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Diversity and Inclusion Inis Meáin on the Aran Islands in early September, and students from Coláiste Naomh
Gender equality isn’t something for women; it benefits everyone.” Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar P10
“It’s important to manage your emotional health, and to look out for others” Cindy O’Shea P14
Together we can Open Doors to Work Dalata Hotel Group are proud to be a founding member of Open Doors. We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace that provides a pathway for marginalised groups in our communities.
Will you join us?
To get involved & find out more on Open Doors contact
sotoole@dalatahotelgroup.com
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READ MORE ON BUSINESSNEWS.IE LGBT IRELAND give their advice on how to create an inclusive environment for LGBT+ employees
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explore how you can support those with disabilities in the workplace
introduce the women at the forefront of the technology industry
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Coders with autism pave the way for more inclusive workplaces John Ryan, CEO, Great Place to Work, Ireland
Diversity and inclusivity may well be words that strike fear into employers. John Ryan, CEO of Great Place To Work, says improving diversity of minds is a good place to start.
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he words ‘diversity’ and ‘inclusion’ can be misinterpreted as being the same thing. For an organisation tasked with improving on both fronts, becoming more diverse is by far and away an easier task than being truly inclusive of the personnel they bring in. Being inclusive of who people are, then moving on to building Follow us
a more diverse workplace is a far more effective way for businesses to operate, according to Ryan. “If you see people purely as a set of skills, you’re missing out on the essence of who they are as individual human beings. That’s a really huge loss for an organisation.” Ryan’s argument is based on the premise that, if inclusivity is absent in an organisation, its employees will inevitably end up being less innovative and creative. Your workplace should reflect your market Diversity, similarly, is often dismissed as a tick box exercise, with organisations completing a
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demographic assessment before deciding how they should recruit. “Diversity is a mindset – not a tick box. It’s relishing the fact that, if you want to be relevant to your marketplace, your workforce has to reflect your marketplace.” It’s good to have different mindsets on your team ‘Cognitive diversity’, according to Ryan, simply means employing people who think and operate differently to ourselves. SAP, a software company who now look to employ 10% of their workforce from people on the autistic spectrum, have seen employees with autism flourish
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and repay the faith shown by their employer. Ryan recognises the need to adopt tailored management approaches that meet the needs of various individuals within an organisation in order to effect inclusivity, and hopes this will pave the way for similar initiatives. “They’re not doing it to be nice. They’re doing it because it has genuinely been brilliant for their organisation.” James Alder
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1. Send a clear message from the top Being inclusive goes beyond just following laws or guidelines. Make it clear that diversity is encouraged in the organisation. Don’t assume that people know where you stand on LGBT+ issues.
Students driving equality Aisling Cusack Vice President of Equality and Citizenship, Union of Students in Ireland
2. Educate yourself and your team Learn about the entire spectrum of LGBT+ identities. You might not encounter every type of LGBT+ person in your company, but understanding each sexual orientation and gender identity and recognising that all are important is a fundamental step towards LGBT+inclusivity. Scheduling a diversity and inclusion training session might be a good way to start on this.
3. Ensure company policies are fully inclusive of LGBT+ people Policies should explicitly mention LGBT+ people. This includes pensions, health insurance and policies around family, bereavement and leave. Consider offering adoption assistance and parental leave for both partners, as well as transgender specific medical coverage for all employees.
4. Communicate your values Work towards making workplace communication more inclusive. Get in the habit of using gender-neutral language when you don’t know someone, and don’t make assumptions about the gender of employees’ partners. Challenge transphobic, homophobic, and biphobic language.
5. Make LGBT+ inclusivity an ongoing and participatory process Talk with your employees, both LGBT+ and non-LGBT+, and discuss what inclusivity should look like in your company. Develop a strategy together and ensure that the views of your employees are represented.
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How to create an LGBT+ inclusive workplace
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The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) represent 374,000 students across Ireland. Founded in 1959, the USI have always been at the forefront of equality campaigns in Ireland, calling out inequalities and striving to eradicate the forms of marginalisation in our campuses, societies and communities.
