As we approach the final months of 2023, three Chartered Accountants take a moment to contemplate the hurdles Ireland has surmounted and share their aspirations for the remainder of the year Sinéad Nolan Financial Accountant AXA Insurance The economy is fine on paper (GDP and domestically); however, housing is a major issue, in both affordability and availability. The cost-of-living crisis is only exacerbating a problem that was already there for young professionals starting off their careers. Paying rent is a continuous challenge, as is looking for an affordable house to purchase. The interest rates keep rising, and house prices don’t seem to be reducing. Many in the country felt the challenge of paying bills in the wintertime. On top of that, there has been a lot of uncertainty with the war in Ukraine.  On the plus side, there has recently been slight moderation in the price of energy and in inflation, and the pleasant weather in June was a bonus! (Less pleasant in July, admittedly.) Also, the unemployment rate in the Republic of Ireland fell to a record low of 3.8 percent in May. To help, my employer has hosted many financial wellness webinars, which, given the current economic crisis, have been great.  We also received a well-being day off, not to mention personal interaction is happening in the office again – we are attending social events, which is brilliant.  As for the rest of the year, I hope the housing crisis settles, and there is more support given to first-time house buyers from the Government. I joined the Young Professionals Committee in July after attending the wonderful Pride BBQ in June. I am looking forward to organising and hosting events, and connecting with other members of the Institute. The Young Professionals Committee is a great networking platform, so I am very excited to get stuck in with it. Jim Stafford Consultant Friel Stafford I work every day at the coalface, advising companies and individuals who are dealing with financial challenges, and thus I appreciate the issues facing the economy.  While there is an economic brew of uncertainty caused by inflation, geopolitical issues, etc., the biggest impact we have seen this year has been the dramatic increase in interest rates, which has shaken some people to the core.  We have observed a noticeable increase in Members Voluntary Liquidations from businesspeople who are deciding to ‘cash in their chips’ now rather than face future uncertainty.   One of the positives that I have always enjoyed when working with people under financial pressure is recognising the levels of resilience people have. On the ‘resilience spectrum’, I am delighted to see some clients who bounce back stronger than ever.   The highlight for me personally this year was the sale of Friel Stafford to Ifac, which will enable us to provide restructuring services such as the Small Company Administrative Rescue Process (SCARP) across Ifac’s 30+ offices.  The association with Ifac has moved us into the top ten accountancy firms in Ireland, which has opened the doors to certain types of work, making it easier for us to attract and retain talent.  A big development during the year was the growth of artificial intelligence (AI). While there is great potential for generative AI to change the workplace, there is also huge scope for more sophisticated fraud.  Looking to the year ahead, a big challenge for some businesses will be the ending of the Revenue warehousing scheme, which was a valuable lifeline for many.  We expect to see an increased number of SCARPs next year.  Another big challenge for some firms will be the Companies Registration Office and the Corporate Enforcement Authority increasing their enforcement activity on companies that are struck off. Gordon Naughton  Chief Executive Officer Tactive   January represented a strange and uncertain time for the Irish and global economy. Many initiatives were placed on hiatus due to significant inflationary, economic and geopolitical concerns.  In January, it was startling to see how quickly the mood had shifted from November and December. Since then, the business community and consumers have learned to live with these concerns and are in a positive state of mind.  Currently, the Irish economy is showing tremendous resilience, with the overall tax intake and consumer spending being unexpectedly high. It seems the country is forging ahead. However, if the past three years are a barometer for future challenges, predicted and day-to-day issues tend to be easy to deal with. It’s the unpredicted challenges that can pose the most difficulty.  My key lesson from this period is that businesses need to be agile, efficient and have contingency plans for the three main ways an economy can move – up, down or steady on.  Luckily, I have great clients, a good support structure and network that has brought me through any uncertainty. I am so lucky to work from home and spend time with my wonderful family.  Continuous learning is a facet of my life, as I simply like reading and expanding my knowledge. This year I obtained a black belt in Lean, which has helped me professionally and personally.  As for the rest of 2023, I hope to continue to work with outstanding clients.   

Recent European heatwaves have highlighted the impact climate change has on society and the economy. Susan Rossney explores the challenges facing Irish businesses when taking steps to tackle the crisis Recent severe heatwaves in continental Europe have shown how the effects of global warming are coming ever closer to home. Forced migration, drought, forest fires and biodiversity loss are some of the many ways climate change will impact Irish society.  Its impact on the economy will be acute, affecting everything from the health and wellness of employees to the cost of raw materials, scarcity of resources and supply chain disruption.  Ireland and climate change Climate change poses risks to humans, nature and Ireland as a nation.  Ireland is legally bound to meet ambitious national and international climate targets. According to the Climate Change Advisory Council (CCAC), an independent advisory body, Ireland will not meet the climate targets it has set for itself in the first and second carbon budget periods. The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) provisional estimates on 2022 greenhouse gas emissions show that Ireland already used 47 percent of the carbon budget for 2021–2025 in the past two years.  An annual reduction of 12.4 percent is now required for each of the remaining years if Ireland is to stay within budget.  However, as emissions fell only 1.9 percent in 2022, this has been described as “extremely challenging” by the EPA.  It is clear that action is required across all sectors of the economy and society, including: Mitigation: reducing activity that causes climate change, like burning fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas); and Adaptation: making changes to deal with the effects of climate change, from operational changes to cope with rising summer temperatures or winter flooding to factoring in the risk of developing stranded assets and increased carbon tax liabilities. Ireland’s perception of climate change According to Climate Change in the Irish Mind, EPA research conducted in 2021, most Irish citizens share a desire for action on the climate crisis.  However, other EPA research has found that our emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) continue to rise.  Environmental Indicators Ireland 2022, published by the Central Statistics Office (CSO), shows that Ireland’s 2022 emissions were 11 percent higher than in 1990.  Enterprises contributed an estimated 12.7 percent to Ireland’s overall emissions in 2018, according to the Climate Action Plan 2023. Although this is less than the contributions of other sectors, there remains a need for Ireland’s enterprises to take action to reduce their emissions.  However, a 2022 national survey of 380 SMEs and larger enterprises across industry and service sectors by Microsoft and University College Cork found that Irish businesses are underprepared to make the necessary changes to transition to a net zero future. According to the study, 86 percent have no commitments or targets to decarbonise.  Barriers to action  In the face of evidence of climate change – and Ireland’s willingness to take action – what is preventing Irish businesses from responding to the crisis?  As an issue, climate change is complicated, abstract and overwhelming. Multiple interdependent factors cause it, and it is nearly impossible to avoid contributing to it in our daily lives. Buying products, driving a car or taking a flight for a foreign family holiday (full disclosure: I’m just back from one) all add to the overall problem. The solutions to the climate crisis are also interdependent and complicated. The positive changes we can make as individuals can feel insignificant, especially compared with large countries’ continued pollution.  The European Commission’s Annual Report on European SMEs 2021/22 – SMEs and environmental sustainability identified access to finance, limited expertise and skills, and regulatory and administrative barriers among the challenges facing SMEs in particular. Businesses that want to take climate action often have limited time, cash flow, resources and support (both financial and non-financial) to take action.  Knowledge is also a barrier. Many professionals qualified at a time when climate change was not identified as a business risk. They now find themselves having to skill up mid-career in an area that is famous for changing frequently.  Finally, many citizens and businesses are still struggling with crises related to COVID-19, inflationary pressure, supply chain disruption and high energy costs. Staying afloat is a crisis in itself.  Firms, particularly SMEs, focusing on the practicalities of running a business, paying staff and grappling with cash flow and costs are more likely to see climate action as the responsibility of governments or, at the very least, large corporations rather than them.  On top of that, climate discussions are often politicised. They are regularly reduced to a ‘them vs us’ polarised debate in mainstream media rather than discussing how everyone can work together to deliver solutions.  Threats and opportunities  For businesses, climate change presents both threats and opportunities.  Threats The threats have been categorised as physical risks (both ‘acute’ and ‘chronic’) and transitional risks.  Opportunities  Taking action on the climate crisis enables businesses to restore lost ecosystems, improve air quality, community health and well-being, and avail of the opportunity to make a lasting positive impact. There are additional advantages to consider: Reduced costs – the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) estimates that the average SME can save up to 30 percent on its energy bill by becoming more energy efficient (improved heating and lighting, lower maintenance of electric vehicles, efficient water and materials management and using recycled materials with a lower climate impact all contribute to lower costs);  Reduced reliance on exposure to fluctuating oil and gas prices from switching from fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas) to renewable energy sources; Reduced exposure to carbon tax, which is increasing €7.50 per tonne to €100 per tonne in 2030; Access to grants, allowances and tax reliefs; Improved access to capital and finance from investors and lending looking to ‘green’ their portfolios; and A competitive edge in attracting talent, clients and customers. Steps to climate action Businesses looking to take action on the climate crisis can take several steps: Build your knowledge. There are many resources out there, several provided by the Government and Chartered Accountants Ireland. Begin measuring emissions with tools like the Government’s Climate Toolkit for Business.  Consider an internal energy audit to find ways of reducing your carbon footprint. SEAI maintains a list of registered energy auditors and offers SMEs a €2,000 voucher towards the audit cost. Consider setting up an internal environment and climate impact team to devise a decarbonisation plan.  See also the Sustainability Glossary in the Sustainability Centre of the Chartered Accountants Ireland website.  For more, see www.charteredaccountants.ie/sustainability-centre/sustainability-home Susan Rossney is Sustainability Officer at Chartered Accountants Ireland Reporting and climate change The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) is an EU Directive requiring certain companies to disclose information on sustainability-related impacts. It proposes significant changes to how entities report on their business’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) impacts. These changes will affect many enterprises – directly and indirectly.  Businesses ‘in scope’ of the CSRD are required to consider their supply chain when reporting on sustainability matters. This will mean that companies not in scope that form part of a supply chain may be asked to provide climate-related information by companies in scope. Small companies should prepare for this and have a mechanism to measure and disclose their carbon emissions. For more on the CSRD, see the Chartered Accountants Ireland Technical Hub. Dee Moran is Professional Accountancy Lead at Chartered Accountants Ireland  

Sustainability is often seen as the domain of large corporates but SMEs have the collective potential to be more powerful players. Sheila Killian explains why Social and environmental sustainability is often seen as more relevant to big multinational companies (MNCs) than to SMEs, small-to medium enterprises employing no more than 250 people. MNCs are more likely to have a sustainability strategy, and resources for its implementation, monitoring, reporting and communication.  They are more likely to report externally, integrating their reporting across sustainability and financial activities, and to be scored by ESG rating agencies.  This does not mean that MNCs carry all the responsibility or should reap all the benefits, however.  SMEs are enormously impactful in aggregate and have a huge amount to gain by getting involved. So, why and how should they engage? The potential impact of SMEs on sustainability SMEs have a massive collective impact. In Ireland, they account for seven jobs in 10. While large companies are commonly exporters, SMEs tend to serve their local region.  In terms of where people live, work, shop and spend their leisure time, smaller enterprises dominate. This amplifies both their responsibility, and the opportunities open to them. Because SMEs are embedded in their communities, they often make a huge contribution socially without realising it. This may lie less in strategy than in values.  David O’Mahony of O’Mahony’s Booksellers Ltd, a long-established independent bookshop in the south-west, sums up the position: “It’s only when you really think about it and put all the things together that you realise that there’s a lot more going on … [in corporate responsibility and sustainability] … than we would have probably realised ourselves.”  O’Mahony’s enjoys high social capital locally, gained through understated good work for the community and environment, derived from values and a sense of neighbourliness rather than from formal reporting.  Why SMEs do not report Despite this implicit moral accountability, many SME owners do not think about reporting externally on their sustainability. This is often because they don’t see the value to be gained. Compared with MNCs, there is much less separation between ownership and management/control in SMEs.  Therefore, the need for both internal and external reporting is reduced because the main shareholders are already intimate with what is going on in the business, and employees are closer to the leadership.  Unless the business is considering raising external finance, there is little need to consider how potential investors might perceive it, and if there is a perception that customers are not interested in sustainability activities, these will not be reported.  It seems to come naturally to SMEs to be community-oriented, however, often because they are family-owned, and such behaviour reflects the origins and values of the family.  Such firms tend not to have formal, written codes of conduct, but instead propagate the personal values of their owners, who do not consider that a separate, published set of values and reporting on their social and environmental activities is necessary for business. Why SMEs should report One reason for SMEs to begin some form of sustainability reporting is so that they can compete with MNCs locally to attract and retain talented employees.  The labour market is tight, remote working has shifted the power balance, and younger generations are more focused on sustainability.  Increasingly, SMEs are framing their sustainability credentials more clearly, and connecting them with their employer brand so that they can attract the talent they need.  There is also a consumer angle. The challenge posed by behemoth online retailers to small, local bricks-and-mortar businesses is now well-rehearsed.  A small, independent business, like a bookshop, needs to clarify and articulate its values and personal touch as a competitive advantage.  This ‘personality’ needs to be communicated externally if it is to reach the right customers effectively. Sustainability reporting can convey a sense of what the company is all about, its values and purpose – its ‘soul’. A third reason, particularly applicable to SMEs operating in the business-to-business sphere, is that reporting on strong sustainability metrics confers an advantage in entering the supply chains of larger firms.  If, for instance, an MNC is moving towards zero-carbon, it is likely to require smaller companies in its supply chain to be also on that journey.  A fourth reason to report is the internal value to be gained from paying attention to sustainability. Measuring, reporting and constructing a narrative around social and environmental values will improve the culture of the business, and pave the way to greater innovation.  Hotel Doolin in County Clare is an example of a small business that tells its sustainability story effectively. It has shortened its supply chain by buying local produce.  The hotel harvests rainwater, it has eliminated single-use plastics, and uses environmentally low-impact energy and heating. It became Ireland’s first carbon-neutral hotel in 2019, under the Green Hospitality Programme, ahead of many larger competitors.  The business also promotes social sustainability, employing refugees, supporting local community groups and actively seeks to be a good employer. This has enhanced its reputation not only locally but nationwide.  Partnering with not-for-profits Smaller companies that are ambitious in terms of sustainability targets will inevitably want to achieve things that are beyond their capacity.  If, for example, a business decides to work on the water quality in the area in which it operates, it may lack in-house expertise, jeopardising its credibility with the local community. One solution may be a partnership with a not-for-profit organisation (NFP). NFPs often have the expertise to tackle social and environmental issues but lack the resources, whereas companies may have resources (money) but lack the knowledge. A partnership can achieve sustainability goals if the match is right.  The NFP needs to be operating in the area in which the company wants to make progress, and the company needs to align with the NFP’s approach to society and the environment.  Mutual respect and consultation are key. At worst, a partnership can be seen as a ‘fig leaf’ for the SME and can undermine the legitimacy of the NFP. At best, it can be truly impactful for all involved. SMEs’ supply chain responsibilities  MNCs are famously held responsible for the working conditions in which their goods are produced by companies in their supply chains. Scandals, including the sweatshop labour exposed in the 1990s to the Rana Plaza garment factory collapse in Bangladesh in 2013, have forced companies such as Nike, Gap and Nestlé to change their practices.  Bad practices persist today, however, even where goods are produced close to home. In 2020, for example, it was revealed that online vendor BooHoo was selling clothes made in extremely poor working conditions in Leicester in the UK.  For a small, independent retailer, this means that, unless it takes steps to assure itself of the origin of the goods it sells, the risk remains that all or some element/s of those goods may have been produced in sweatshop conditions.  Smaller firms may lack resources to monitor conditions in their suppliers’ factories. Nor are they likely to have the requisite buying power to impose a code of conduct on their suppliers. So, what can they do about the conditions under which the goods they sell are produced? The International Labour Organization has clarified that a firm has responsibility as far up the supply chain as it has ‘reasonable influence’.  Large firms can leverage direct buying power to positively impact supplier. Starbucks works with its coffee producers to bring them up to higher social and environmental sustainability standards, for example.  A small trader is, however, limited to choosing suppliers wisely, and using their influence when feasible, perhaps working with other firms in the sector. The key differences between the supply chain responsibility of MNCs and SMEs, then, relate to power and influence. This principle also applies to other areas of sustainability. More power means more responsibility and the potential to make a positive impact.  SMEs need to address all the key issues of fair pricing, employee welfare, human rights and environmental impact within their own operations and – as far as possible – outside of them, bearing in mind their levels of resources and power.  The key questions here are: “Are we doing all we reasonably can to achieve sustainable practice?” and “Are we seeking to improve?”  Sometimes, acting in concert with other SMEs, can achieve more. The outcome may not be perfection, but honest efforts in the right direction will carry collective weight.  Sustainability and the SME advantage While corporate sustainability is often seen as the domain of MNCs, SMEs – because of their numbers and connection with, and impact on, society – are potentially more important players.  Many SMEs do not report their sustainability policies for several reasons, including informality, time and resource pressures, unfamiliarity with reporting standards and frameworks, or because a strong internal locus of value and ethical behaviour is already vested in their owners and leaders.  However, SMEs generally have high levels of engagement with their local communities and implement sustainability on an intuitive basis, drawing on leaders’ personal values. Reporting these efforts can bring significant advantages externally and internally.  Despite a lack of resources relative to larger companies, the key to building sustainable value for SMEs lies in making the best choices that are within their power at a given time. Sheila Killian is Associate Professor at Kemmy Business School, University of Limerick, and author of Doing Good Business: How to Build Sustainable Value

