrets: Starbucks coffee is available in this town. Yes, Carlow Institute of Technology has its very own Starbucks!

On the topic of hidden gems in Carlow, my husband Terry and I also discovered some lovely walkways along the River Barrow, and in Oakpark. Our golden retriever, Brinkley, is delighted with all the new areas he has explored.

Following on from the success of the open house jobs fairs and continuous recruitment efforts, we now have close to 40 staff on board, with more people starting in January. While we are still actively looking for software engineers at all levels, we are also very excited about setting up a new quality assurance team. We have just begun interviewing for this team, so if you know of anybody interested in quality assurance or software development, please ask them to get in touch and check out our current vacancies!

Until next time,

Colette

Posted November 5, 2008

Hello, it's Betsy Gowell again from Unum US! I was lucky enough to visit the Unum Ireland office while on holiday in Ireland in early September. I met a few of the employees for a lovely lunch and was invited to join them for their second Sports & Social event later in the week. To my surprise, they were going bowling! I wondered, "Can it be exactly the same thing as in America?" I was delighted to find that it was! Walking into the bowling alley (that's what we call it in America) was exactly like being right at home. Other than my bowling results, the most humorous part for me was trying to figure out what my European shoe size is! I went from a size 7 (my American size) to a size 5 and then settled on a size 4, much to the amusement of my new Irish friends and, luckily, the sweet lady behind the counter got a chuckle out of it as well.

Then, on to the bowling! The event was a success with 21 out of the 30 employees in attendance. We were split into 4 teams, and my team consisted of Colin, Dmytro, JP, Stephan and me. Colin won my vote for "most creative style" (it was sort of a sideways, "rolling a pair of dice" type delivery), Stephan and Dmytro were the most consistent, JP was the most improved score and I was the most inconsistent!

Everyone had a fantastic time with lots of laughs, and there was quite a bit of competition between the teams. I should not have been surprised at the competition as Unum Ireland is a very dynamic group of individuals, well focused on their goal, who work as hard as they play. I work in the disability department of Unum US, but after meeting the Unum Ireland team, I would seriously consider getting an IT degree to work with them!

Thank you, Unum Ireland, for your warm hospitality and making me feel so welcome. Meeting all of you was a highlight of my trip!

Betsy

Posted October 9, 2008

Hello! This is Betsy Gowell, from the Unum's U.S. offices in Portland, Maine, blogging to you from the States. I've been a Unum employee for 12 years now, and in my current position, I conduct quality reviews of long term disability claims.

I recently spent two weeks on holiday in Ireland. A week or so prior to my trip, I was reading the Unum website and, out of curiosity, I looked at the "Unum Ireland" website. When I read this very News and Updates section, I was so impressed with the positive energy and excitement expressed by the employees that I contacted Colette Lane to see if it was possible for me to stop by their office while touring the country. After all, interacting with people who live in the country you are visiting is the best way to experience its culture! I was thrilled when Colette e-mailed back the same day to say they would be delighted for me to visit them.

My visit with the Unum Ireland staff was wonderful. Everyone was friendly and welcoming to me. There is an affable environment in the offices and everyone seems to enjoy their job. One thing that struck me as very exciting was the opportunity to be employed with a solid company and still experience the excitement and bonding that comes with being one of the "first hires."

In my office here in the States, most employees have been with the company for 2 to 35 years. Many Unum Ireland folks were surprised I had stayed with the same company for 12 years, but I have found Unum to be an excellent employer who keeps evolving and improving for their employees, policyholders and stakeholders. I hope that the Unum Ireland employees I met will find the same and stay with the company for years to come.

I had so much fun with my first trip to the offices that I accepted an invitation to join them for their second "Sports and Social" event held later that week! Stay tuned for the next blog to read about the fun that was had by all…

I'd like to extend a sincere "Thank You" to the whole Unum Ireland staff for such a grand and warm welcome! I look forward to another visit to your wonderful country and Unum's very hospitable offices in Carlow!

Betsy

Posted September 11, 2008

Hello from Unum's graduates

Kenneth Earley and Fergal Stanley here. We are graduates from Athlone IT and Dundalk IT, respectively, and have recently starting working at Unum in July. So far we have really enjoyed our experiences here. What initially attracted us to Unum were the exciting technologies and career prospects combined with the great catching benefits available like health insurance, flexible working hours, pension, favorable salary and bonus scheme.

We are both coming from a Java background in college. We have been given a training program to make the step from college to the workplace and Unum's technologies. The training is interesting and moving at a steady yet challenging pace. Help is always available whenever needed and everybody's door is open.

Another big attraction for us has been the social life of Carlow. It's a student town with a great atmosphere and a vibrant nightlife with numerous pubs and clubs. In Unum, we have a sports and social club with regular events, including a bowling night coming up with a few drinks in the town afterwards.