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e are proud of our diverse membership and work on behalf of students to address the injustices happening around us. The history of the student movement is a proud one as the USI have actively campaigned for decades on issues such as marriage equality, reproductive healthcare, rights for the LGBT+ community and equity of access to education. In 1992, USI Pink Training was established and has since grown to be the largest LGBT+ training event of its kind in Europe. The event brings together hundreds of LGBT+ students and their allies to get informed about their rights, their access to power and what they can do to bring about positive change in Irish society. We published Foclóir Aiteach/The Queer Dictionary The USI campaign for transgender healthcare, gender-neutral bathrooms and published A Foclóir Aiteach/The Queer Dictionary. The Foclóir Aiteach was launched alongside the Transgender Equality Network of Ireland (TENI) and BelongTo as a project that would allow everyone to recognise themselves and be able to describe themselves in the Irish language. Empowering women to lead Gender equality and representation for women has always been an important issue for USI. Despite forming a majority of students in higher and further education, women are underrepresented in positions in educational institutions and students’ unions. Women’s representation in colleges and students’ unions is vital to women’s equality and to overcoming the inequality and discrimination that women face in our society.
Recognising this lack of female representation in both student politics and politics as a whole, USI initiated the Women Lead project, which works to increase female participation and representation in student politics and leadership roles in student societies. The project supports and empowers selfdefining women candidates to run for election and has been running for four years. Students for choice A recent victory for the student movement – and Ireland – was the successful repeal of the eighth Amendment of Bunreacht na hÉireann. The USI have campaigned for rights to reproductive healthcare for decades, with student officers fighting for access to information on abortion services in the early 1990s and being dragged through the courts as a consequence. As an all-island organisation, the USI will continue to campaign for full reproductive healthcare services until anyone who needs an abortion in Ireland, north or south of the border, can get the healthcare they need as they need it. Supporting students with disabilities In 2018, the first USI National Conference for Students Living with Disabilities was held in Dublin. This event brought together students from around the country who come from a spectrum of experiences. USI partnered with the Association for Higher Education Access and Disability (AHEAD) for this conference and the Vice President for Equality and Citizenship is a board member of the organisation. Through engagement with students with disabilities, and working with leading organisations, USI will continue to push for a more universal design learning approach in our third-level institutions that will benefit the growing diversity of the student population.
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Boosting LGBT+ representation in our staff We realised that our LGBT+ staff were not visible, so we’ve built an LGBT+ network, led by LGBT+ staff to fix that.
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n 2016, our university formed a campus-wide committee to focus its work on equality, diversity and inclusion. This committee recognised the need to increase the engagement of the university with its LGBT+ staff and students. While there has been wonderful support of LGBT+ students thanks to the work of our LGBT+ student society, GigSoc, and the Students' Union, the lack of visibility of LGBT+ staff at the time was stark in contrast. After a number of scoping meetings, it was agreed that an LGBT+ staff network led by LGBT+ staff was the best way of tackling this issue. What progress have you seen? I'm very proud of what our network
achieved in its first year. Immediately, we raised the Pride flag outside the main university building for the first time and marched on behalf of the university at Galway Pride. We also held a number of successful events including a celebration of LGBT+ STEM Day, a fundraiser for Galway Pride, and an exhibition of the National LGBT Federation's Road to Equality collection. What difficulties have you faced during this time? The most challenging aspect of developing the LGBT+ staff network is having enough time to devote to it. There are eight of us on the committee, and we all have demanding roles in the university. So, while we would love to achieve even more for our LGBT+ colleagues and students, we have to be realistic about what is possible.