As this year’s annual LGBTQ+ celebration begins, we talk to six BALANCE members about their experiences in life and work As Pride celebrations kick off all over the world this month, six members of BALANCE, the Institute’s LGBTQ+ Allies network group, tell us about their experiences and what employers can do to support true equality.  Eimer Proctor Senior Manager When I first came out, Pride felt like a celebration and a safe space to be myself. Over the years, I’ve come to appreciate that this is not always possible, but I respect the path that has been forged by others to get us where we are today. During Pride 2023, I will remember those who lost their lives and stand in solidarity with my LGBTQ+ community around the world who still face persecution and continue to fight for their right to be who they are. It’s eight years since Ireland achieved marriage equality, and yet it was only in January 2020 that the law in Northern Ireland finally caught up. Given our current political situation in Northern Ireland, it’s unlikely that we will see any further advancements in LGBTQ+ rights and equality in the near future.  I find this very concerning given the rise in hate crimes, conversion therapy and anti-trans rhetoric in the media. It is up to everyone to help end discrimination for the LGBTQ+ community and promote equality.  There has been some great progress in recent years concerning diversity and inclusion in the workplace, but there is still work to be done to protect LGBTQ+ employees and at the heart of this is education.  Employers can introduce diversity and inclusion policies and practices, for example appoint diversity champions and work with employees to help them understand the appropriate language they should use in the workspace. Liaising with employees in the LGBTQ+ community and their allies is vital to understanding the obstacles the members of this community face every day. This, in turn, facilitates a greater understanding of how and why diversity and inclusion policies can directly impact business.  Those employees will, in time, become more comfortable to be themselves within their workplace, as they navigate the corporate world with the full support of their employer. Having these policies in place will also help to attract talented candidates, who will be carefully considering organisations with a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion.  Conor Hudson Finance Director It’s a general perception that Pride means ‘celebration’ and ‘party’. And, yes, this is a part of Pride – a platform to be yourself and express yourself, but still people are also joining Pride to ‘protest’ and it is important to remember that Pride started as a protest. Equality for LGBTQ+ colleagues in the workplace isn’t about sticking up a rainbow flag at the start of June.  Last year, in my organisation, a colleague and I launched an LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group (ERG) with the intention of discussing Pride. While the initial reaction was positive, one response we received was, “We support LGBTQ+ rights; why do we still need to talk about Pride?” This remark justified why we needed an ERG – to increase visibility and offer a safe space to LGBTQ+ colleagues and colleagues with LGBTQ+ family. It is important for employees to feel part of an open and inclusive workplace from day one and allyship helps support this.  One of the actions we have taken to demonstrate visible allyship is to create MS Teams backgrounds and badges to highlight that this person identifies as an ally. We have found these a useful tool during recruitment and first introductions.  Allyship and open workplaces not only positively impact LGBTQ+ colleagues but can also support colleagues with LGBTQ+ friends and family.  Creating safe spaces for allies is equally important. They can’t be expected to know all the answers and they should be able to ask genuine questions without being judged. This culture not only creates open environments for LGBTQ+ colleagues, but also for other intersectional aspects of diversity. Hugo Slevin Head of Function Pride is a great day for us as an LGBTQ+ community, along with our allies, to come together and show unity, and strengthen through open visibility. It is always around this time of year that we start hearing the same question, “Why do we still have Pride?”, but I think it remains such an important day as shown by events over the past 12 months. First, we continue to witness attacks against our community members in ever-increasing numbers. Attacks across Europe are currently at a 10-year high and recent media coverage in Ireland has again brought this sharply into focus.  As a community, we should be able to feel safe in expressing and being who we are. Pride is very much our time to come together and have a platform to vocalise and display these concerns. We have also witnessed attempts to control the narrative on gay rights across the globe. Of significant concern has been what appears to be a regressing of rights in parts of the US, where this downward trend seems set to continue.  Even in Ireland, we have seen attacks on libraries and the cancelling of drag events in the last 12 months. Pride is the time of year during which our voices can be heard, and we stand against deliberate attempts to silence our community. Finally, Pride is fun! The streets of Dublin come alive – there is a real sense of occasion and happiness in the air. We get to walk the streets, dance and celebrate with our family, friends and co-workers. Jonathan Totterdell Major Programmes, Financial Services Pride in 2023 means a day of visibility and courage for both the progress we have made and the long path ahead for LGBTQ+ people around the world.  Recent events such as anti-LGBTQ+ Bills being passed in Florida and – closer to home, the rise of the far right and their anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric – remind us that progress can be rolled back quickly, and it is imperative that those who live in relative safety can make some noise for those who can’t, without fear of repercussions. Over the past decade, I think we have seen some huge successes with gay marriage, a more open culture and a focus by corporates among Ireland to bring diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) to the C-suite. The financial services sector has been making really impressive strides. While there is a business case for DE&I, and many studies have shown that it leads to improved return on investment, I would like to see corporates in Ireland mature on this front, continue to grow their social consciousness, and see DE&I as a positive without the need to prove its financial return. Employers are expected to be ‘all in’ on DE&I in 2023, having the uncomfortable conversations that sometimes come with this topic, appointing champions and including DE&I as part of their leadership ethos. Inclusion is key on the DE&I agenda. You can have a diverse workforce, but without active inclusion, you will be missing a vital ingredient.  One thing I practice is to try to make sure everyone gets a chance to speak up at meetings and contribute ideas and viewpoints to decision-making. When people feel comfortable, they will be able to communicate their ideas more effectively.  Padraig Kilkenny Finance Manager For me, Pride is first and foremost a celebration. It is also an opportunity to reflect on the struggles for equality, not only in our own country, but for LGBTQ+ people across the world.  There is no doubt that Ireland has made considerable progress in terms of LGBTQ+ rights and fostering greater equality in recent years. Landmark victories such as the 2015 Marriage Equality Referendum and gender recognition legislation have increased visibility and acceptance across Irish society.  The Ireland of today reflects a society that embraces diversity and supports LGBTQ+ rights. This has never been more evident than at Chartered Accountants Ireland with initiatives such as the BALANCE network and, more generally, with its support for diversity and inclusivity initiatives. Personally, I am fortunate that I have never felt discriminated against in the workplace, but this is not to say that discrimination does not exist. What I have found helpful in my career is having LGBTQ+ representation at senior levels of the organisation and feeling that I have support from my colleagues and leadership.  I think this support can come in many forms from the highest levels where diversity and inclusion form part of the organisation’s strategy, values and by extension its culture, to more practical efforts, such as establishing and enforcing inclusive policies that protect LGBTQ+ employees from discrimination in areas like recruitment, promotion and benefits. Effective allyship is more than just having policies and strategies in place. It is about supporting and advocating for the rights, well-being and inclusion of LGBTQ+ employees.  Everyone should understand and challenge their own biases through education and listen to LGBTQ+ colleagues, valuing their experiences, and amplifying their voices and perspectives in discussions and decision-making processes.  Pride is a great marker in the calendar for employers to stop and reflect where they are on this journey to foster and support real equality across the board. Áine Crotty Audit and Outsourcing Manager As a leader of a team in my workplace, I believe in the power of people and the true potential that is inside each and every one of my colleagues regardless of their gender, age, sexual orientation, etc.  Therefore, being an ally to my LGBTQ+ colleagues is important to me because it supports them in reaching their full potential.  Non-LGBTQ+ professionals need to be aware of their actions and any potential bias they might have – without the awareness, there cannot be any action or change.  I would recommend attending events such as those organised by BALANCE so you can become aware of the issues your LGBTQ+ colleagues are facing.  There are also some fantastic resources and training out there about unconscious bias that will enable you to change the language you use or how you perceive and treat your colleagues.  After awareness comes accountability. As a non-LGBTQ+ professional, hold yourself accountable to making your work environment a more inclusive place for your colleagues. Make a commitment to yourself and others to change how you act with your LGBTQ+ colleagues for the better. Become an ally and be open and proud of that fact. Letting your colleagues know that you are an ally, and that you fully support them, can make them feel more comfortable in the workplace and allow them to speak more freely about any issues or discrimination they might be facing. It is widely known and accepted that culture comes from the tone at the top. Leaders, whether it be partners or senior executive management team members, need to bring DE&I to the forefront of their agenda. They need to live and breathe what they believe in and what they are trying to achieve for their employees. They need to lead by example and visibly demonstrate their belief in equality for all.

Ann-Marie Costello became the first female partner on the Corporate Finance Team at Grant Thornton earlier this year. Her advice to other women? Back yourself and take opportunities I grew up in a family of medical professionals, so accountancy was not necessarily the expected path. I actually changed from veterinary to commerce and German the day before the CAO application process closed, so my career could have been very different.   Opting to do a degree in commerce and German gave me time to decide what I wanted to pursue as a career. I found I really enjoyed the economics and accountancy modules, so it felt like a natural progression to go on to do the Master of Accounting at UCD Smurfit School before taking up a training contract with KPMG Corporate Recovery.  At the time, the accountancy ‘milk round’ was more geared towards traditional audit and tax routes, so joining an advisory team was the path less taken, but I really wanted the commercial experience that came with it.  Hitting the ground running Having a solid background in accountancy meant I could hit the ground running in Corporate Recovery and I had great training working on trading insolvencies. After qualifying and becoming a manager with KPMG, I left Ireland for a year of ‘anti-reality’, travelling the world.  When I returned, I met with Grant Thornton’s Debt Restructuring Team, who were pivoting away from insolvency. I liked the team and the idea of working to bring businesses back onto a stable footing.  After a few years, I transitioned to Corporate Finance and I made Partner in January of this year, becoming the first female partner in the department.  These days, my work is focused on helping shareholders to position themselves for the sale of a business and to maximise value. Most of my work has an M&A or due diligence focus.  So, in my career so far, I have been able to work with businesses across the entire economic cycle. Fall-off in female talent It just so happens that the areas in which I have worked have been particularly male-dominated, especially at senior levels.  My intake and training contract had a healthy mix of female versus male trainees but, from the manager level onwards, I saw a fall-off in female talent.  The reasons for the fall-off vary, ranging from the lack of a clear path for career progression, lack of support or mentorship, and movement from practice to industry, to work-life balance considerations and family commitments.  The diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) agenda was not well-developed when I was training, and as that has begun to change in more recent years, I think that it has brought some significant benefits. I do believe we have seen a move towards greater equity at senior levels – although the pace of change is slower than we may like, I think we’re getting there. We do need more balanced representation to attract younger generations – the ‘if you can’t see it, you can’t be it’ adage.  Greater supports are needed in the form of allyship and mentorship, as well as ensuring the wider conditions to support talent retention are met – these include issues such as childcare, paternity leave (both availability and take up) and flexible working.  There are wider societal shifts that need to become the norm to level the playing field further. Gender pay gap reporting Gender pay gap reporting has been a welcome development in terms of driving good behaviours within business and providing employees with greater transparency.  However, nothing can substitute the conversations on the ground that can provide you with clarity as to where you stand.  Conversations regarding remuneration, promotion and performance are often uncomfortable, so we sometimes tend to avoid broaching these subjects.  Time and time again, recruiters and HR teams tell me that, as women, we often undersell ourselves and have lower expectations for remuneration. We need to value our contributions more.  Do your research, back yourself and don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone to take on opportunities as they present themselves. Learning the skills for success At some point in your career, you will need to do more than just to be ‘good at the job’. At that stage, developing your career becomes about your network, your profile and your leadership. It is important to learn to have confidence in yourself and to value your input. This often comes with surrounding yourself with the right people, so don’t be afraid to talk – to your peers, your friends and your network. You will only ever regret the things you didn’t do, or say, so speak up and say ‘yes’ to opportunities for development. In my own experience, navigating career development and parenthood is not without its challenges. You need all the support you can get and to always try to look after yourself.  We just had our second baby towards the end of last year, a year during which I was also going through the partnership process, as well as taking on the role of Chairperson of Chartered Accountants Ireland Leinster Society.  I took on a lot, but there were several opportunities that presented themselves around the same time and, weighing it all up, I chose to go for them. I am lucky in that I have huge support from my family and, in particular, my husband, who had to pick up some of the slack. The role of mentoring and networking I sincerely believe that mentoring and sponsorship are key to development, and I’m glad to see so many businesses providing necessary resources and supports in these areas.  It’s important to have someone who can mentor you – someone who will tell it how it is, act as your sounding board and provide constructive criticism.  It is equally important to have a sponsor within your organisation – someone who will support you and guide you in your career development. I would encourage these relationships to be with both male and female mentors and sponsors.  It can often be helpful to have a mentor outside of your work environment to speak to about your work and personal development. Chartered Accountants Ireland provides a mentorship programme for members, which is a helpful resource. Networking can seem like a daunting task, particularly with the reopening of society post-pandemic. However, it really is never as bad as it seems.   The network of people Chartered Accountants will have from their time at university and training will be huge, and the Irish accountancy profession is particularly well-connected at home and abroad.  Try to keep this network active. You never know when you might be able to help someone, or when they might be able to help you.