A couple of weeks ago, Kevin McCarthy, the President and CEO of Unum US, visited us and delivered a very informative presentation. We had an evening out for him in the town, and it was nice to meet Kevin on a personal level. So far we have found Unum to be a friendly working atmosphere with everyone on first-name terms.

There is a careers event taking place in our office in Carlow shortly. If you are interested in joining a fun, fast-paced working environment with great opportunities, visit our recruitment open days on September 26 and 27. Be sure to say "hi" when you drop in!

Kenneth and Fergal

Posted August 28, 2008

Hi there, I'm Stephan O'Rourke and I'm a Senior Software Engineer with Unum.

It's been said multiple times in previous postings by the team, but I feel like saying it too. The opportunity Unum has given me has reduced my commuting time by 11 working weeks annually. It's tricky to express just how much of a difference this has made to my life, but suffice to say, it's really great to actually have a life Monday to Friday.

As is human nature though, in time the novelty will wear off. So what else is on offer? What will working at Unum do for your career? Short answer is a lot, a whole lot in fact!

Unum recognize that in order for developers to do their jobs well they need effective training, the latest tools, great hardware and leading-edge methodologies. All of this comes as standard here. You'll be recognized for your endeavors, and as we grow you will find career opportunities opening that you previously hadn't even considered.

You'll work with a hugely experienced team from greatly diverse backgrounds. You'll also enjoy the enthusiastic support of our U.S. colleagues who have shown themselves to be everything I could have hoped for as we find our way in this massive company.

You'll be developing the applications on which our customers and colleagues depend. They're vital to the ongoing success of this company and help distinguish Unum as the premier benefits provider in the U.S.

Looking forward to working with you,

Steve

Posted August 14, 2008

I've moved to Carlow!

I'm so excited to have found a lovely home on the outskirts of Carlow and am thoroughly enjoying my new commute (reduced to a leisurely 35-minute walk to the office).

Some friends from Dublin stayed with us over the last couple of weekends and we had great fun exploring the restaurants and many bars in Carlow. We were all pleasantly surprised with the difference in prices compared to Dublin and now find ourselves inundated with requests for return visits!

Unum Ireland has expanded phenomenally recently. We have hired close to 30 people, with more joining shortly. There is great energy in the office with a strong mixture of very talented people from various IT backgrounds. I am especially delighted to welcome our graduates from Dundalk, Athlone, and Carlow Institutes of Technology.

As we continue to grow here in Carlow, our colleagues in Unum US are extremely supportive, right through from designing and providing orientation and on-boarding training courses, to transitioning the IT teams into challenging projects. They communicate with us on a daily basis, offering support and guidance whenever needed.

I am currently working on a number of H.R. projects, one of them being our next recruitment campaign. If you're looking for an exciting IT career with excellent benefits and career advancement opportunities, with the bonus of a location that isn't gridlocked with traffic, be sure to check out our current vacancies.

Posted July 30, 2008

My name is Kevin Mac Uisitin. I'm a Senior Software Engineer here, and I must say that it is an exciting time to be working in Unum's Carlow office. There's a great buzz and sense of community as the employee numbers grow quickly and projects start getting under way. And after working in many large companies, it is very refreshing to know the names of every person that you come in contact with during your working day.

But the location of this division of Unum has not been an issue when it comes to working with our U.S. counterparts. So far every American colleague that I have worked with has been extremely positive and open to the idea of international project teams.

Another of my roles here has been a part of setting up a Sports and Social Club for the Carlow office. The club is 50% funded by the company (just one of many benefits offered). So far everyone has been very enthusiastic and joined up, so the Sports and Social Committee now has to live up to the expectations that have been set.

Our first event last Friday went very well when we managed to get all of the employees out of the office environment and into a more sociable one (the pub). A great night's craic[*] was had by all. The core revelers even made it to the local club, one of which, I must confess, was me.

The next task of the Sports and Social Committee is to organise a sporting event, or at least an event which we can post pictures of without fear of legal complications.

Kevin Mac Uisitin
* Irish word: refers to good times, as well as scandal/gossip/goings on.

Posted July 17, 2008

Hi there, my name is Donnacha Dunne and I joined Unum at the start of June as a Project Manager. The first thing that struck me about the operation here is the collaborative culture of the organisation. There's fantastic enthusiasm for getting us knowledgeable about Unum's business and processes, and I've been pleased to learn how central the projects we are working on are to Unum's current strategy.

From a technology perspective, this company ranks with the best to work for. The latest technologies are being used to build our large complex, distributed systems. This is great if you come from a techie background as there is constantly something new to learn. If this is something that appeals to you why not check out our vacancies? There are plenty of desks free, but they are filling up quickly!

On a more social note, our first Sports and Social event will happen this month and we are all looking forward to having a bit of fun and getting to know each other in a social capacity.