Dr Chris Noone Lecturer, School of Psychology, NUI Galway
What are the next steps for the network? We are very excited about the imminent launch of our new Ally Programme for NUI Galway. This programme will allow any staff member to identify themselves as an ally to the LGBT+ community and we have developed a range of ways for people to be visible allies, such as lanyards, badges and stickers. We hope that seeing the symbol of our Ally Programme will be a reminder to all LGBT+ people on campus that they are welcome and valued. Any advice for other organisations developing an LGBT+ network? Make sure your network steering group reflects the diversity of your organisation; not just in terms of sexual identity, but in terms of
other important considerations such as gender identity and ethnicity. Otherwise, only a narrow section of the community will feel represented.
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Having taken three years out to look after her two young children before finding her current role, McCooey had “personal experience with what it is like to come back after an extended period… It’s not always easy.” This personal experience and passion to address issues of inclusion, diversity and the gender imbalance has lead to McCooey being a leader in ethical practice and recruitment.
Sharon McCooey Head of LinkedIn Ireland
There is a strong financial argument for diversity in the workplace with studies indicating that companies with a diverse workforce are 35% more productive and, for every 10% extra of gender balance achieved in a company, the profitability will rise by 3.5%.
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It's good business to educate young people about the world of work Moira Horgan Head of Marketing, Business in the Community, Ireland
Businesses that work with young people are opening up an important new pipeline of diverse talent, says Moira Horgan, Head of Marketing, Business in the Community, Ireland.
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vidence shows that a diverse workforce is more productive and performs better financially. But there's another compelling reason why companies need to create and nurture a pipeline of diverse talent. Customers are more multicultural — so businesses need their workforces to reflect that reality. ‘Diversity and inclusion’ isn't just about culture or gender. It's also about bringing in people from different backgrounds and levelling the playing field for everyone. Companies are fighting for talent so, to ensure we are able to build capacity in business, we have to create a 'non-traditional' talent pipeline. Demystifying the workplace for young people Partnering schools with businesses is a way to do this and, to date, our organisation has matched hundreds of schools with businesses all over Ireland. The result can be, for example, company visits, placements and mentoring programmes that give primary and post-primary level young people a view of what it's really like to be in the workplace. It opens up their horizons and demystifies the world of work, especially if they come from families that aren't in employment. Before they go through the doors of a business, young people may have preconceptions about it. Yet when they're there, they think: 'Wow... I can do this, too!' or 'I want to work here.' It's beneficial for them — and for the companies who have discovered a potential new talent pool. Tony Greenway
Are you afraid of gender diversity at senior levels? Diversity and inclusion at senior levels is advancing, albeit slowly, says Gillian Harford, Country Executive at 30% Club, Ireland. Here's how to speed up the process.
Gillian Harford Country Executive, 30% Club, Ireland
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hen I started my first job, nearly 40 years ago, there was an expectation that gender diversity issues in the workplace would just advance naturally over time. But, for a long time, things really hadn't changed very much. In the last five years, though, I'm pleased to say there has been a dramatic change. Organisations are talking about gender and diversity much more — and more importantly from a business perspective, rather than just an HR or social perspective. Why is it important that women are represented at leadership level? Because it makes for better business. Women make up 50% of the world's population, so why would you discount 50% of the talent available to you? Also, senior thought leadership needs to reflect all of your customer base, which usually includes women. Organisations with better diversity of thought outperform. My advice to women in business To women, I'd say: 'Be yourself. Don't try to be someone else to fit in. Have the confidence to talk about what you're great at, and take risks every now and again. It's also really important to make the most of networking and sponsorship to help you develop a network that’s critical to success in senior roles.’
My advice to men in business To men I'd say: ‘Don't be afraid of gender diversity. Don't think that for women to gain, men have to lose. It's not a zero-sum game because increasing the talent pool works for everyone. Step up and take family leave if it's something that’s important to you. Be brave, honest — and supportive’. My advice to organisations And to organisations I'd say: ‘Think about your policies and processes and push as far as you can with agile working, family leave and mentoring and sponsoring initiatives. Think about talent and succession planning initiatives in a more inclusive way. Create a climate where people are judged on what they do, not what they are. People ask me: 'How will we know when we have real diversity and inclusion in the workplace?' I tell them: 'When we don't have to talk about it.' We'll just have great organisations where everyone can be themselves and be recognised for talent, contribution and diversity of their input. Tony Greenway
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“There is now real momentum behind gender diversity” This CEO tells us of her rise to the top, what businesses can do to support female employees — and why diversity and inclusion is a passion for her. Did Kari Daniels feel she was a natural born leader? “No, I didn't, is the honest answer,” she laughs. Thinking back, I did every sports event going at school and liked being part of a team.