Clever branding can mean the difference between success and failure for small businesses competing in a crowded market, writes Gerard Tannam Branding is a tool available to every business. Every type of business can compete for their best customers with a strong brand that influences choice.  Because a smaller business can play to the singular strengths of its brand relationships with customers to distinguish it from others, it can level the playing field with its own competitive advantage. A strong brand is good for business. It provides an advantage over competitors by distinguishing a business from them in a way that matters to customers and influences their choices.  Despite its importance, however, this simple business tool, which is available to every business, is often misunderstood, underestimated, and underused, particularly by smaller companies. ‘Brand’ can be defined in many ways: as a mark of origin or quality, as image or reputation, as a proposition or promise, and even as a badge of community or a shared belief system.   None of these definitions is entirely satisfactory, however. While each definition says something true about what a brand is or can be, none captures the part a brand plays in choice. A definition of brand As well as being a tool that businesses use to influence choice, brand is also the tool that customers use to make their choices and reassure themselves that they are correct.  When customers are spoilt for choice or do not have the time or inclination to analyse every buying decision, they often rely on brand to help them choose. And so, the brand tool is used in two different though complementary ways:  a business uses brand to help it become the natural choice of its customers;  its customers use brand to help them make the right choice of product or service.  A brand is a tool that influences choice by reflecting the relationship between buyer and seller and the value they exchange. Marks of quality or identity, such as names, symbols or logos, are means of representing the brand relationship and its value, rather than being the brand. Wedding rings, for example, symbolise a relationship (marriage) between two people – they are not the relationship itself.  The brand bridge To understand brand and how it works, consider the relationship between buyer and seller as a ‘bridge’. Just as a bridge is designed to enable people to cross over safely, quickly, and easily from one side to the other, a brand bridge enables people to exchange value safely, quickly, and easily. The two-way traffic on the bridge of give-and-take between buyer and seller suggests a partnership of equals, both of whom want something the other has and must agree on the value to be exchanged through the transaction. Brand bridges are more handshake than arm wrestle, a basis for good and sustainable business. A definition of branding Defining brand as a tool for business leads to a definition of ‘branding’ as the influencing of choice by building a relationship between buyer and seller based on the value they exchange. A brand relationship establishes a connection between a business and its customers around the value each understands the other is offering.  Branding involves putting the brand relationship to work to build and maintain the commercial relationship with existing customers and turn potential buyers into new customers. Why branding matters to small businesses Success in business comes down to an ability to influence choice. A superior product or service only takes a business so far.  Many hardworking businesses have brought an exceptional offering to market and failed. To be successful, a business must influence enough of the right kind of customer to choose what it brings to market. Brand relationship plays a critical role in the choices customers make. Even in a busy marketplace, where customers are spoilt for choice, a strongly branded business can lead its market and command a premium for its product or service.  Every business has a brand, strong or weak. The brand’s strength or weakness results from actions taken by the business in building the relationship with its customers.  A strong brand is especially important for small businesses, which are unlikely to have the spending power or marketing resources available to larger competitors.  The smaller business can play to the strengths of its brand relationship with its customers to distinguish it from other businesses in the marketplace, and so level the playing field.  Five steps to defining a brand 1. Define the value to be exchanged The value to be realised through the brand relationship is not set by one side or the other but must be agreed. For any relationship to work both parties must continue to see and realise its value.  However, while the brand relationship is defined by the value sought by the buyer and offered by the seller, this must at least match the seller’s asking price for the exchange to work.  The asking price, which the business requires for the exchange to be profitable, is a useful starting point for defining value.  This is typically based on the costs of the resources the business must invest in the relationship, plus its margin or premium.  Then the business considers how the customer is likely to rate the benefits on offer, if this accumulated value matches or tops the asking price, and whether they are likely to  pay it.  2. Identify and target the ‘best customer’ For the brand relationship to work, it is vital that the business carefully chooses the type of customer with whom it and its value proposition are best matched.  When business development lacks focus, a business will attract a wide variety of prospective customers, some well matched with it, but many not.  A business that deals with too broad a mix of customers will struggle to profitably realise the value in many of its individual transactions.  A well-matched or ‘best customer’, on the other hand, will add predictable and significant value to the exchange and deliver the premium that the business needs. Your best customer:  needs what you have to offer, considers it essential;  wants what you are offering, finds it highly desirable; values what you offer, prioritises it above all others; engages fully with all of the elements of your offering, not just its purchase; can pay for it (an ability not confined to affordability). 3. Identify and fix the customer’s ‘key problem’ People buy from other people to fix what they experience as a problem and to enjoy the benefits that result. Potential customers are more likely to be ‘best customers’ when they consider that the product or service offered by a business fixes their key problem. There are two aspects or sides to a customers’ key problems: the practical and the social.  The practical is what the product or service does and the direct, functional benefits it provides, while the social is how the customer relates to others and the world through their choice of that product or service and can be understood in terms of how it makes them feel.   For example, someone is thirsty and buys bottled water. Any bottled water will do. Another customer is thirsty but is concerned that many bottled water products use irreplaceable natural resources.  They choose a brand of water that is carbon-neutral with recycled packaging. The business with the sustainable brand has found its best customer; the customer has used brand value to meet all their needs and fix their problem. 4. Identify and fix both aspects of the key problem More customers are choosing products and services that fix the practical and social aspects of their problems, so it is important that a business identifies both aspects and determines the role that it will play in fixing them. This role must go deeper than the complementary role of seller to the customer’s buyer, and deeper too than the functional role played by the business in fixing the practical problem. When the product or service offered by a business is largely the same as that offered by its competitors, it is the role that the business plays in resolving the social aspect of its customer’s key problem that adds real value, and greater profitability, to the transaction. For example, a business owner seeks an accountant to prepare monthly accounts to support their management of the business. Any suitably qualified accountant can answer this practical aspect of the business owner’s problem.  However, the owner struggles to make sense of how accounts relate to their business and can feel overwhelmed and helpless.  They will choose an accountant that fixes this personal (social) part of the problem, guiding and advising the owner to help them to understand the numbers and the performance of their business. 5. Provide information required for the buying decision When customers are considering which product or service to choose, they will search for some or all of 10 types of information about how a business solves their key problem: Attraction – ‘What is it about this offer that appeals to me?’ Engagement – ‘What tells me that it is right for me?’ Demonstration – ‘How does this offer work?’ Sample – ‘How can I try it for myself?’ Testimonial – ‘Who else has benefitted from this offer?’ Proposition – ‘How do I take up this offer?’ Delivery – ‘How is this offer provided to me?’ Support – ‘How will you help me make the most of it?’ Recovery – ‘What will you do to help me if something goes wrong?’ Feedback – ‘How will I let you know what I think of your offer?’ Final word When the success of a business depends on the effectiveness of its brand in influencing choice, building brand relationships should not be left to chance.  Branding is a tool available to every business. Every type of business can compete for their best customers with a strong brand that influences choice.  Because a smaller business can play to the singular strengths of its brand relationships with customers to distinguish it from others, it can level the playing field with its own competitive advantage.   Gerard Tannam is founder of Islandbridge, a brand planning and strategic development company

Now more than ever, employers must do all they can to support LBGTQ+ employees, break down career barriers and fight discrimination, writes John McNamara Spoiler alert…there is a call to action for all members in this article. I was shocked to read in a new report launched in February that 2022 was the most violent year for LGBTQ+ people in Europe in a decade.  The report from the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA-Europe), a leading equality organisation, stated that there had not just been a stark rise in violence, but also in the severity of this violence, much of it fuelled by an ongoing rise in hate speech, often related to trans people.  ILGA-Europe noted that the translation of hate speech into real-world, physical violence is occurring “not only in countries where hate speech is rife, but also in countries where it is widely believed that LGBTQ+ people are progressively accepted”. According to the report, a dozen far-right groups targeting people due to their sexual orientation and gender identity, have been identified in Ireland. The outlook in Ireland There may be a sense in Ireland that the LGBTQ+ agenda is complete following the 2015 marriage equality referendum. The reality is different.  Just two weeks after the ILGA Report was released, new research published here by Belong to Youth Services revealed that 87 percent of young LGBTQ+ people had seen or experienced anti-LGBTQ+ hate and harassment on social media in the previous year.  This followed earlier research, carried out in October 2022, which found that 76 percent of LGBTQ+ students feel unsafe at school, 69 percent had heard homophobic remarks from other students, and 58 percent had heard homophobic remarks from school staff. The reality remains that many LGBTQ+ people still choose not to disclose their sexuality at work, while many senior executives have not come out at the office.  Fear of homophobia, judgement, exclusion and being passed over for promotion, are still very real for many LGBTQ+ employees.  The power of positive action So, what can businesses do to break down these career barriers, reduce workplace discrimination and better support LBGTQ+ employees in the workplace? Positively, every one of us can take action within our own businesses, by providing leadership and tangible support.  Numerous studies over many years have demonstrated that companies that truly support diversity and inclusion as part of their culture thrive in areas such as: Increased employee satisfaction, engagement and retention;  Increased productivity and team collaboration; Improved employee mental health; and Improved innovation, customer engagement, financial performance and shareholder value. What you can do Only through tangible and meaningful support can employers reap the benefits outlined above, however. Refreshing a company logo during Pride Month, or making a big social media splash, won’t cut it.  At best, it’s a good first step but businesses need to back up these symbols of solidarity with meaningful support.  Here are five ways we can make a real difference through our actions in the workplace. 1. Lead by example from the top Put aside feeling awkward or the fear of using the wrong words. Instead, those in leadership roles should take the time to learn and understand the relevant issues.  Consider setting up an employee resource group or a focus group or ask HR to work on specific topics. Have a senior leader take the lead on LGBTQ+ employee inclusion. This person may not be LGBTQ+ themselves, but they can still be an ally.  LGBTQ+ employees feel more engaged and invested in a workplace that is a safe place, that is accepting and that allows them to be themselves, and more so if they have a boss who is sympathetic to their own struggles. 2. Develop a supportive LGBTQ+ inclusive policy framework and live it LGBTQ+ inclusion should be a core part of your Equality and Diversity policy. As a first step, make sure these policies explicitly mention how you as an employer support LGBTQ+ people within your organisation.  Test any employee surveys for inclusive language. Make your benefits inclusive for all employees by being conscious of the words you use in communications and favouring gender-neutral terms.  Make clear your support for LGBGT+ inclusion in your recruitment practices and back this up in employee induction programmes. Your workplace policies should establish a strong sense of anti-discrimination so that all employees know what is not tolerated, whether from employees or customers.  Create a communication plan to be sure all employees know what is not tolerated and be clear on the consequences.  3. Support your local LGBTQ+ community Use your position of influence to show your support for your local LGBTQ+ community. Provide information about local events and groups, invite speakers to share their lived experiences, consider sponsoring local resource or sports groups, or encourage staff volunteering at LGBTQ+ events.  These are small but tangible first steps in developing a year-round programme of authentic support and allyship, and not just for Pride month. 4. Support transgender employees All the available research shows that transgender people face a unique set of experiences and challenges, and in an increasingly toxic external environment.  Education and learning can be vital first steps. Request HR support to be clear on what steps to take after an employee comes out as transgender to create a supportive and encouraging environment.  There is a lot of easily available information that can help to support greater understanding of trans issues. Explicit statements of support are crucial.  Back this up with practical support. If you offer health benefits, seek to make them trans-inclusive, develop supportive leave policies, use gender-neutral wording and try to provide the ability to allow changes to company records.  5. Talk, listen, act Above all, speak regularly and openly with all staff and your customers about what LGBTQ+ inclusion looks like in your business, how you should address it and how staff can help support it.  We all know that staff who are better understood will be happier and more productive. We develop plans all the time for most aspects of our business and speaking to an agreed plan on these issues often provides a framework for that ongoing dialogue.  At the same time pro-actively look out for signs of problems or issues - identifying signs that staff are under stress, feel unable to be their true selves or are not happy at work, can help you deal with problems at an early stage before they become more difficult to resolve or manage. About BALANCE Chartered Accountants Ireland needs to lead by example too. BALANCE is the LGBTQ+ Allies network group established in 2022 with three events taking place over the course of the year.  Simply put, BALANCE exists to promote awareness of LGBTQ+ inclusion and highlight issues of relevance. We want to be a profession of choice for new students.  We want to encourage visibility and to ensure students and members can be their authentic selves, both during their studies and at work. We want to build and strengthen relationships with our LGBTQ+ allies who work to ensure that the LGBTQ+ perspective is represented at all tiers. This year will see a partnership event in May with KPMG on issues related to digital world engagement, a regional event, profiling of member experiences and further work to highlight issues of importance.  I encourage you to look at our web pages to find out more about BALANCE, access links to resources you may find helpful and we actively welcome new committee members.  Please do get in touch if you have any questions or suggestions at BALANCE@charteredaccountants.ie or check out charteredaccountants.ie/diversity-and-inclusion/balance-lgbtq-network-group John McNamara is Chair of BALANCE and Executive Director and CFO at AIB life