I worked in Dublin before joining Unum and have been thrilled to reduce the mileage put on my car by over 600 km. per week!! And for lifestyle benefits, you can't beat the extra lie-in each morning. But once these novelties wear off, the real advantages of working for Unum will kick in. Ahead I see great challenges and opportunities within this company, and I'm looking forward to really getting stuck in and taking advantage of them.

Donnacha

Posted June 10, 2008

Hello from the trenches...

My name is Kevin O'Regan and I'm a senior software engineer at Unum Ireland. I previously worked for Informatica as a Java developer and I'm now moving over to the .Net world.

I live here in Carlow and had been commuting to Dublin city centre by train for the last 5 years. The 15 min. bike ride to work saves about 3.5 hours a day of traveling! We've got people working here who are from Kilkenny, Wexford, Newbridge, Blessington and Dublin. They are all finding that getting here is more predictable and a lot less stressful.

As Colette previously mentioned, the office is pretty unique in my experience, with extensive gardens surrounding it. The deck outside the canteen is a great place to stand and enjoy the lovely weather we've been having.

Unum has put in an awesome amount of time producing computer-based training material to get us up to speed on Unum, its business and the IT systems we'll be developing and enhancing. We were assigned to our projects late last week, so this week we'll be meeting our American counterparts and getting up to speed before diving in the deep end.

All in all, this has been a great experience thus far and I'm really excited about where this company is headed — great people, great work, great company. We are still looking for teammates, so check out our Current Vacancies page if you are interested.

Kevin

Posted May 13, 2008

Wow, what a couple of weeks we have had here at Unum! Last Tuesday we moved into our new offices and we been taking the glorious weather since as a sign of good things to come! Over the weekend, we conducted Walk-ins in Dublin on Friday and Carlow on Saturday. The response was tremendous and we were absolutely delighted with the turnout. The high caliber of the professionals that showed up was a great reminder of quality of employees Ireland has to offer and I sure impressed our US guest helping out! We were able to see a good mix of Web and Mainframe skills and should be able to get numerous hires as a result. In Dublin many of you came with relocating to the sunny South East uppermost in your minds — hopefully we will be able to help out that goal! In Carlow, the response far surpassed our expectations and we even had folks bring their families with them — very refreshing I must admit. Thanks to everyone who turned up — we appreciate the time and effort you all went to and we will be back in touch as soon as possible. In the meantime, feel free to spread the word that Unum is here and we are hiring!

Next time, a report from inside the trenches by one of our recent Systems Engineer hires! Until then...

Colette

Posted May 1, 2008

Spring is in the air, and Unum Ireland is about to bloom! We'll finally move into our new offices on May 5, which is also the first day for our Round One technical hires. Our new office is located on Athy Road in a wonderful setting. The building looks more like a Victorian Mansion than an office building with its beautiful grounds. I can't wait for the nice weather so I can eat lunch outdoors every day! I'm also quite sure that my golden retriever, Brinkley, would love to come to work every day and make himself at home on our lawn. I hope you can come by and see our new space — look for the blue Unum sign out front.

Our team is coming together nicely but we still have a long way to go in order to hire this year's contingent. To that end, we will be holding job fairs in Dublin on Friday, May 9 and in Carlow on Saturday, May 10 (see homepage for more details).

We are hoping for a large turnout so as to showcase our exciting job opportunities. Unum is still looking for .NET, J2EE, and COBOL development skills. If you are interested in hearing more about our positions, either come to our open house or apply online.

For you students out there, best of luck on your exams! Don't forget that we are looking for bright new graduates to apply too.

Until next time, Colette

Posted April 24, 2008

We're here!
Unum has finally arrived in Carlow, and what an exciting time it is! Working in a start-up environment is incredibly challenging and rewarding. So far we have hired 10 people and are continuing to recruit as we drive to our targeted growth of 50 people for 2008.

Our recruiting efforts have also expanded as we continue to look not only for .NET developers, but Java J2EE and Mainframe COBOL programmers. We have great jobs that need great people. Don't forget to tell your friends!

About me
My name is Colette Lane and I joined Unum on March 18. I previously worked for Curam Software as HR Manager and spent the last 18 months setting up their HR operation in India. I currently live in Dublin but am actively looking for a home in the Carlow area and am very impressed with the value of houses that I have seen so far.

I'll be posting every couple of weeks to the "News and Updates" page, so check back often to find out about what positions we're looking for, recruitment events, updates on our physical location and more!

Planning to attend our Open House?
I'm delighted to announce that we've planned two Open House Recruitment Fairs:

• In Dublin at City West Hotel — Friday, May 9 from 7.00pm to 10.00pm
• In our new offices in Carlow (see below) — Saturday, May 10 from 10.00am to 4.00pm

Please call in with your C.V. to discuss our current vacancies and learn more about Unum. Look forward to seeing you soon!

Where are we?
We are moving to temporary offices on the Athy Road in Carlow, 500 yards away from the roundabout and very close to the town centre. This will be our new home for about a year until our new state-of-the-art office is constructed. Lots of work to be done on this exciting development.