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Directory
Richard McQuillen
Clonmel, Tipperary, ROI Diversiton Ireland One of the hallmarks of businesses and organisations that wish to be recognised as the ‘employer of choice’ within their sectors and communities for the future in Ireland, will be the level of support and investment in diversity within their workforce. In the present environment of almost full employment, Organisations that harness the full richness of the diversity within their workforce in this ‘New Ireland’, will inevitably gain a significant competitive advantage in the market place. Similarly businesses and organisations that recognise the true value and contribution that older recruits can bring to the organisation by valuing their wealth of experience will also be significantly enhanced, as will those that provide opportunities in which the unique talents of people with disabilities are harnessed. At the same time increased testing and understanding of Equality Legislation is driving inclusivity and need for employers and their managers to rethink not only the norms and values of the workplace but the necessity to view competitiveness from a whole new perspective. These changing demographics, as with all the other external environmental factors that impact on key business and organisation strategies, can present either an opportunity or a threat. The key to this is learning to know and appreciate the potential of this diversity in the workplace and understanding how to harness it for competitive advantage. The Opportunities Organisations that fully harness the strengths and experiences of its diverse workforce with all its differing views and beliefs, will become a much more powerful force than one that continues to manage as if it is still mono-ethnic and homogenous. By definition immigrants are survivors. They have survived because they have the courage, ingenuity and creativity to have done so. The challenge for organisations is to fully and effectively integrate these newly arrived immigrants into their workforce and if they do so, they will reap the benefits of the qualities and experience they bring with them. Similarly organisations that recognise the true value and contribution that older recruits can bring to the organisation by valuing their wealth of experience will also be significantly enhanced, as will those that provide opportunities in which the unique talents of people with disabilities are harnessed and focussed. About Us DIVERSITON is Europe’s leading provider of diversity training resources for organisations – with information on the leading EU legislation, good practice checklists, award winning training courses and local consulting support. We specialise in ‘Religion and Belief in the Workplace’, ‘Disability Equality’ and ‘Age Diversity’, working with employers to raise awareness, build confidence and develop capacity in their organisation to meet individual needs. DIVERSITON IRELAND provides a wide range of consulting support services for Private and Public Sector Businesses, Organisations and Community Groups to proactively address Diversity issues thereby contributing to and enhancing quality of life and overall effectiveness. To support this, DIVERSITON IRELAND has also developed a broad modular Diversity Training programme to help those responsible begin to understand areas not normally covered on management development programmes, such as: Religion and Belief, Age, Disabilities, Culture etc. This will enable them to address these issues and enable them to capitalise on the opportunity and to leverage this new ‘fresh’ motivated source of skills, experience, innovation and creativity thereby making the organisation even more competitive in today’s challenging environment. Our Team Richard McQuillen
During his broad ranging career Richard has also taken the opportunity to carry out personal research in the various religions and beliefs in the 7 different countries in which he has lived and he has travelled extensively within the regions whilst resident to broaden his understanding of the cultural differences. He has extensive business and organisation start-up experience and is a qualified Industrial Engineer and a member of APICS (the American Production and Inventory Control Institute). The blue chip companies Richard has worked for include Digital Equipment, Sun Microsystems, Xilinx Corporation etc., and he has also served on the Boards and supported the growth and success of a wide variety of early stage founder led companies in Ireland and abroad. Jimmy Ryan
Jimmy’s experience includes Strategic Planning, Operational Planning and implementation of business and organisation performance improvement systems in privately owned growth enterprises, facilitation of strategic review and development of corporate plans, organisation structures and human resource plans including needs assessment, training and development for private and public sector organisations, businesses and voluntary and community organisation, project management of international and local property and facility development projects, working with development agencies such as IDA, Enterprise Ireland, various Leader Groups and County Enterprise Boards. Prior to consulting, Jimmy has almost twenty years of engineering and general management experience in a range of diverse senior management positions spanning design, operations, logistics, human resources, training and organisation development, construction and project management in companies such as Digital Equipment Corporation, White Young Petrochemicals and ABB (Ireland). He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development, a Member of the Irish Institute of Training and Development, an Incorporated Engineer, a member of the Institute of Engineering Designers, a member of Irish Property and Facility Managers Association. Jimmy is also a member of the FÁS/EI National Register of Trainers. Service & Programmes Religion and Belief The half day course provides valuable and practical support to develop greater awareness of religious diversity issues, create confidence and build capacity in your organisation to deal with individual needs – such as holidays, food, prayer, dress, etc.. The training specifically addresses the compliance requiremenst with the latest Employment Equality legislation in Ireland. The course has received the Diversity 21 Award for training. Key Topics