Fostering a culture of equity, inclusion and belonging for members from minority ethnic groups is the aim of the Institute’s new Ethnicity Network Group An inclusive culture that promotes and supports diverse perspectives can stimulate innovation and improve performance for organisations in all sectors. This is according to Deborah Somorin, Manager, People Advisory Services at EY Ireland, and Chair of the recently launched Ethnicity Network Group at Chartered Accountants Ireland. The Ethnicity Network Group has been established to develop a more inclusive profession by helping organisations to foster a culture of equity, inclusion and belonging for employees from minority ethnic groups. “I always look to the research to work out value and significance and it really struck me to discover the very concrete benefits for organisations that are ethnically diverse,” Somorin explains.  “According to McKinsey, these organisations are 36 percent more likely to outperform their peers financially, because inclusive culture helps to attract and retain talent.” A voice and platform The Ethnicity Network Group will organise a programme of events, provide training and resources for organisations, and develop a mentoring programme to support members and students from Traveller, Black, Asian and other Minority Ethnic groups.  Its aim is to encourage and facilitate the discussion of issues relevant to people in these minority groups and give them the voice and platform to identify solutions.  “It’s really about expanding the conversation around diversity, to further strengthen the cultural intelligence within our profession and beyond, and to continually challenge biases in the highest and best way,” says Somorin. “If you look at the top-performing organisations in the McKinsey research, they don’t just hire for diversity, they also invest in the cultural initiatives needed to integrate people of all backgrounds and ethnicities into their organisations.  “They focus on training and mentoring, which is a really important part of creating and supporting an inclusive culture, and all of this helps to attract and retain the best talent.” Creating awareness The Ethnicity Network Group was formed in late 2022, supported by Shauna Greely, former President of Chartered Accountants Ireland and current Chair of the Institute’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee. In addition to Somorin in the role of Chair, Ethnicity Network Group members include: Vice-Chair Rutendo Chiyangwa; Khadijat Lawal; Aisling McCaffrey; Lloyd Mufema; Reabetswe Moutlana; Mwale Tembo; and Seun Olayanju. “Creating awareness is a big part of what we want to do. We are all different and it’s really about being open to learning and asking questions,” explains Khadijat Lawal. “We want to support members and students from Traveller, Black, Asian and other Minority Ethnic groups, but also to open up the conversation in the wider profession, to integrate and celebrate, because—while we are different—there are also so many similarities between us.” A Financial Accounting and Advisory Services Senior at Grant Thornton Ireland, Lawal has had different experiences at work and in education, not all of them positive. “I’m used to being in environments where I am either the only Black person, or one of the few Black people in the room. Sometimes, I have felt that I couldn’t fully be myself, that I couldn’t share parts of my culture and who I am,” she says. Lawal joined Grant Thornton in 2019 as a trainee. “One of the first things I noticed was colleagues of different ethnic minorities,” she says. “They were eating their own food and speaking their own language. That communicated to me that my difference would be welcomed here.” And Lawal noticed this commitment to true diversity and inclusion (D&I) in other areas too. “My manager at the time was always so curious about where I was from, and about my differences,” she says.  “I am from Nigeria and Yoruba is my native language. This manager looked up how to say ‘thank you’ in Yoruba for me. I found that so endearing because he didn’t have to do it.  “It just shows how much it really matters that we feel we can be curious about one another, but also kind and genuine. “The Ethnicity Network Group is about getting that message out there and helping people to have these conversations in the right way.” Positive energy Aisling McCaffrey is Director of Sustainability and Financial Services Advisory, Grant Thornton Ireland. She was invited to join the Ethnicity Network Group by Lawal, her colleague at the firm. “I was delighted to be asked. When we had our launch in December at the EY office on Harcourt Street, you could just feel this amazing, positive energy in the room,” says McCaffrey. The launch felt especially timely, because, says Caffrey, “diversity of thought really matters now. It’s a reflection of a changing dynamic in Ireland, and it’s hugely important”. Fostering a sense of belonging, and creating a supportive, inclusive culture, is essential for all employees in the modern workplace. “The way people view work, and what they want from an organisation, changed a lot during the pandemic,” says McCaffrey. “The lockdowns, social distancing and remote working gave people a lot of food for thought in terms of: ‘What do I want to do?’ What do I want from my work? What do I value?’ “People now really want to be part of an organisation that recognises them, not just in terms of what they can deliver, but also what they bring to the organisation as an individual. “We want to promote a sense of belonging and inclusion, we want to celebrate diversity—but it’s also really important that the Ethnicity Network Group can generate measurable outputs in time.  “For me, that’s where the potential for an Ethnicity Pay Gap Report comes into play, because while it’s all well and good for an organisation to say that they have an inclusive, equitable environment, we need to see that reflected in pay and leadership.” Member survey The launch of the Ethnicity Network Group in December followed a survey of over 1,300 members and students of Chartered Accountants Ireland conducted by Coyne Research. The findings revealed that, for 40 percent of members who claimed to have witnessed or heard discrimination against others, it was based on ethnicity.  Two-in-three of the students surveyed reported the same. “Changing this is really about action: ‘What can you do to bring about change?’” says McCaffrey. “People are generally self-aware and often you will find—especially in a work environment—that they are not sure how to approach questions or conversations around cultural difference. “They are concerned that they might offend someone if they say the wrong thing. So, it’s about being able to create a safe space and a learning environment that benefits everyone.  “It’s about understanding that, if someone says the wrong thing, you feel comfortable enough giving them feedback and they feel comfortable enough accepting it.” Importance of training For Somorin, the level and quality of the D&I training available to employees in any organisation is of the utmost importance. “If it is approached as a tokenistic tick box exercise, it’s going to feed into how importantly people view it,” she says.  “I’ll give you just one example of why this matters. For Irish people, where you come is a really big thing—if you’re from the Carlow clan or the Mayo clan—it is a huge part of people’s identity here. “But, if you don’t look stereotypically Irish, people will frequently ask you where you are from, and when you tell them you’re from Ireland, the next question will often be: ‘But, where are you really from? Where are your grandparents from, your great grandparents?’ “It comes from trying to place your clan, I think, and even though there is rarely any malice behind it, you do need to educate yourself as to how that can make someone feel. “When you are facing the same question over and over, it can invalidate your own sense of identity as an Irish person. It can make you feel ‘other’ or singled out.” Rules of engagement In organisations that have a truly inclusive culture, and an appropriate level of training, Somorin believes that people will organically begin to develop an awareness of the impact questions like this can have. She calls this learning the ‘rules of engagement’. “For me personally, this is a big selling point at EY. These things are made very clear even down to the performance evaluation process,” she says.  “We’re constantly encouraged to take a step back and ask ourselves, ‘if someone did or said something in a different way, but it led to the desired outcome, can we really view it as a negative?’ “Not everyone has grown up in a diverse environment and not everyone inherently understands how they should behave and what they should or shouldn’t say or ask. And it’s okay not to be perfect. What really matters is that we are all open to learning.” 

A truly diverse and inclusive workplace can boost business by promoting innovation and enhancing reputation, says Sandra Healy, founder and CEO of Inclusio Employers who treat diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) as a “tick box” exercise are missing a valuable opportunity to improve, not only their organisational culture, but also their ability to attract and retain talent and improve business performance and profitability. So says Sandra Healy, founder and CEO of Inclusio, the Irish tech start-up behind a first-of-its-kind platform offering a scientific, data-led approach to measuring DE&I in the workplace. Founded in 2016, Inclusio is now on the path to global growth amid plans to expand overseas and increase its Dublin headcount from 35 to 120 by 2025. The global expansion will be financed by the company’s Enterprise Ireland and VC backed €6.2 million investment. In addition to her role at the helm of Inclusio, Healy is a member of the Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Council for An Garda Síochána and a former member of the Expert Advisory Group for Ireland’s Citizens Assembly on Gender Equality. An organisational psychologist, her interest in promoting and supporting DE&I, and her inspiration for Inclusio, came about as a result of her experience working for two decades in global telecoms. “One of the values I hold dearest is fairness and I could see through my work that not everyone is treated fairly or equally at work,” Healy explains.  “That’s a problem for the individual who is not treated equitably, but it is also a problem for the organisation and, beyond that, for society as a whole.” Better outcomes  Ultimately, Healy believes that true DE&I can deliver better outcomes across the board.  “For organisations, the benefits of hiring a diverse workforce include access to a greater range of skillsets, experiences, and perspectives that reflect the reality of the society around us,” she says. “This provides a better understanding of their customers, and their customers’ needs—which improves commercial performance and boosts the bottom line.” Other benefits include greater creativity and innovation, improved talent attraction, engagement and retention, and a better reputation in the marketplace. “By intentionally creating a diverse workforce and a socially responsible organisation that takes DE&I seriously, you are opening the door to new markets, customers, business partners, and employees,” says Healy. “There are so many benefits—and you don’t have to go it alone. There are plenty of organisations providing advice and support to help employers get their approach to DE&I right, creating a better environment within the company and supporting a positive culture.” Inclusive hiring Creating an equitable hiring process is often the first step to building an inclusive work environment. There can be barriers to equitable hiring, however, sometimes including deeply held beliefs and behaviours.  “These barriers may be rooted in stereotypes, prejudice, or unconscious or implicit bias, which may lead to discriminatory beliefs and actions,” explains Healy.  “Only by identifying and understanding them, can we begin to dismantle beliefs that lead to discriminatory actions and attitudes.” The DCU Centre of Excellence for Diversity and Inclusion, founded by Healy, lists some the main barriers to equitable hiring as: 1. Stereotypes A stereotype is an oversimplified or exaggerated belief or sentiment about a group; a broad generalisation that doesn’t allow for individual differences. Stereotypes can be positive or negative and can apply to any group on the basis of race, ethnicity, age, disability, religion, gender, and other categories. 2. Prejudice Prejudice is a predetermined opinion or attitude about a group and its members. Prejudices are often negative and accompanied by a belief in an “in group” and an “out group”, the latter being the target of the prejudice. 3. Unconscious or implicit bias This is a form of prejudice or belief we are largely unaware of, which is held about members of a group. It can also be described as the positions we hold, filters we form, or conclusions we reach by means outside our active thought. Hence, unconscious or implicit biases often seem automatic. Unlike stereotypes and prejudices, these biases may not even enter our awareness, but they can drive discriminatory actions. 4. Discrimination This behaviour involves, or results in, people being treated unfairly, unequally or differently, because of their identity or the group or groups they belong to. Discrimination often starts through stereotypes, prejudices, and bias. Discriminatory behaviour can range from subtle actions to hate crimes.  Conscious steps All of these concepts work together to perpetuate inequity, so it is crucial that employers take deliberate, conscious, and considered steps to establish hiring practices that are as inclusive as possible. “As a first step, I would advise employers to evaluate and challenge the language you use in your job ads. Ask yourself, ‘what cohort am I appealing to, and who is missing?’” says Healy. She advises employers to design and develop interview processes that are inclusive, non-judgmental and respectful, creating equitable opportunity for all candidates. “All your approaches should be multidimensional—working to address biases and discrimination in all aspects of the hiring process,” she says. “Then, moving beyond the hiring process, you have to intentionally embed DE&I into the culture of your organisation and stress its importance through inclusive leadership and best practice.” As Healy sees it, culture lives “collectively” in the behaviours and lived experiences of each and every individual within an organisation.   “If you want to have a culture that is truly supportive of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion—and consistently so—you have to educate your people managers,” she says. “It should really be the case that, no matter what part of your organisation an individual works in, or who they report to, their experience is consistent with that of everyone else. Your DE&I policies and practices must be ‘lived’. “Your people managers are the custodians of that lived experience, and the culture of your organisation. They must be crystal clear about your DE&I policy and practice,” says Healy. “They must know how to have good conversations to make sure people are supported and get what they need. Ultimately, you want to focus on what every member of your workforce can do, not what they can’t do, and how they can contribute to, and enhance, your organisation.”  So, how can employers gauge whether or not they are on the right track when it comes to DE&I? “That’s one thing employers really struggle with—how do you measure culture?—and that’s where Inclusio comes in,” says Healy. “We’re bringing a ‘scientific evidenced’ approach to employers, which allows them to listen to the collective voice of their people and to measure, track and act on DE&I,” she says. About Inclusio Healy spun the idea for Inclusio into Dublin City University (DCU) in 2016 where she established and led its Centre of Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion Research. “Diversity and Inclusion is a core focus for many organisations now and the DCU Centre of Excellence was established to give them access to the very latest developments in academic research, insights and tools to drive change across organisations,” Healy explains. “I started working on Inclusio from 2016 with my two co-founders Deborah Murphy and Arthur Lubambo and support from Enterprise Ireland’s Commercialisation Fund, we spun out of DCU in 2020.” Inclusio has been developed by experts in behavioural data science, psychology, artificial intelligence, equality, diversity and inclusion. The platform gives employers real data-driven insights that will help drive DE&I improvements within their workforce and deliver measurable improvements in their culture. Healy has ambitious plans to make Inclusio Ireland’s first female-founded tech unicorn, and a global DE&I enabler that will help employers to “take the right action on DE&I and ensure that it’s not just a tick box exercise”. Participants in the company’s €6.2 million investment round, closed in 2022, include lead investor Elkstone, alongside Atlantic Bridge, Oyster Capital, Wakeup Capital, Enterprise Ireland, and a group of private backers, such as Brian Caulfield and John Hearne.  Inclusio’s clients include RSA Insurance Ireland, 123.ie, Intact FBD insurance, Linesight, Kilsaran, the Public Appointments Service, and Teagasc. “We already use global benchmarking, and we are now starting to develop sector benchmarking, initially with the insurance sector. Our customers use our data for Board and regulator reporting, Gender Pay Gap and environmental, social, and governance reporting,” Healy explains.  “That will allow employers to answer the question, ‘how am I doing compared to competitors in my own industry?’ as well as the global benchmark. “There is nothing else like Inclusio in the world. Our software is helping organisations to pinpoint and focus DE&I actions in a more strategic way, linked to business KPIs.” “That will allow employers to answer the question, ‘how am I doing compared to competitors in my own industry?’ as well as the global benchmark. “There is nothing else like Inclusio in the world. Our software is helping organisations to pinpoint and focus DE&I actions in a more strategic way.”