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hen I got into the working world, I enjoyed working in a team, collaborating, making a plan, then cracking on and delivering it. That felt energising.” Still, any leadership ambitions she had were entirely subconscious, she insists. Nevertheless, leadership is where Daniels has ended up. Last September, she became the first ever female CEO of Tesco Ireland. Since joining the organisation in 2002, she has taken the opportunity to get as much experience as she could in a variety of senior commercial and marketing roles in the UK and Europe, including Director of Brand in Tesco UK's Customer team and Commercial Director for Packaged Foods in the UK. “Moving around the business was a chance to learn and network,” she says. More representative of customers Obviously, it's hugely positive that a woman is now at the top of Tesco
Ireland. But it's taken a long time for it to happen. Why does she think that is? “That's a big question,” she muses. “We've gone through a lot of changes in the last four years and the executive team certainly see opportunities around inclusivity. That's not exclusively about gender: it's about being more representative of the customers we serve.” Daniels is by no means the only woman in Tesco's top tier. In fact, 60% of the Irish leadership team is female. Plus, over 50% of colleagues, both in Tesco head office and in stores are female. “It does need driving from the top, but I feel there's now real momentum behind gender diversity. It's not just us, either. Lots of our suppliers are putting diversity and inclusion high on their agendas and have targets and measures in place, so I sense real progress on this front. “We're also being more celebratory about diversity and inclusion. For example, our company has the largest LGBT+ network in Europe; and we sponsor Pride in Ireland, the UK and other countries. That visibility is really positive in my view.” Flexible working to support families Like most women, Daniels has had to overcome various career barriers and is determined to make it easier
for those coming up the ladder behind her. “I have two boys,” she says. “I know the juggling it takes, especially when children are young; although that goes for men, too. And it's particularly difficult in retail where hours are long and often demanding. “So, we're looking at how we can be more supportive, for example, giving people more flexibility and work life balance because we know people have family commitments.” “We're also looking at what we can do to help colleagues better manage stress and pressure and generally live healthier lives; and how we can support women and men to develop the careers they want, throughout the business.”
Kari Daniels CEO, Tesco Ireland
“Don't masquerade and try to be what you think people want you to be,” says Daniels. “I believe that being myself is a value that helped me through the business. I'd also encourage anyone to seize opportunities when they arise. That's what I did, and it gave me invaluable experience. Lastly — and I tell this to anyone coming into our organisation — you have to remember that a career is about playing a long game. Some people are in a rush to rise through the ranks; but I say, enjoy every role you have, get the most out of it, do the best job and in the long-term, you'll have the career you want. Keep learning and keep being curious.” Tony Greenway
Making the most of opportunities Mentoring can help in this regard, she says. “In my experience, it was useful having a mentor whenever I transitioned into a new role. And I've been a mentor myself and always ended up learning something through the process. So I would encourage people to mentor, be a good role model and support the next generation.” She stops to think about what she has learned over the years and has three pieces of advice for aspiring leaders. The first is, 'be your best self'.
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Here at Stryker, Companies who want their employees to be properly invested in what they do must ďŹ rst prove they have everyone’s wellbeing at heart. One organisation has been doing just that with a range of initiatives that promote diversity, inclusion and a strong sense of belonging among all its people — and the wider community.
