Blacknight Seeks Technical Support Staff for Carlow HQ

Home-Grown Hosting and Domains Pioneer to Expand its Workforce

Blacknight, Ireland's leading provider of web hosting and domain names has announced that it is recruiting for both senior and entry-level positions in its Customer Service and Technical Support team.

The vacancies are at the company's headquarters in Carlow where it employs 40 people.

Established in 2003, Blacknight is an indigenous Irish technology company offering hosting services in Dublin, in addition to managing its own state-of-the-art data centre in Carlow. It is the only Irish-owned domain registrar accredited with ICANN. The company has built a reputation for strong customer support and the new positions are designed to support a growing customer base.

Mr Michele Neylon, CEO of Blacknight explained that customer service is at the core of the company's value proposition:

"For a company in our vertical, the key differentiator will always have to be around customer service and customer support, both technical and non-technical. One of the things that we've been looking at is the quality of the service we provide, and for a number of different reasons we're looking at expanding that team, so we've currently advertised a number of roles, both for entry level and more experienced technical support and customer service staff.

"Price - obviously - is a factor, but the difference between buying from us and buying from somebody else, in many cases, is going to be down to the after-sales service. Can they pick up the phone and have somebody on the other end of the line who (a) will answer and (b) will help them resolve whatever issue they're facing?"

Blacknight's reputation for customer service is very much embedded in company culture, he explained, and that is why the company does not outsource its customer support function.

"In order to be able to offer a good quality of service they need to be based here, so that they're part of the core team", he explained. One of the advantages of being a relatively small indigenous company, he believes, is the fact that departments are not silos. In fact, it also creates opportunities for career development, he says, citing the example of previous new hires who went on to find their niches in other areas in the company.

That flexibility is a strength whether competing to attract customers or employees, says Neylon. While the company may not offer some of the perks of multinational tech giants, he thinks they compete well. A subsidised canteen is augmented by free tea, coffee and fresh fruit, and there is a company pension plan. For people in the midlands and South-East, Carlow is a more attractive option than a grueling commute to Dublin.

The entry-level support roles do not require formal qualifications in IT, although "an interest or proficiency in general computer use is essential". Emphasis is placed on eagerness to learn, and the company promises a stimulating environment in a fast-moving and growing industry.