John Francis Dick tells Accountancy Ireland why it is so important to advocate for yourself and ask for what you need to succeed at work “Be the disruptor”. That’s the call to action from John Francis Dick, ACA, whose approach to his career has seen him seek out new opportunities at every turn. “My attitude has always been to just go for it, to take that step and to be the disruptor. You have to be willing to represent yourself in any new situation; to come in and say, ‘this is what I need, please provide it for me’.”  As John sees it, people in positions of influence—school teachers, college lecturers, and bosses and managers at work—have an enormous impact on the opportunities open to people with disabilities. “I want to get the message out there that it’s just so important to give people the time and space they need to perform at their best, to engage with them, and take the time to understand what they need to contribute in the best way they can.” John, who has cerebral palsy, grew up in south Belfast and, after completing his A Levels, went on to Queen’s University Belfast to study for a degree in land use and environmental management. “A lot of my school friends dropped out after their GCSEs. They didn’t go on to do A Levels, but I didn’t grow up seeing many people with disabilities around me, so I’ve never taken my education or career for granted,” he explains. “I was passionate about getting as much out of the educational experience as I could. Going to college was a big milestone for me. I hadn’t always been sure I’d get to do it because of my disability.” Be your own advocate It was at this time that John learned the value of speaking up, asking for what he needed, and becoming his own advocate. “It was the first time I was really on my own. I didn’t have my parents behind me and I was suddenly in a much bigger environment than I had been in at school. It was the first time I found myself having to fight for my needs and rights,” he explains. The experience taught John the importance of determination, and gave him the confidence to begin looking further afield to progress his career and education. He decided to apply for a one-year placement with Study USA, a British Council initiative, which allows third level students to spend a full academic year studying business in the US. His placement was with Monmouth, a private college in the midwestern state of Illinois. “That was really where my business education began,” he says.  “Up until that point, the only experience of accountancy I’d had was through my dad, but he just did a one-year course at Ulster University and then went into business.” John was “very open” to learning about accountancy and business, and potentially taking his studies in a new direction. “Really, I’d say my entire education and career to date has been driven by an openness to grasp opportunities, try new things and make the most of lots of different experiences,” he says. “I think this approach will take you in the right direction and, again, for people with disabilities, it comes back to that idea of being a disruptor. “It’s so important to reach out, to be seen and counted, and have access to the same experiences, opportunities and choices as people who do not have disabilities,” says John. “For the most part, people have been accepting of my difference, curious to know more about me and how they can help.  “The bigger challenge for me has been navigating the organisations and institutions that are not quite sure how best to support people with disabilities. “I feel that, in my own journey from school to college and on to work, I’ve really had to be my own trailblazer in terms of getting things done, but I’ve also seen a lot of change in those years.  “Even in terms of Chartered Accountants Ireland as an organisation, its approach to helping people with disabilities continues to improve and that’s encouraging. The Institute has agreed to my request to introduce disability awareness training for staff and I really welcome that.” Path to accountancy While he enjoyed studying for his degree in environmental management at Queen’s University, John was also aware that better career opportunities might lie elsewhere. “I remember, when I was at Monmouth, being encouraged to come up with business ideas. It was just a different way of learning and I think it really helps you when you go into the working world,” he says. “So, I came home and finished my degree, but I also took a part-time job as a book-keeper and started learning about debits and credits. My parents were a big support at that time, because they were both responsible for the accounts in their jobs.” In late 2011, the year after his graduation, John decided to apply for a training position with EY in Dublin. He was offered a six-month internship and went on to work with the firm for five-and-a-half years, qualifying as a Chartered Accountant and becoming an Audit Senior. “Joining EY was a really big step for me. It was my first full-time role and my first experience working in a Big Four environment. Starting with the six-month internship was really key for me because it meant I knew what to expect and how best to navigate my way around,” he says. Importance of managers During his years with EY and in subsequent roles in banking and industry, John has learned time and again the critical role managers can play in supporting career progression. “I remember once I had one manager who, I felt, wasn’t supporting me or interested in me as a person.  “I thought, ‘something has to change’. There were other managers I got on really well with, so I asked to switch teams. I took control of the situation. “The person I talked to about switching teams, who was also a Chartered Accountant, was an enormous help and support to me at that time. They are also someone I’ve returned to over the years to ask for advice and input.” Such support has been crucial in helping John to navigate his career path and make the right decisions.  “It just goes to show how important it is to speak up and advocate for yourself. Anyone can find themselves in a situation where their manager isn’t open to promoting them or supporting their needs and progression,” he says. “You might not have exactly what they’re looking for on the face of it, but if they’re not open to seeing your strengths, they won’t be able to see how a different approach could result in a better outcome for you and for your team.” The result of this approach to managing people is often a poor culture and a higher turnover of staff of all abilities, John says. “I wasn’t the only one on my team who was frustrated with how we were being managed, but I think I found it especially difficult. I had identified what I wasn’t able to do myself, but there was no room for genuine communication.” He continues: “These days, I am more confident about asking for that communication and understanding. I’ll give everything 110 percent. Living with a physical disability can present acute challenges, but I find solutions and I put them into practice.  “I am an advocate for the promotion of differing abilities in the workplace. I think it’s crucial that we respect and value each colleague’s abilities and I take pride in my work and in leaving things better than I found them and having a positive impact on the people around me.”

Maeve Dermody tells Accountancy Ireland about her experiences in the workplace as a person who is profoundly Deaf For Maeve Dermody, ACA, a truly inclusive workplace is one that supports open communication, diversity and allyship. Dermody, who qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 2018 and now works for Revenue, has had varied experiences in the working world—some positive, and some negative.  Above all, she has learned the true value of open communication, a willingness to embrace difference, and the strengths and benefits it can bring to the working world.  “My biggest advice to employers would be to focus always on a person’s abilities, not their disabilities,” Dermody says. “I am Deaf, but I have strong communication skills. I am very good at writing reports and communicate very effectively this way. I am a team player and I always want to contribute, to discuss my work, and find out about other people’s work.” Dermody joined Revenue five years ago as an Executive Officer and was promoted to Administrative Officer in 2019. “I have been given a lot of space here to learn, develop and grow in my career,” she says. “Not all jobs are positive, and I think this has really shown me the enormous value of providing the right supports for people with disabilities and creating the right culture of communication.” The right support Dermody has the full support of her line manager at Revenue and is provided with an Irish Sign Language (ISL) interpreter at all team meetings. “This means I’m able to converse, interact and engage. The conversation flows naturally because I can express myself. Without an ISL interpreter, it would be challenging in a group environment to engage effectively,” she says.  “I can lip read in one-to-one meetings, but, in a group setting, it is much more difficult because I am trying to keep track of everything around me.” This practical support also helps to foster a sense of inclusion and allows Dermody’s colleagues to benefit from the full scope of her skills and expertise as a Chartered Accountant.  “I haven’t always had a positive experience at work. A few years ago, I worked with a small firm in private practice, and I found it very challenging,” she says. “At team meetings with colleagues, there was no interpreter present, so I found it hard to understand the messages my colleagues were communicating.  “We would be sitting together around a table and people beside me would be chatting and looking at their notes, so I wasn’t able to lip read.  “I was the only Deaf person and felt I couldn’t make the role work for me, because of the lack of support in the environment. “With Revenue, my experience has been completely different and so—to all employers—I would say, ‘be an ally, listen and work together with the individual, because everyone has different needs’.  “My husband is Deaf too, but his level of hearing is different which means he can use the phone, whereas I can’t, but we have the same preference to have an ISL interpreter at meetings.  “At the same time, another person who has the same level of hearing as me might prefer to use captions. Different people have different preferences, needs and accommodations and that is why it is so important to talk, to ask questions, to listen and respond to the individual.”  Maeve’s story Dermody grew up on a farm in Mullinalaghta, Co. Longford, with four older brothers. “One of my brothers has a hearing loss and I am profoundly Deaf, so we have both had very different experiences. I went to a Deaf school and he went to a mainstream school. “I grew up seeing him progressing a few years ahead of me—going to college and getting a job. I thought, ‘I’m going to grow up and I’ll do the same because he’s been able to do it’.” At first, Dermody set her sights on becoming a primary school teacher. “I went to a Deaf school in Dublin and I knew that St Patrick’s College offered a teacher training course in Deaf education. That’s what I wanted to do,” she says. Dermody discovered, however, that she couldn’t apply for a place on the course because the Deaf school she had attended had not taught Irish as a subject at either primary or secondary level.  This meant she did not have Irish as a Leaving Certificate subject—a requirement for primary teaching in Ireland. “I didn’t have the option of doing my primary teacher training in Ireland. I could have gone over to the UK, but I didn’t want to do that. I wanted to study here and be close to family and friends,” she says. Instead, she decided on a different career path; one that would allow her to use her strength in maths and interest in business to become a post-primary teacher. College life Dermody embarked on a degree in accountancy and finance at Dublin City University (DCU) in 2008 followed, three years later, by a professional diploma in education and a master’s in education. She is a qualified secondary school teacher, specialising in accounting and business studies.  Dermody’s college experience was positive, but it was also a new and unfamiliar environment. “When you’re in a Deaf school, it’s a bit like being in a bubble. You know all the teachers and everyone uses sign language. We had very small classes of just two to six pupils,” she says. She was the only pupil in her class to do the Leaving Certificate. “I had always wanted to go on to third level, meet people and socialise,” she explains.  “College is very new and different though when you’re coming from a Deaf school. You can feel a bit lost, but I was determined to roll up my sleeves and integrate.” As well as forming close bonds with her collegemates at DCU, and forging lifelong friendships, Dermody made use of the supports offered to Deaf students, including ISL interpreters and note-takers for college lectures. “I started to teach and I enjoyed it, but found myself wanting more from my working life. I’ve always been a problem-solver, so I started thinking instead about pursuing a career in accountancy,” she says. Dermody’s next port-of-call was AHEAD, the independent non-profit organisation working to create inclusive environments in education and employment for people with disabilities. “AHEAD is a really good organisation and they provide a lot of support in the workplace, both to the person with a disability and to the employer,” she says. Through AHEAD’s Willing Able Mentoring (WAM) programme for graduates with disabilities, Dermody secured two paid work internships with ESB and the Civil Service. “I started applying for jobs when I completed my internships, but I wasn’t having much luck. I decided that I needed more qualifications under my belt, so I started studying to become a Chartered Accountant,” she says. “As an organisation, Chartered Accountants Ireland was every bit as supportive as DCU, organising ISL interpreters and anything else I needed. “It was only when I started applying for jobs, both after graduating from DCU and completing my CA training, that I started to feel different. I could see my peers, who had similar grades but no disability, getting jobs. I wasn’t getting those same opportunities.” Path to experience To gain the experience she needed, Dermody took a part-time paid position with Reach Deaf Services. “That was a good start for me, and I was able to apply for other jobs while I worked there.” Eventually, Dermody was offered a fixed-term accountancy position and, from there, she joined St. Joseph’s School for Deaf Boys in Dublin as an accounts administrator. “I also started working as an administrative accountant with Deaf Village Ireland and the Sign Language Interpreting Service. I was working three different jobs, all fixed-term, but I wanted more security.” That was when Dermody decided to apply for work with the Civil Service and was offered her first position with Revenue. Government supports Even though her experience of working in the public sector has been overwhelmingly positive, Dermody would like to see greater emphasis at Government level on the provision of practical work-related supports for people with disabilities in Ireland. “I think the Irish government should look to the UK model of providing supports for people with disabilities. The Access to Work scheme there provides people with a disability with funding at an individual level, to help support them in the workplace,” she says. “This means the employer doesn’t have to be concerned about the cost of providing this support. The person with a disability receives the funding and the employer then confirms that the funding has been used.” On the other side of the coin, Ireland is better than the UK in terms of access for people with disabilities in social spaces.  “I would also like to see Irish Sign Language (ISL) included in the school curriculum in Ireland. ISL is one of our three official languages, yet it is not taught in our schools,” says Dermody. “If Irish Sign Language were on the curriculum alongside Irish and English, it would help to give people a basic understanding of sign language. That would make it easier to converse with Deaf people, even just through simple, everyday expressions like ‘please’ and ‘thank you’.”