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anagers recognise the value of diversity and inclusion, but embracing it is still aspirational, according to a recent article in the Harvard Business Review by Mackenzie and Correll[1]. At some companies, employees feel like they have to change to ďŹ t in and if that is the case, the company isn’t embracing diversity. At Stryker, it isn’t aspirational - people don’t have to change to ďŹ t in. Here it is about belonging: closely examining and broadening the deďŹ nitions of success and celebrating what each person adds. “Here, at Stryker, we embrace that approach.
Our teams feel encouraged and supported in what they bring through their varied and diverse backgrounds and experiences. Our employees have a strong sense of belonging; they don’t have to adjust to ďŹ t in. We welcome people for who they are, and celebrate what they bring. “ Here, we take a look at the contributions of some of the AMazing Additive team‌ 7UtRQD .HQQHG\ 0DQDJHU %XVLQHVV DQG 3URFHVV 'HYHORSPHQW 6WU\NHU
[1] DIVERSITY. TWO POWERFUL WAYS MANAGERS CAN CURB IMPLICIT BIAS, BY LORI MACKENZIE AND SHELLEY CORRELL, OCTOBER 01, 2018, HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW HTTPS://HBR.ORG/2018/10/TWO-POWERFUL-WAYS-MANAGERS-CAN-CIURB-IMPLICIT-BIASES
DISABILITY & EQUALITY “I’ve been working on a programme that matches mentors at Stryker with UCC undergraduate students with a disability. The idea is that students can take the opportunity to beneďŹ t from their mentors’ experience and be better prepared to transition to the workplace. “Mentoring is beneďŹ cial for the students — but it’s beneďŹ cial for the company, too. We all
“When you consider that 10% of people living in Ireland have a disability — ranging from physical impairments to learning difficulties, mental health issues to spectrum disorders — it’s an issue that is close to everyone in the country.� “Over the past 18 months, we’ve focused on making improvements in the area of disability, both within Stryker and in the wider community.
We are focusing on a person’s ability rather than their disability. Through the creation of an inclusive working environment and on-site mentoring, Stryker is working towards ensuring every team member, regardless of (dis)ability, is supported to be as successful as they can be in the company.� “We are always looking for the best talent to grow our
have certain preconceptions about disabilities. If we don’t understand it, we’re worried that we might say the wrong thing or do the wrong thing. So the mentors themselves are being challenged about their preconceptions — and learning from the experience.� Also, having a diverse workforce is reflective of society. If a company is going to close itself off to that, then
business and we need to be as open as possible to all sorts of diversity; from diversity of thought, to diversity of experience, to diversity of background and education.� 3DWULFN 2¡%ULHQ 6HQLRU 2SHUDWLRQV 0DQDJHU 6WU\NHU
it’s closing itself off to how the world works. People with a disability make a real, positive, tangible difference to a company. 6KD\ 1RODQ &DUHHUV $GYLVRU WR 6WXGHQWV ZLWK 'LVDELOLWLHV 8QLYHUVLW\ &ROOHJH &RUN
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MENTAL WELLBEING Karen: “Supporting the wellbeing of employees in a number of areas — physical, mental and emotional — is a huge part of the company’s ethos. Our initiatives in this area include free healthcare, 24/7 counselling and advisory service, and an annual mental health week where speakers are invited to raise awareness of the topic by sharing their own mental
health experiences.” Eileen: “In a fast-paced society, we strongly believe it’s important to pause from time to time to invest in your wellbeing. That’s why we have a healthy walkway on site, and after running mindfulness workshops we also introduced yoga sessions.”
more open about mental health issues. It’s good that people feel able to come to us to ask for help or advice — either for themselves or for someone else.” .DUHQ 2·'ULVFROO DQG Eileen Leahy Occupational Health Nurses, Stryker
Karen: “I think society is
CULTURAL DIVERSITY Cultural diversity often brings together diversity of thought, which occurs when different people from different backgrounds get together. It’s definitely not — or shouldn’t be — a box-ticking exercise. It’s not about saying: ‘Look at us! We employ five people from this country and five people from that country.’ Rather it’s about appreciating where all people come from and what they
contribute to an organisation.” “Stryker’s additive manufacturing is a disruptive innovation - In times of disruption, you need diverse perspectives to explore different ways forward. That’s hugely beneficial for a company, because — thanks to their different backgrounds — colleagues will have different opinions and different, unusual ideas, which maybe noone had thought of before.”