Age Diversity in the WorkplaceThis one day course comprehensively addresses the actions required to ensure full compliance with the current Employment Equality legislation as it pertains to Age Discrimination. The programme also provides practical suggestions on how to develop a workplace that is attractive and responsive to the needs of all workers irrespective of age. Key Topics
Upcoming Special Events National Diversity Conference 1st Annual National Diversity Awards DIVERSITY IN IRELAND IN 2007The demographics of the population of the Republic of Ireland has changed dramatically since the early 1990’s caused in the main part by the economic success of the ‘Celtic Tiger’ and the enlargement of the European Union. More recently it is also beginning to reflect the impact of increased longevity and the realisation that many more people are both willing and able to remain active contributors in the workforce and play a significant roles in the competitiveness of large and small enterprises. Following decades of net emigration since the mid 1800’s, Ireland now is in a situation of net immigration with a population increase of 20% since 1991. Some of this is due to returning Irish emigrants, but a significant proportion are immigrants from all over the world attracted to bring their skills and experience to participate in the outstanding economic success of the ‘New Ireland’. Similarly in an Ireland beginning to come to grips with the implications of significantly increased longevity and the recent “discovery” of what has been described as “a pension time bomb” the continuing availability of a broad range of knowledge and experience beyond the conventional retirement age is emerging as a source of hitherto untapped potential for businesses. SOME DEMOGRAPHIC FACTS 2007
WHAT THE EXPERTS SAYIBEC “The skills and experience that many immigrants bring enhance our competitiveness and contribute to the development of a more diverse society. We have seen the positive impact that foreign capital had made to the Irish economy in the same way access to a broader range of knowledge and skills can make an important contribution. The challenge for Ireland is to develop an approach that ensures that it is as successful in attracting skilled human capital as it has been attracting foreign direct investment. In other words it is essential that we develop an approach to immigration that is sensitive to the competitive contribution it can make, rather than viewing immigration as a problem.”…..”In short, immigration policy can act as a competitive tool…”. Part of IBEC submission to the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform on the National Immigration Policy: One of the key conclusions and recommendations of the submission is the necessity for “the development and expansion of language and cultural training….and support for in company and community cultural awareness programmes”. ESRI The ESRI identified the clear existence of an ‘Occupational Gap’ between Immigrants and Irish Nationals. It noted that’ immigrants into Ireland have noticeably higher levels of education relative to the domestic population…….however the immigrants are not employed in occupations that fully reflect their educational attainment’. It attributes two of the main causes of this ‘gap’ as caused by lack of English language skills, but also the inability of employers to evaluate properly non-irish qualifications. The simple elimination of this ‘Occupational Gap’ within organisations through programmes that develop greater understanding and awareness of the issue, must result in a significant increase in the competitive potential of that organisation. The Spring 2006 Economic and Social Review published by the ESRI CONTACT US
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Richard McQuillen has over 35 years of experience of People Management, Training and Development, Recruitment and building Organisations in multicultural environments in a variety of senior and executive roles in Human Resources and General Management. He has worked in over 27 countries across Europe, North America and Asia Pacific regions and has worked both with large Multinational and small Indigenous early stage Companies. His roles included Worldwide Vice President Human Resources and Vice President Intercontinental Operations (Pacific Rim, Canada and Latin America) SUN Microsystems, European Personnel Manager Digital Equipment Corporation, Vice President and Managing Director Europe Xilinx Inc.
Jimmy Ryan has almost fifteen years consulting experience. He has consulted on engagements in multinational company start-ups in Ireland, organisational design and structuring of businesses in the private, public, NGO and Community sectors and a wide range of privately owned growth enterprises in various sectors as well as Educational Institutions in Ireland.