Tony Ward tells us about his experiences starting his career as a Chartered Accountant and adapting to a new working reality after he began to lose his sight in his twenties I had a very ‘ordinary’ early life growing up in Monaghan. I was of a generation where it wasn’t so commonplace to go to college, but I was always reasonably academic and chose to study commerce at UCD.  I had no particular focus on going on to do accountancy, but I guess the subjects I studied were already oriented towards accountancy and business.  Looking back now, almost 40 years later, I don’t know whether I was lucky or smart, but choosing to become a Chartered Accountant turned out to be a great decision from a career perspective. I’ve never had any sense that I went in the wrong direction. I began my career in contract with a smaller firm—now long gone after many mergers over the years.  Like all trainees, I started at the bottom and found working at a smaller firm to be of great practical help. I qualified as an Audit Senior in 1989, moved to Deloitte for two years and, from there, went into a management role in practice. It was around 1990 that I became aware that things I used to be able to do fairly easily were becoming more difficult. I was losing my sight, but it wasn’t until 1994 that I was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa, a genetic condition that causes sight to degenerate over time. Those four years without a diagnosis were the most difficult for me, both personally and professionally.  I was desperately trying to survive in the sighted world and many things became more difficult, and eventually impossible.  It may sound strange to say it now, but it wasn’t obvious to me at the time exactly what was going on.  I think the human response when faced with all kinds of challenges is often to try to survive in the moment.  It’s perhaps only afterwards that we realise what was actually going on. My diagnosis in 1994 came as a huge relief. It’s hard to believe in 2022, but back then losing my sight meant that I basically had to stop working.  Computers and adaptive technology were in their infancy, and I just couldn’t read any more.  At that point, I embarked on a new career pathway—less direct than most in the profession.  Technology began to improve and one of the most important decisions I made was to learn to touch type.  Around that time, I and others were gradually starting to realise that, just because I couldn’t see didn’t mean I didn’t have the skills to do a lot of the jobs sighted accountants could do—think clearly, solve problems, and be part of a team.  Definitely then, and even now, people can be too easily judged at face value. Unfortunately, this means that your most easily identifiable, defining characteristics—in my case, my sight loss—can be a real disadvantage.  At that time, many doors were closed—both to me, and on me. Fortunately though, there were enough open doors, even then, to allow me to pursue a rewarding, constructive and worthwhile career. Here, I have to mention Access Support Services at Chartered Accountants Ireland. I was extremely reluctant to engage with the service at the outset. I thought, “what can they really do apart from sympathise with me?” But, for whatever reason, I decided to reach out, initially to Derek Snow and then Oliver O’Brien. Oliver (who only recently retired from the Institute) was a huge support. He encouraged and facilitated me to go to Institute events and introduced me to others. For that, I am extremely grateful.  I think the biggest challenge people with disabilities face is often other people’s perceptions and attitudes.  This is much improved nowadays with genuine engagement on equality, diversity and inclusion and a much more diverse society than 30 years ago. Challenges remain, however, including preconceptions of what blindness means and assumptions about what you can and can’t do.  There are also the very practical challenges involved in everyday tasks—reading hard copy documents, shopping, transport, participating in sport, traveling, the basics of working full-time, and walking into things if I’m not careful!  I suppose one way for a sighted person to understand my experience would be to close your eyes and try to go about your daily life. That said, technology and a multitude of very considerate family members, friends and colleagues have all made this easier for me.  So, while everything starts from a position of potentially being difficult, good planning and decent workarounds make it all much more possible.  Nowadays, I enjoy a very fulfilling work life, and numerous work- and career-related interests, but getting to this point was neither easy nor inevitable. In my experience over the years, very few employers actively start from a position of discrimination—but we all know, through training and education, that bias is ever-present, including unconscious bias.  The phrase I use to describe how this works is, “the making of assumptions”. We all make incorrect assumptions all the time based on sub-optimal information or flawed perceptions.  So, while the world of employment has improved greatly over the years, much more remains to be done to ensure that we are truly fair and unbiased. People with disabilities and other differences deserve a fair crack at fulfilling their expectations of obtaining and retaining work.  We wouldn’t like to be discriminated against, so we should not put ourselves at risk of discriminating against others. My advice to employers here is to be fair and equitable. Don’t make assumptions about employees or candidates who have disabilities and get professional advice if you need it.  There are organisations like AHEAD (ahead.ie) working to create inclusive environments in education and employment for graduates with disabilities, and many other sources of excellent information about people with specific disabilities that will give any employer the resources they need.  The essential ingredient here is that the employer is genuinely open to all of this and has the right attitude. Without this, it doesn’t matter how many resources you have—­­it will be inadequate. It was one small private company I worked with 20 years ago that gave me my first breakthrough in obtaining employment in an open competition.  I am very good friends with the Director to this day. When I asked him why he gave me the job, he said I was the best candidate. He knew I would be able to do the work as a person with a visual impairment because, he said, “I figured you would figure it out and that it was really none of my business!” That was worth more than anything to me and I flourished in that role for six years. It just shows how much attitude matters. The details can always be figured out, unless the person hiring you really believes your disability is an issue—then, it won’t work. I had a similar experience with The Wheel where I was Director of Finance from 2016 to 2022. They were a bit apprehensive about hiring me, simply because they didn’t know what they didn’t know. In other words, they didn’t know how I would interact with the normal volume of information any Director of Finance would be expected to handle—but, if I can put it this way, they took the risk. By risk, I don’t mean me as a person or professional. What I mean is that they were comfortable not fully knowing or understanding what they didn’t yet know or understand. If you look at equality for people with disabilities in the wider working world and in society as a whole, the bottom line for me is that, if we are treated fairly and equitably, then we have the same likelihood of benefiting from opportunities in life as everyone else.  As it stands, unemployment rates among people with disabilities are much higher than in the general population. There may be genuine reasons for some of this disparity, but definitely not all of it—and employment opportunities really matter because there are so many benefits that go along with them. I am talking about active engagement, social interaction, economic benefit, and the power to make decisions about where and how you live, and what you do.  So, to the extent that people with disabilities might need some extra support or flexibility in the work environment, the benefits for these people, for employers, and for society as a whole far outweigh any efforts, costs or flexibility required. If it is done the right way with the right support from the Government and from employers, we will all reap the rewards.

Julia Rowan answers your management, leadership and team development questions Q: My team is positive, proactive and eager to learn more. My company doesn’t invest much in training and won’t give me a budget because ‘nothing is broken’. How can I keep them motivated? There is a lot you can do to motivate and upskill your team. First, think about how you would describe your team. Is it strategic? Independent? Collaborative? The words you select will guide the way you direct them. The next step is to consider the way you engage with your team. Set yourself up so that your conversations become a learning experience. Coach and listen. Trust the team enough to share your challenges and see what ideas they have. Here are a few ideas to get started: Start a pool of resources – books, articles, podcasts, webinars – where everyone is able to access the same material. Schedule protected time to discuss and share ideas, allowing team members to choose the material and chair the discussion. Organise an away day (even if you are on company premises) and scope out a small number of business projects that will move the team forward and give them learning opportunities. Small groups could work on individual projects and report back regularly to the wider team, making sure that all retain ownership. Ask them to report back on the ‘what’ (what we are doing), the ‘how’ (the process) and the learning (what went well and what could be improved on). Make your team meeting a place where people can share their learning about their everyday experience. This can be done in very simple ways: like opening with a ‘check-in’ (what are you proud of achieving this week? What has your biggest challenge been?), but also by asking team member to make presentations around projects, tasks or initiatives that they have undertaken, and sharing their learning. Seek out cross-functional projects that your team can get involved with.If you put together a business case with learning objectives, outputs and impacts, your company might give you a budget. Q: At meetings, my contribution is often overlooked, but I’m often the only person who has prepared. There is lots of aimless discussion. When my ideas are heard, they are often taken up but attributed to others. This is a common problem, very frustrating and exacerbated by online communication. To address the issue long-term, talk to the meeting owner, explain your challenge, and suggest that they do a ‘go-around’ from time to time, hearing from each individual. Meet the main movers and shakers one-to-one to discuss challenges and share ideas – this puts you on their radar. Some tactics: sit close to the Chair so that it’s easy to get their attention. Quieter people often contribute tentatively, in short sentences. Note the points you want to make so that you can be deliberate when you speak. I’ve devised a structure that quieter clients have found useful: ‘Signal, State, Suggest’. Preface your contribution with a ‘signal’ that gets people’s attention: “reflecting on what I’ve heard, there are two ways to tackle this”. State (give your input): “we could either do A or B”. Suggest (a way of moving on): “Given current circumstances, I suggest we”. It’s not easy to enter the melee– but your meetings will be better for it. If you read one thing... Coaching for Performance – The Principles and Practice of Coaching and Leadership by Sir John Whitmore. An accessible and practical book about coaching. The updated 25th anniversary edition has recently been published. Busy managers often direct. Coaching creates a conversational space for learning through everyday experience.

Brendan O’Hora reports on the findings of the 2022 All-Member Survey Research is conducted to discover new information or reach a new understanding of something, so the Institute’s biennial membership survey is crucial. These have been two years of significant change, and as a membership organisation, it has never been more important for us to act on the findings in a comprehensive, targeted way for the benefit of 31,000 members globally.  The survey was conducted in May and June with over 1,800 members by independent research agency, Coyne Research. This level of participation helps us to build a very accurate picture of the member experience and is much appreciated. It allows us to make the most of this opportunity to check in with members, and to ascertain how we will respond and act on the findings.  This year, we also conducted qualitative research via eight focus groups. This exercise gave us a deeper understanding of member sentiment and reinforced that we are operating in very unusual times.  The operating environment The pandemic may be in retreat, but its effects persist. An ongoing adjustment to hybrid working, declining levels of resilience after extended periods of pressure, and changing priorities among younger members, many of whom qualified or spent their early years in a virtual environment, have had an impact. Compounding this are growing cost-of-living pressures.  The top challenge emerging from the survey for businesses was, unsurprisingly, the competition for talent, up significantly on 2020. Following this is inflationary pressure and increased labour costs. What is resonating with members  Looking at our membership as a whole, the qualification is very highly regarded and a source of great pride. The letters mean a lot to our members, and that pride also extends to the robustness and quality of the education provided.  In reviewing the findings, Bernie Coyne at Coyne Research noted that members are broadly positive about the way the Institute has responded over the last two years to the pandemic.  She said: “As in previous years, members were invited to rate a range of services, based on their experience and degree of satisfaction, with sentiment remaining consistent. Over seven in 10 members rated the webinars and online CPD options as good, with a 20 percent increase in those who experienced them since 2020. The range of specialist qualifications was also rated highly, as was Accountancy Ireland magazine, the weekly Tax News circular, and the knowledge hubs on the Institute’s website.”  The research also pointed to an increase in the number of members who have communicated with the Institute by phone and email since 2020. Roughly seven in 10 rate their experience in communicating positively. While there was strong uptake of the virtual alternatives on offer during the pandemic, there is confidence in returning to face-to-face events. Indeed, the research points to a desire, particularly among younger members, to engage and learn about how they can make their membership work for them and derive the greatest value from it.  Consistent with many of our peers globally, we have seen drops in key member metrics, such as satisfaction and relevance as well as likelihood to recommend the qualification. While, unsurprising, given these unusual times, it is an important alert for the Institute that is already prompting action.   How we are responding to the findings In a changed external environment, and armed with considerable insights, our challenge now is to reposition how we engage with members, with a particular focus on younger members at the start of their career, to optimise their experience of the profession. We are working closely with the Chartered Accountants Student Society of Ireland (CASSI) and the Young Professionals Committee in so doing.  Our members are some of the strongest advocates for the profession, and, at a time when there is a continuing shortage of qualified accountants, it is incumbent upon us to ensure the membership experience is a positive, rewarding, and relevant one for these most important advocates.  One of the ways we will be doing this in the coming weeks and months will be through a campaign to put the tools into members’ hands to make their membership work for them. It will feature real members speaking about how they’ve made the most of their membership and will be accompanied by an updated member section on the website to help users better access and understand what is available, from membership details to Continuing Professional Development, conferences, social events, and supports. Our focus is on giving more control of their experience to our members, so that this experience can be tailored and made to work for the individual.   In closing, I want to return to a theme I touched on at the outset—resilience in the face of sustained pressure. One-in-two respondents reported that COVID had a negative impact on their mental health, compared to 2020. Younger members were less likely to be aware of the Institute’s member support service CA Support, and we will be working to increase awareness of this important resource.  Brendan O'Hora is Director, Members, at Chartered Accountants Ireland

Jennifer Nickerson left a successful career in Dublin to co-found a whiskey distillery in rural Tipperary. She tells Accountancy Ireland about her inspiration, ambitions and lessons learned along the way When Jennifer Nickerson co-founded Tipperary Boutique Distillery in 2014, the Aberdeen-born Chartered Accountant had already risen through the ranks at KPMG in Dublin to become an associate director in the tax department just seven years after joining as a trainee. Tipperary Boutique Distillery is now exporting worldwide and employs seven people in south Tipperary with further plans for expansion. Here, Nickerson tells us about what inspired her move into entrepreneurship and her experiences establishing and growing a small business with global reach. Q: Tell us about your life and career prior to co-founding Tipperary Boutique Distillery—what prompted you to become a Chartered Accountant? I grew up in Scotland and my dad, Stuart, was a master distiller. He managed and worked as a consultant for some of Scotland’s best scotch producers, such as Glenfiddich, Balvenie and William Grant & Sons. You could say I grew up in the industry. I loved it, especially the passion the people working in it had. I went to college in Edinburgh for six years, studying Veterinary Medicine initially and then switching to Accountancy. I decided I didn’t want to work outside in the cold and wet.  I wanted to work in an office and I had this perception that a job in accountancy would be “nine-to-five”.  I was wrong about that, but after meeting my husband Liam and moving to Ireland to train, I found I really enjoyed the problem-solving aspect of the work. Numbers make sense. There is a “right answer” and that can be very satisfying.  I worked in the tax department at KPMG and did a lot of advisory work. The hours were long but there was great camaraderie and that makes for a really nice working environment. Q: So you had settled into this new career in Dublin and you were enjoying it. What prompted you to up sticks and move to rural Ireland to set up a whiskey distillery? I married a farmer—but I did tell him that I wouldn’t be moving to Tipperary unless there was work there that would interest me as much as what I was doing with KPMG in Dublin. We talked it through and my dad had already mentioned during a visit to Ballindoney, Liam’s family farm near Clonmel, that it would be the ideal setting for a whiskey distillery. We could grow grain, we had the land to build a distillery on, there was good quality water in Tipperary and good conditions for maturing whiskey as it’s a little bit warmer than Scotland. He really just mentioned it in passing, but it struck a chord. I’d had lots of experience putting together business plans and I was lucky that Liam had a steady job working for the county council. It was a calculated risk and we could afford to do it, so we went for it. Q: What was your vision for Tipperary Boutique Distillery starting out in 2014? Ultimately, we wanted to produce a world-class whiskey from grain to glass here on Ballindoney Farm.  We knew we had everything we needed, but we also knew it would take time, because distilleries are expensive and there is also the cost of laying down spirit for at least three years before it can be sold as whiskey. It wasn’t until 2020 that we finally had the funding raised, the facility built and the equipment installed to open our own distillery. We had started outsourcing Irish whiskey casks from other distilleries cut to bottling strength with water from our farm and released our very first expression way back in March, 2015.  After that, we started taking our own grain from the farm, having it malted and distilled by my dad at other facilities. Now, we are able to do everything apart from malting here in our own distillery. We grow our own grain, we mill, we mash, we ferment, we distill, we mature and we bottle here on the farm.  Q: Tell us about your markets? What countries do you sell to and where do you have the healthiest trade? We sell into Belgium, France, Canada, into several states in the US, and a little in Korea and Singapore. We were selling to Russia, but obviously not any more, and we were in discussions with distributors in Ukraine and Poland, but the impact of the war has scuppered both. Germany is our biggest market, Italy is great, and Belgium is a surprisingly steady little market as well.  In Ireland, we sell online ourselves at tipperarydistillery.ie and through Irishmalts.com, James J Fox, The Celtic Whiskey Shop, and through local retailers around the country. Q: What was it like moving from a successful career as a tax advisor in a Big 4 environment into the cut and thrust of entrepreneurship? Was it a good experience? It was massively humbling to be honest, but also incredibly rewarding. At the start, I did miss having colleagues to talk to and bounce ideas off. I really felt I was on my own and it took me a while to find my feet. My background in accountancy definitely helped a lot with the ‘form filing’—understanding bills and applying for licenses, things like that. At the same time, there were lots of things I didn’t know about, like where to get a barcode or source seals for bottles. It was a massive learning curve. Q: What are the most important lessons you have learned so far running your own business? I had no idea starting out how vitally important sales are. That sounds like a ridiculous statement, but it took a long time for me to shift my mindset away from numbers and deadlines to just getting out there and going after sales.  What I know now is that you can’t give up. It’s no good just sending out an email to a potential customer and waiting for them to come back to you. You have to keep trying and telling literally everyone you can how great your product is and why. That can be really hard because it’s very different to sitting in front of a computer as an accountant and working to a deadline. You have to be willing and able to stand up on a stage and say, “this is what we’re doing, we’re amazing and our product is the best”.  There is a theory that 80 percent of all sales in any business come from 20 percent of costumers. Based on my own experience, I’d have to agree with that. There’s really no point in chasing one-off sales. It’s far more important to focus on valued relationships than driving around trying to get a bottle into every bar in the country. On the other side of the coin, you have to chase your bills just as much. If you’re not getting paid, you’re in trouble. Q: How has the COVID-19 pandemic and the more recent war in Ukraine affected your business and how have you responded? As soon as the Pandemic hit, our orders from overseas plummeted. We had two pallets due to go to a distributor in a country that was very badly impacted by the pandemic and they ended up having to wait six months to take delivery. Irish people are brilliant though. They started buying more Irish whiskey during the pandemic and that really saved our business. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine had a massive impact as well, because it caused major supply chain issues for us and other producers. We had to change our glass suppliers, and we had really big delays with cork supplies, the capsules for the top of the bottle seals, cardboard for packaging deliveries—you name it, everything was disrupted. Most of our suppliers I tried to keep, because we have good relationships with them and that’s really important in business. We were also probably lucky that we are quite a small operation, so we have been able to adapt more quickly than bigger producers. Q: The Irish whiskey industry has grown enormously in recent years—do you think there is room for further growth and what are your own plans from here? When we started back in 2014, there were something like six craft distilleries in Ireland, but by the time our own distillery was up-and-running in 2020, the number had risen to around 40.  The market grew so much in that time. There is a lot more competition now and a lot more diversity in the sector, but there are also a lot more customers buying Irish whiskey in Ireland and overseas. I think there is still scope for some growth in the market. Forty distilleries sounds like a lot, but Scotland has around 100. What we are seeing is that, as the market matures, there is less focus on cost and greater focus on quality. Each producer has to know their niche and communicate it well to the marketplace. For Tipperary Boutique Distillery, our plan now is to continue to sell in Europe, and expand our presence in America and Asia. We want to continue to grow sustainably and one day—hopefully soon—open our own visitor centre at our distillery here on Ballindoney Farm.