“It’s tempting for people to remain in their comfort zone and mix with people who are similar to them. But if you have a conversation with someone who has a different view to yours, it can bring you closer together and help generate better ideas.” Eva Schuh Associate HR Manager, Stryker
“For me, cultural diversity is about celebrating different backgrounds, life experiences and even skills. By hiring people from different countries and cultures, our company found it was able to tap into a wider talent pool. But we very quickly saw other benefits because different people from different backgrounds have a variety of different perspectives. That’s really helpful,
especially when it comes to driving innovation.” “At our additive manufacturing facility in Cork, we 3D print medical devices and implants, using groundbreaking technology. In fact, because the technology is so new, we’re sometimes confronted with challenges we’ve never encountered before. It’s important to have a diverse team dealing with those
issues because it helps us achieve better, more innovative results.” Eileen Nyhan Recruitment Specialist, Stryker
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Speaking at the Congress of Women’s Caucuses, An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar said: I think how much better the course of Irish history might have gone if there had been women around the Cabinet table through the decades. One hundred years ago, Constance Markievicz became the first woman elected to the British House of Commons, and she became the first woman cabinet minister in the first Irish parliament in January 1919.
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e had to wait 60 years for the second. I think how much better the course of Irish history might have gone if there had been women around the Cabinet table through the decades. We spend a lot of time in Ireland at the moment apologising and atoning for things that happened in the past. And I can’t help thinking that some of those things might have happened differently or perhaps not at all HAD there been women sitting around that table. In the history of the Irish state, only 19 women have been cabinet ministers; four of them are in the government I lead. That must change and that will change. You all know the barriers women face before they can have full and equal participation in the political process. Selection committees and money are two obstacles. Lack of encouragement leading to a lack of confidence is another. We also know that women with childcare and other caring responsibilities have barriers in the
way of a political career. We need a change in our culture as well as a change in our policies In other countries, for example, it’s possible for women and men to take a year out to take care of their newborn children, with their substitute on their parliamentary list replacing them. To do so in Ireland would require modification of our electoral system, but is perhaps something we could consider, and which I think would be of benefit to women, to men and to society.
Gender equality benefits everyone Gender equality isn’t something for women; it benefits everyone. We get better results when there is a diversity of views around the table. Part of the solution is reducing the barriers faced by many mothers working outside the home. It’s why the Irish government introduced two years of free preschool, childcare subsidies, longer maternity leave and paid paternity leave. We recognised that all these things made it easier for people to advance. They help women and men and reflect our idea of what a 21st century society should look like.
In the history of the Irish state,only 19 women have been cabinet ministers; four of them are in the government I lead
Paid parental leave for dads, too This is only the start, but is a good start. The next step is to create a system of paid parental leave to allow both mothers and fathers to spend more time with their children in the first stages of their life. Of course, men must be more willing to take on more caring roles, more so than has been the case in the past.
I think we could perhaps give consideration to having job sharing roles in government, which is something that is increasingly common in private industry and the public service.
State boards must have 40% female presence Visibility really matters. How often do you see a public platform where all the speakers are men? What message does that send to the young women in the audience - that men can aspire to lead, and women
should aspire to listen? What message does it send to young men? It’s something that needs to change. It’s why we have a target for our State boards. At least 40% of the members of our boards must be women. Focused action achieves results. As of July 2018, women make up 40.6% of members of our State boards in Ireland. And that trend is going upwards all the time. In fact, 52% of appointees through the PAS system to State Boards in the last year were female – the first time there was a female majority in appointments to State Board. And almost 40% of the most senior positions in our Civil Service, at the rank of Secretary General and Assistant Secretary General, were female in the last year. However, the figures for the business sector are not so encouraging. Women constitute only 18.1% of members of the boards of leading Irish companies. I want this figure to increase significantly. So, the government has established a business-led initiative entitled, Better Balance for Better Business, to promote greater gender balance in business leadership. It’s about changing the mindset and changing the culture.