Attracting, retaining and upskilling their people will be a top priority for Ireland’s chief financial officers in 2023. Colin Kerr reports As Irish businesses approach another year of uncertainty, Ireland’s chief financial officers (CFOs) are looking to workforce upskilling as a major “investment opportunity” in the 12 months ahead. The latest Deloitte CFO survey benchmarked the sentiment of 1,151 CFOs in 15 countries in Europe. Published in mid-November, the bi-annual survey sought the views of 75 senior finance executives in Irish business, in sectors ranging from construction, healthcare, and manufacturing, to retail, tourism and transport.  Seventy-two percent said upskilling was a major priority for them currently, while 96 percent identified attracting and retaining skilled talent as one of the biggest risks they would face in 2023. “This outweighs their assessment of other risks, such as the economic outlook for Ireland, the geopolitical outlook, supply chain logistics, and cyber risk,” said Danny Gaffney, Partner, Deloitte Ireland. “The survey also highlighted the point that a lot of CFOs are recognising the multiple benefits of upskilling at a macro level. As Irish businesses upskill their teams, it creates capacity within those teams and CFOs see the importance of that given the constrained talent market.” Businesses in Ireland are refocusing their workforce policies and planning talent attraction and retention, according to Deloitte’s findings. Eighty-five percent are looking at rolling out flexible working patterns, while 69 percent are reviewing their reward offering.  Sixty-eight percent, meanwhile, are investing in wellbeing and assistance programmes, and 59 percent are investing in sustainability initiatives, such as measures to reduce their carbon footprint. “Wellbeing and assistance programmes are actually getting leveraged to a greater degree. Going back to the hybrid discussion, the usual supports that are available onsite are not always available when you are working in a hybrid environment,” said Gaffney. “Having in place good wellbeing and assistance programmes is very useful to organisations in the hybrid environment where CFOs and their teams are not as well-connected as they would be onsite.” Gaffney advised that CFOs put a clear strategy in place when considering how best to upskill their team. “What we need are practical solutions where team members continue in their roles and can upskill around the working day, either in person or online,” he said. “At Deloitte, we are working with clients to help them meet this challenge, including an increasing focus on digital technologies. Personally, I would encourage CFOs to look at training as a better use of their internal capital than focusing on external resources, as a means to allow them to do some of the challenging things they are not doing at present.” The pursuit of digital finance strategies is one of the challenges facing CFOs. Upskilling existing employees can help to meet this challenge. “Getting upskilling right is essential. If you don’t get it right, it falls by the wayside and the business, the CFO and the internal teams all lose out as a result,” said Gaffney. “The biggest trap CFOs can fall into is making upskilling too complicated. The three pillars I would identify are: Show, Support, Assess. CFOs need to be sure the people on their teams are getting the specific training and development they need.” Communication is equally important, as is commitment, according to Gaffney. “It is a two-way street and both the CFO and their team need to be open, upfront and honest in advance of committing to training and upskilling,” he said.  “The business needs to understand the team motive and the individual team members, who are being upskilled, need to understand the business motive behind the process. Commitment is also key because—if we are talking about businesses trying to generate capability to create business value going forward—they need to be committed to ensuring the right conditions are in place for their teams to excel during and after the upskilling.” The growing trend towards hybrid working among businesses in Ireland offers its own potential opportunities. “Remote and online training is much more commonplace now than it was two or three years ago,” said Gaffney.  “With hybrid working, the big challenge a lot of businesses and organisations have faced, and continue to face, concerns connectivity. They can say, ‘we mandate you to be in the office on particular days each week,’ and that can lead to a reaction that may be very negative.  “On the other hand, there are workplaces that are more employee-led in terms of when people are required to come into the office. The challenge in this scenario is that these employees can feel disconnected from the organisation.  “Training is a brilliant way to make people feel connected. When training is made available to me through work, I feel that I am valued and more aligned to my role. This is because I can see that both my organisation and I understand what it takes for me to be successful.” The foremost challenge for many organisations is their CFO’s capacity to “absorb costs”, both new and existing, Gaffney said. “Rates of inflation will remain higher for a longer period of time, as the cost of debt rises and the appetite for risk declines, and organic growth is more of a focus for the CFOs over merger and acquisition (M&A) activity. “Reducing M&A activity may seem like something CFOs would look to do, but they should look at longer-term investments to mitigate current risks.”

Attracting and retaining talent is a challenge for most companies. Sean McLoughney outlines how regular performance management conversations can help engage and motivate high performers When someone leaves a company, there are greater costs than lost revenue and business opportunities. It costs time to recruit, interview and onboard someone. It can cost team morale, too, when a highly valued team member leaves. So, it is no surprise that managers are looking at ways to improve their staff retention strategy. However, one option that is often overlooked is performance management—in particular, the performance conversation. Below are three ways that performance conversations can be used as part of your strategy for engaging high performers. 1. Regular conversation The traditional annual reviews will soon be obsolete as they have little or no impact on people’s performance levels. Sitting down at the end of the year to discuss someone’s performance is a complete waste of time, because often it is too late to influence results. The only topic that people want to talk about at these annual meetings is their pay rise and bonus. Regular performance conversations throughout the year can, however, provide a great platform to communicate expectation levels and clarify business priorities. They can also help to foster the right environment for success, because talented people need to know that their input has meaning and makes a difference. Link their successes to key business and team outcomes and comment on their individual contributions. Another key component of these regular conversations is discussion about the areas each team member will focus on in the period ahead. Keeping the conversation future-focused will help you to understand what they intend to do and how they will optimise their time and resources. Remember, while you can’t change past results, you can influence future performances. Build regular performance conversations into your ways of working. 2. Align individual goals with business outcomes High performers want to ensure that their efforts add value and have an impact on the overall business results. The role of a performance-focused manager is to translate the business strategy at its highest level into what it means for each person. Discussing the business plan with your team will bring context to their work. It allows them to establish their own key goals, aligned effectively with wider business objectives. Being involved in defining their own goals increases personal accountability by fostering a sense of ownership, which will also increase engagement. Set up a team meeting to discuss the business plan prior to your next performance conversation. Start by outlining the plan at its highest level and the subsequent key priorities for your team. This will give everyone a better understanding of the significance of their work, as well as a sense of purpose. Next, ask the team what they believe needs to happen to achieve these expected outcomes. Gather all their ideas and connect them to the business goals. Then prioritise this list so that everyone’s focus and time is spent on tasks that generate a maximum return on their efforts. Finally, turn these ideas into achievable goals that bring clarity and engagement. You can discuss these goals with each person during their performance review meetings and update them, when necessary, throughout the year. This will ensure everyone is always working on the most important tasks. 3. Skills mastery and career progression The third way performance reviews can be used to improve staff retention is to have discussions about their skills mastery and career progression plans. Talented people are more likely to stay with your organisation if they genuinely believe that they are being continually developed and have access to opportunities to progress their careers. As part of your talent support role, you should ensure that everyone on your team has a skills mastery plan. A skills mastery plan provides people with a framework to enhance their skills, knowledge, and expertise. This helps them build a knowledge of skills for their current role requirements, while also preparing them for future promotional opportunities. The skills knowledge plan is not a static document. It must be reviewed and updated on an ongoing basis. During performance conversations, outline how your team members’ skills knowledge plans are aligned with the agreed business goals, and how they are likely to impact their career paths. Make sure to affirm how their learning can support them in achieving their goals and career aspirations. This is a great opportunity to embed a culture of continuous learning and improvement. Performance conversations, when used correctly and regularly, ensure that your company has the best possible chance of delivering a sustainable level of high performance now and in the future. It is an important component in attracting and retaining talented people. Crucially, all these steps are about much more than just discussing goals. They create opportunities for talented people to understand why they are important, how their efforts impact business plans, and how you plan to support their personal development and career progression. Seán McLoughney is the founder of LearningCurve and author of Time Management, Meaningful Performance Reviews and Slave to a Job, Master of your Career, all published by Chartered Accountants Ireland

With the Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Act 2022 now signed into law, companies must ensure they are up to speed with new requirements, writes Ita Gibney As we emerge from the pandemic, we have entered a phase of overwhelming change. We are heading into inflationary times, the Ukrainian–Russian war looks set to be prolonged, a recession is imminent, and a new world of work is emerging, as companies consider their cost base and margin pressure—whether it’s office space, employee numbers or energy costs. Such adversity creates increased risk and additional scope for negative news, making it imperative for companies to manage their communications with even greater skill and care. Accountants, as close advisors, are often called upon for advice in this area, which is not always their field of expertise. Liquidators and receivers, in particular, will be under pressure as they work through the fall-out of corporate challenges in the period ahead. Against this backdrop, businesses are also trying to be socially conscious and to run responsible, sustainable ventures. Purpose is now seen as being every bit as important as profit. Stakeholder capitalism is part of the valuation equation. Good governance, ethical behaviour and sustainability are now on a par with risk management and legal compliance. And, recent whistleblowing cases concerning both Uber and Twitter demonstrate just how fast reputations can sink when a corporate entity finds itself in the glare of negative publicity. Updates to Ireland’s whistleblower regime In Ireland, the Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Act 2022 has brought significant change to our whistleblower regime, including greater risks for companies, especially those engaged in unethical practices or breaches of law. The updates build on the protections offered in 2014 under the Protected Disclosures Act. Now, a wider scope of categories of worker will be protected, including volunteers, board members, shareholders, and job applicants. Further, the definition of penalisation has been expanded to cover more covert acts, including negative performance appraisals or withholding promotions. Most notably, the amendments put the burden of proof firmly with the employer. For corporate entities of 50 employees or more, the Act requires that they establish, maintain and operate internal reporting channels and procedures for the making of protected disclosures. The importance of having policies and processes for protected disclosures provides an avenue for the whistleblower to go through prior to reaching out to external sources. Entities will need to be aware of, and know how to, manage their risks prior to a disclosure. Prevention is better than a cure Under the new legislation, there is now a greater risk of a whistleblower going public. Whistleblower procedures, then, must be part of wider corporate reputation strategies, recognising that crisis prevention is the key to corporate health. There is a renewed drive towards unionisation of workers, and a backlash against the gig economy and poor workplace cultures, especially for new market entrants. Work cultures, if found to be negative, are quickly trending on social media, affecting recruitment as well as reputation. Companies need to be quick, consistent and authentic when it comes to protecting their brand against public scrutiny. All the experts in the world will advise that it is wiser to prevent a crisis than to handle one. A good CEO will manage the risks hands-on, test the crisis communication plans, have good independent counsel to plan for any potential bad that may arise in the future. Companies will forge great reputations, not just because they have great products and services, but also because they take full account, in advance, of the public impact of their corporate footprint. CEOs and boards must take heed—never has corporate reputation and maintaining the trust of stakeholders been such a critical factor in preserving business value. Ita Gibney is Chair of Gibney Communications

Active listening can be a powerful tool for effective communication and connecting with colleagues. Ed Garvey-Long offers tips on how to get it right It might surprise you to hear that there are different types of listening. However, I'm sure we all know the feeling of talking with someone and noticing that the other person's attention is elsewhere, distracted by something else. This can make us feel like the person we are talking to is undervaluing what we are saying, even though they may well be able to recall accurately what was said during the conversation. This is known as 'passive listening.' Its opposite—active listening—is a much more useful tool, particularly in the workplace and when connecting with colleagues. The term 'active listening' was coined in the 1950s by American psychologists Carl Rogers and Richard Farson. The central idea of active listening is to be an equal participant in conversations. This allows the listener to take note of body language as well as words and will result in a more nuanced discussion. Employing active listening will not only help your colleagues feel they have genuinely been heard but can also help build a foundation of trust within teams. Furthermore, this is a skill that anyone can learn. Below are some tips to help you become an active listener: Slow down When another person else is talking, we might rush to the end of the conversation, guessing what they are trying to say and getting our brains to start rehearsing what is best to say in response. In doing so, however, our attention shifts, and we risk missing important details. Don't rush ahead! Instead, slow down and really consider what is being said to you. Once the other person has finished speaking, taking a second before speaking is OK; maybe even ask a follow-up question about what they have just said to demonstrate that you have been listening and understood what has been said. Notice what's not being said We give off more signals about our thoughts and feelings than just by using our words. Our body language can often give subtle clues about the speaker's situation. For example, a stressed colleague might have very tense body language, sitting hunched on their chair. Stress can also sometimes be heard in someone's voice, making them sound strained or even quieter than usual. If you notice these behavioural changes in someone you are conversing with, don't interrupt them and draw attention to it. By doing so, you run the risk of making them feel uncomfortable. Instead, wait for an appropriate time to ask a question like 'are you doing all right?' This can reassure someone that they are being noticed and might encourage them to open up more about their situation. Empathy is king Everyone has difficulties in their lives from time to time, whether it be work stress, family issues or money worries, etc. When listening to someone, consider their perspective as much as possible. They might have been nervous about having this conversation with you or are finding the topic hard to talk about. Recall how you've felt in the past in similar situations and behave as you wish others had behaved towards you then. Consider the context Active listening is a great skill to practice and can really help colleagues feel heard and help you develop your own communication skills. However, it is essential to acknowledge that it can be quite tiring to be constantly in active listening mode. Instead, consider saving your active listening skills for important meetings, such as probation reviews or when colleagues ask to speak to you in private. Active listening can be a powerful tool, but it's wasted if it's used on idle chitchat in the office kitchen! Ed Garvey-Long is a poet and founder of Ed Garvey-Long Coaching

The use of malicious software to extort small businesses is on the rise in Ireland as global criminals seek out easier prey. Arlene Harris reports Ransomware. At a time of rising awareness of cyberthreats and the need for adequate safeguards across all business functions, including finance, ransomware is emerging as a growing threat for even the smallest operators. And, according to Dr Richard Browne, Director of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), ransomware is “here to stay”. A form of extortion “as old as the hills”, ransomware is a type of malicious software designed to block access to a computer system until a sum of money is paid, explained Browne. What is new in the field is a concerning rise in the number of ransomware attacks recently aimed at small- and medium-enterprises (SMEs), a segment of Irish business so far largely unaffected by this particular cyberthreat. Indeed, a statement issued in August by the NCSC in conjunction with the Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau warned SMEs that, in a noticeable shift in ransomware tactics, hackers were turning their attention away from big business and government entities to focus instead on smaller businesses. “This trend has been observed globally and Ireland is no exception, with several businesses becoming victims of these groups in the past number of weeks,” said Browne. “A number of different business models are typically used, which involve encryption of a victims data by a threat actor, whether that is a criminal gang or a lone individual.” Greater threat in newer tactics Cybersecurity has, by and large, kept pace with criminal activity online until now and experts are quite adept at dealing with established ransomware practices—which typically involve a threat actor making contact with a victim, and requesting a key to unlock or decrypt the victim’s information. The threat landscape is evolving, however, leading to newer ransomware tactics that are more difficult to defend against. “Recently, human-operated ransomware has been developed, which means there is a person in the loop with more advanced techniques,” Browne explained. “They hack into a system—or across it, in many cases—steal data and seek to encrypt an entire IT system. The old-fashioned ransomware ‘drive-by’ (often caused by clicking on a link) is not a massive threat as it can usually be stopped by anti-virus software, but human-operated ransomware is categorically a risk for businesses of any kind.” Behind the rise of human-operated ransomware are often established, integrated and organised criminal enterprises that operate “at scale and at speed” globally, Browne said. “This is very much a global market, with the ‘bad guys’ targeting IP addresses anywhere in the world,” he said. “Over the years, many have been heavily compromised, but, while their organisations have been broken up, the individuals involved are still criminals and they are still capable of conducting cyberattacks, so they tend to simply reform and go after smaller targets.” Criminals target smaller players While large corporations are more likely to have the financial means, technology and expertise to handle a sophisticated ransomware attack, the same cannot be said for many of their smaller counterparts. “Because of changes in the ecosystem, smaller companies are getting hit more often than bigger entities, which can afford to be prepared, are more resilient and much more able to deal with incidents when they occur,” Browne said. “So, [the hackers] are going after SMEs and individual companies, which might only net them a smaller ransom, but they are much more likely to be paid. “It is also easier. They don’t have to spend as much time navigating systems and don’t have to be as careful as they would with high-end security systems, so they can target more small companies. “Solicitors’ offices, for example, will often have sensitive data on file—so it is in their interest to pay not to have it released. “The criminals may also gain access to customer money sitting in a firm’s account over a weekend (for lodgement the following week), which makes them a target for other activities, such as fraud. “Of course, there have been some very high-profile attacks too, such as the Colonial Pipeline attack in the US, which took out a piece of physical infrastructure without actually damaging or physically affecting it. JBS Meats is another one and the HSE is probably the most well-known here in Ireland.” These ransomware attacks are happening “all the time”, said Browne, both in Ireland and elsewhere. “Just today, I’ve had reports of about 15 new ransomware attacks in Europe over a few days. We, in Ireland, are relatively lucky as we are something of a small player, but we are at risk nonetheless.” While criminal gangs are set to continue making money by hacking into IT systems, harvesting data and selling it on, or blackmailing companies into paying a ransom, Browne advises that there are steps SMEs can take to protect themselves from ransomware attacks. Effective security measures “We appreciate that many business owners are understandably nervous about the threat ransomware poses, but some straightforward security measures can be put in place to ensure that an organisation’s data and systems remain secure,” he said. “Some SMEs won’t have an IT system as it will be outsourced, so the first thing they need to do is to ask their vendor how prepared they are for dealing with this kind of thing.” At the very least, businesses should have two-factor identification on all of their online accounts—whether it be Facebook, Gmail or a financial services package. “It sounds simple, but, if everyone did this, it would dramatically reduce the amount of damage done,” said Browne. “After that, I would encourage firms to ensure their vendor has proper offline back-up and, internally, to decide that—on a specific day of the week—someone will be tasked with taking the external hard-drive, making a copy of it, and putting it away. “This way, they will have a secure offline system so, if they need to restore it after an incident, it can be done without taking down the company. “Beyond that, they should have an up-to-date antivirus system and ensure any vulnerabilities are patched up.” Making these provisions is becoming more essential for SMEs because ransomware, as Browne puts it, “isn’t going away”. “People need to be vigilant and governments need to do more to deal with it and ensure these guys don’t get paid, so that, eventually, it will become less prevalent,” he said. “That’s not going to happen overnight. It is going to continue to be an issue for some time. We all need to be aware and take steps to keep our systems secure.” For more advice and information, visit ncsc.gov.ie or garda.ie/en/crime/cyber-crime

In a candidate-led market, how an organisation is perceived can be critical to its ability to attract the very best professionals. Although employers can’t create their own brand, they can do a lot to influence it. Dr Mary E. Collins explains how When recruiting, your reputation or ‘employer brand’—the stand-out differentiator for your organisation—has never been more important. This renewed focus on employer brand can be attributed, in part, to the expectations of the younger generations, who are influenced by an organisation’s reputation and peer reviews. These reviews—and the perception of an employer’s brand they help perpetuate—are a key disruptive element in recruitment, particularly with the growth in influence of review and recruiting websites, such as Glassdoor and Indeed. The Labour Force Survey results from the Central Statistics Office for the second quarter of 2022 put the employment rate in Ireland among 15- to 64-year olds at 73.5 percent – a record high. In this context, an organisation’s ability to attract and retain talented professionals in a market at near full employment—one in which people naturally have greater choice—does more than allow it to compete. It affects its reputation among all stakeholders, from customers and clients to potential employees. What is an employer brand? The term ‘employer brand’ was coined in 1996 by Professor Tim Ambler of the London Business School, who defined it as “the package of functional, economic and psychological benefits provided by employment and identified with the employing company.” The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) defines an employer brand as “a set of attributes and qualities—often intangible—that makes an organisation distinctive, promises a particular kind of employment experience, and appeals to those people who will thrive and perform best in its culture.” It is important to note, however, that an employer brand is created by other people’s perceptions of an organisation. An employer cannot directly create its employer brand, it can only influence it. The power of employee review In the past, an employer brand (even if not described as such) was based mainly on the reputation of the employer, with very little influence from other sources. Now, with the growth of digital voices through social media and review websites, employees—past and present—are key players in the creation of employer brands. We have seen this particularly with employee reviews, which has been a major driver of change. People can post honest, anonymous reviews about their employers, describing the on-the-ground experience from an ‘insider’s perspective’. Faced with this, organisations must become more accountable for their behaviour—or risk being rejected by potential talent. Candidate-led recruitment In recent years, the approach to recruitment has shifted from ‘company-led’ to ‘candidate-led’, which is evident in the interview process alone. Employers are now reviewing their interview procedures, asking if they suit candidates, and asking recent hires what they would change about the experience. Company-led recruitment This is a top-down approach, where a position is advertised and candidates apply. The information shared about the advertised position is limited. The balance of power is with the hiring organisation. This approach is summed up by the interview question: “Now tell me, why should I hire you?” Candidate-led recruitment This flips the model by guiding potential candidates to make more informed decisions about whether to apply for a role. This approach encourages candidates to reflect on their ‘fit’ for the job by providing them with detailed information on the role and organisation prior to applying. Developing a strong employer brand There are eight key steps to developing a strong employer brand, which will give you a competitive advantage and set you apart in a crowded employment market. Step 1. Define your unique selling point Organisations invest resources in developing and promoting a unique selling point (USP) for their customers, clients and even potential employees. The USP is what makes an organisation distinct, setting it apart from its competitors. An employer’s USP will inform its employer brand, responding to candidates’ desires to join teams that share their priorities and values. This could be: “trusted advisor” “provider of excellent technical service” “friendly, responsive and flexible” “creative, cutting-edge and innovative” “award-winning agency” When defining or refining your employer brand, start by articulating your USP. Larger organisations may wish to engage specialist brand agencies, while SMEs can do this through insightful, exploratory conversations with their stakeholders. Ask your existing employees why they joined the organisation, for example, and what makes the business different to its competitors. You can also ask clients for testimonials which can be published online, thereby elevating your USP, not only to prospective clients, but also to future employees. Step 2. Communicate your purpose An organisation’s strategy is a core part of its employer brand and should be included in employer brand communications. Share strategy and purpose to attract the right people. For example, if the strategy is for growth, excellence and expertise, this needs to be represented in the offer to potential employees who are looking for new opportunities and a defined career trajectory. Step 3. Identify who you need to hire Define your recruitment needs. What are the skill sets you need to achieve your goals? Can they be introduced by training existing employees? Evidence of strong succession planning not only instils confidence in shareholders, but it also showcases your employer brand to current and prospective employees. Step 4. Understand your ideal candidates Find out as much as you can about your ideal candidates. What really motivates and excites them? What can you do to drive them to your organisation? The following can be used to source information on target and prospective candidates: LinkedIn Data can be captured on your target candidates’ education and qualifications, the professional bodies they are members of, and the LinkedIn groups they choose to join. Research Conduct research into new and existing workplace generations—what is the difference between Baby Boomers, Millennials and Generation Z? This will yield information on their motivators, drivers and values, which can inform your hiring strategy. Your team Talk to your existing high-performing employees to understand their interests, professional alignments, and networks. Your networks Use your own professional and social networks for further insights from outside your own organisation. Psychometric tools These can be used to track the personality traits and aptitudes of the best performers and can inform your thinking on ideal, as well as prospective, candidates. Step 5. Define your employer value proposition An organisation’s employer value proposition (EVP) is the distinct set of benefits (financial and otherwise) an employee receives in return for the skills, knowledge and experience they bring. The CIPD defines the EVP as “describ[ing] what an organisation stands for, requires and offers as an employer.” It provides greater consistency—to an organisation’s recruitment advertising, for example. Using the data gathering techniques described above at Step 4, you can develop a bespoke EVP for your ideal candidates. To create a successful EVP, consider the following: design around attributes that attract, engage and retain the talent you are seeking; be consistent with the strategic objectives of the organisation; identify what is unique to your organisation and distinct from your competitors’ offerings. The best EVPs involve synergies between the organisation’s corporate brand and its employer brand. Hubspot’s EVP, for example, states: “We believe the people we work with are our biggest perk. That’s why our people operations team works hard to create an amazing experience for candidates and employees, every step of the way.” As demonstrated by Hubspot’s EVP, it is important that current employees feel as much of a connection to the EVP as potential hires. Your current employees should feel aligned to your brand. Maintaining a strong employer brand demonstrates commitment to invest in talent, it builds trust, loyalty and credibility, and differentiates you from competitors. By making your EVP public and transparent, prospective employees are far more likely to trust what a company’s current employees say about it than what they read in recruitment advertising. To attract talent, employers must rely on employee engagement and advocacy from the ‘inside out.’ Employers cannot publicly offer what they do not privately provide. Step 6. Understand your employer brand As well as analysing feedback from current employees, a systematic way of evaluating your employer brand is to use a tool like the Employer Branding Measurement Dashboard, created by Elizabeth Lupfer of the Social Workplace (thesocialworkplace.com). It identifies key metrics for evaluating employer brand, such as: HR metrics, e.g. retention/attrition rates, number of applicants per position, cost per hire; awareness metrics, e.g. percentage of target audience who are aware of the organisation; differentiation metrics, e.g. employer brand value/effectiveness. Step 7. Enhance your employer brand There are some key areas of focus when enhancing your employer brand. It is particularly important when losing staff, or finding it hard to recruit new people, that each area is reviewed, and appropriate actions are taken. For example: Culture Consider a more ‘people-focused’ culture, e.g. offering flexible work arrangements. Presence in the marketplace Increase your visibility to ideal candidates: attend conferences, contribute to LinkedIn conversations, engage in expert positioning and thought leadership, enhance the organisation’s media presence. Candidates’ experience Improve response times to candidates, e.g. introduce a time limit to get back to candidates following an interview and stick to it. Step 8. Communicate your employer brand Communicating your EVP should be central to communicating your employer brand. This can be done through many channels, such as job advertisements, the organisation’s website, or its social media platforms, for example. The EVP should be obvious from the organisation’s website, which should clearly reflect the company’s culture. For example, if ‘technical excellence’ is one of the key aspects of the employer brand, show this with examples of technical projects and thought leadership. Ideally, the website should have a ‘Why work for us’ page, which is most effective when current employees share their positive experiences, highlighting the EVP. Clearly communicate the benefits you offer employees, for example: flexible working arrangements; training and development supports; annual and other leave schemes; pension schemes and employer contributions; health insurance group schemes and contributions. Conclusion For employers seeking to attract talented professionals, a clear employer brand, which is supported by the views of current employees, is a critical starting point. A strong employer brand gives you a competitive advantage, setting you apart in a competitive, candidate-led employment market. Dr Mary E. Collins is a Chartered Psychologist and Senior Executive Development Specialist at the RCSI Institute of Leadership, and author of Recruiting Talented People.