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A culture of diversity, openness and inclusion is not just good for our society, it’s also really good for business too. A variety of voices around the table and a diversity of life experiences make for better decision making and a more ce vibrant workplace
Leo Varadkar Taoiseach
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Engineering is Connecting Women for everyone in Technology Gender imbalance has been an historic issue in engineering, not just in Ireland but internationally.
Connecting Women in Technology (CWIT) is a volunteer organisation of 18 technology companies in Ireland. CWIT’s vision is to harness the power of the collective voice of the technology industry in Ireland, in order to attract more females into careers in technology and provide opportunities to retain and promote those already working in technology sector. Here, we meet some of the women working at forefront of the industry:
Caroline Spillane Director General, Engineers Ireland
Just 16% of engineering graduates are women, with the overall ratio currently just one woman to eight men in the engineering profession, according to Engineers Ireland’s Engineering 2018 report.
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ridging the gender gap continues to be one of the biggest challenges facing the profession, notes Caroline Spillane, Director General of Engineers Ireland. “With just 12% of engineering professionals in Ireland currently female, women very much remain an untapped resource in the sector. “Most of society’s biggest challenges will require interdisciplinary solutions and the combined mind-power of women and men working together. It is very much in the engineering profession’s interests that we better bridge this gender gap to harness the abundance of skills that are now the hallmark of our female graduates.” Engineers Ireland is a leading advocate for STEM education and engineering career pathways through its STEPS programme.
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Anne Kirwan First Officer, Aer Lingus
Gender balance in the piloting world is finally showing signs of improving Nine out of ten airline pilots are men. Yet, Anne Kirwan has never felt at a disadvantage for being a female pilot. She tells us why, if you’re good enough, being a woman will not hold you back. Some people know exactly what they want to do from a young age; I wasn’t one of them. I was well in to my late teens before I discovered that I loved flying. Once I’d learned a bit about what a job as a pilot offered, I was hooked.
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family friend used to be a long-haul pilot. He would fly to glamourous locations all over the world and I just loved everything about it. Even now, hundreds of flights into my career, I still love the thrill of flying. Girls just aren’t shown examples of women flying planes I think there’s a lack of exposure to female pilots, so girls might not even consider it as a career option. I’d like to help change that. The outdated attitudes of ‘men do this, and women do that’ are dissipating, but that doesn’t happen overnight. We proactively encourage female
applicants for all levels of pilot roles. Hopefully it’ll encourage more young women and girls to realise that being a pilot isn’t out of reach for them.We have a strong heritage of supporting female pilots and were the first airline in Europe to employ a female pilot, Gráinne Cronin. Currently, we employ twice as many female pilots when compared with the international airline industry average. Financially, it’s a genderneutral playing field The financial challenge of training to be a pilot is the same for everyone, regardless of your gender. Taking the plunge to go through your commercial flight training isn’t a risk everyone is comfortable with. In that respect, I’ve never felt at a disadvantage as a woman. It’s a level playing field financially. One option that aspiring pilots should consider is the Aer Lingus Future Pilot Programme – which
is one of very few fully-sponsored, fully-mentored training platform for aspiring pilots run by commercial airlines globally. How did your school subjects help you pursue this career? I chose my subjects based on what I enjoyed and what I was good at, rather than what might help me for the future; I wasn’t sure what I wanted to be! Application of knowledge, no matter what that knowledge is, is a statement of intent that employers will take note of, so that was my focus. I then went onto a science degree, which was quite open-ended in terms of what I could go into at the end of it. That was perfect for me. It possibly wasn’t the most logical of next steps in terms of then becoming a pilot, but I loved it. It proved my ability to apply myself to an end goal and demonstrate discipline, which I could transfer to any future role.
What’s your advice to young girls considering career options? My advice would be that self-belief will carry you a long way. You’ve only got one life; you’ve got to live it exactly as you want to. Don’t feel boxed into doing one thing or the other. You have so many options. I always say, if you really want to do something, give it everything. You may look back and say, ‘Well, that didn’t work out’, but at least you can say you tried. James Alder
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Tips for supporting people with disabilities in the workplace 1. If you work in the private sector, you can get funding via the Workplace Adaptation Grant to adapt the workplace to make it suitable for your employees’ needs. Funding could cover building modifications such as ramps or modified toilets, alarm systems with flashing lights or equipment adaptation such as screen reading or speech recognition software.
2. Microsoft, Apple and Google have worked hard to ensure that their products are accessible. As a result, Windows, Apple OS and Android OS have many free, built-in accessibility features that enable people with a range of disabilities to get on with their work without having to purchase specialised assistive technologies (AT). Examples include screen magnification and screen reading features built into mobile devices such as smart phones and tablets.
3. A lot of AT is available off-the-shelf or as part of commonly-used software packages, e.g. alternative keyboards and mice, speech recognition software, screen reading software, and literacy support software. Other, lesscommonly used but no less powerful solutions include eye gaze technologies, which enable an employee to control their computer using eye movements alone.
4. Diversity and inclusion training courses should include content on disability and the role of AT in supporting people with disabilities in employment. Enable Ireland offers disability equality training to employers.
5. The Employer Disability Information Service is a confidential information and advice service for employers on the recruitment, employment and retention of people with disabilities. It includes comprehensive information on supports and funding available and best practice guidance.
Read more at enableireland.ie/at
It’s important to talk about your emotions “I felt cloudy, confused, detached, was crying and miserable… Samaritans give me hope that my circumstances can change… I guess I feel someone’s on my side,” a Samaritans caller. Cindy O’Shea Irish Regional Director, Samaritans
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ife can be tough and at times our emotions can be overwhelming, particularly in work when people are increasingly under pressure to meet deadlines and targets. There are many ways that someone who is struggling at home or in work can support themselves, including talking through their troubles. A recent study by the Economic and Social Research Institute found job stress among Irish employees doubled in five years, from 8% in 2010 to 17% in 2015. Workers were more likely to be stressed by emotional demands and exposure to bullying, harassment and mistreatment than their European peers. Cindy O’Shea, Samaritans Irish Regional Director, says, “It’s important to manage your emotional health and to look out for others before you, or they, reach crisis point. “Some people need extra support at times in their life and that’s nothing to be ashamed of. They could be facing a new difficulty, or may have been struggling to cope for some time. Either way, they may need emotional support to help them through,” she says. “Unfortunately, some people do not have the support of friends or family they can turn to. Others do, but find that talking to someone neutral can be beneficial. That’s why Samaritans are there. “For 60 years, people have been talking to us, in their own way, about whatever’s getting to them. Samaritans provide a 24-hour helpline, email and text service for people who are in distress or struggling to cope. Volunteers answered 625,000 calls in Ireland in 2017.
One in five callers say they feel suicidal People get in touch for many reasons including job or exam related stress, relationship and family problems, bullying, bereavement, financial worries, depression, anxiety, loneliness and isolation. Only one person in five who calls Samaritans actually say they feel suicidal. While you can’t really generalise how struggling to cope can make you feel or act, O’Shea says there are signs that you – or a relative, friend or colleague – may be suffering in silence. Signs of poor emotional wellbeing include: • Lacking energy or feeling tired, restless, agitated or tearful • Not wanting to talk to or be with people, or avoiding things you usually enjoy • Using alcohol or drugs to cope with feelings • Finding it hard to manage everyday things “Many people find talking to someone else is the best way to get help, as you will feel more able to cope with your feelings and are more likely to find a way forward. It just needs to be someone you trust,” O’Shea added.
Read more at businessnews.ie
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