“The importance of removing barriers to work for all those who are willing and able to work is fast becoming a policy objective for governments.” This is the call to action in ESRI researcher Karina Doorley’s 2018 publication Taxation,Work and Gender Equality in Ireland.Most developed countries face ageing populations, falling fertility rates and stagnating labour force participation.


Despite changing demographics, the female employment rate in Ireland is a sluggish 60%; and women continue to report discrimination in the workplace as a persistent issue. Older workers also perceivemore discrimination than younger workers in seeking work. Latest CSO figures underscore lower workforce participation amongst those over age 55 relative to younger age groups, for both genders.


Nevertheless, according to David Collings, Professor of Human ResourceManagement and Associate Dean for Research at DCU, there is little doubt that organisations globally continue to struggle withmeeting their talent requirements: 84%of Irish CEOs identified the availability of key skills as the key threat to their growth prospects. High education rates coupled with under employment for women, older workers and the disabled point to the fact that there is hidden workforce in Ireland waiting to be tapped.


Lowering Barriers through


FlexibleWork Options The OECD echoes Doorley’s call for a lowering of barriers to tap this potential, clearly articulating that “Flexible working-time arrangements and policies that remove distortions against part-time work will boost female participation.” Flexible and remote working options suit not only women, but also those who findmobility a difficulty, live in a rural location, or want better work-life balance. Flexible working, remote working, work from-home, smart working has been on the increase for larger companies recently.


The annual PWC CEO Pulse Survey regularly points to the lack of availability of key skills as a threat to the organisation's ability to deliver of key strategy initiatives. Professor Collings says that he has argued for some time that tomeet these talent demands organisations need to think beyond traditional talentmarkets. “Core employees will continue to be central to talent strategies, but it is increasingly the case that firms need to look beyond traditional talentmarkets. One such option is the freelance economy.While it is difficult to pin down exact data on the scale of the freelance economy as people come to it ismany ways, there is no doubt that it is a very large global pool.”


Tapping the hidden workforcemeans engaging employees who can’tmake it in to the office every day. Themajority of women surveyed by Human Resource Directormagazine wished to return to work after a career break, but only if offered flexible hours. Older generations echoed this response.


A December 2018 article in the Irish Independent reported on a survey in the UK, which found that workers who are offered flexibleworking options take less leave andworkmore


7


productively. No one understands thismore than the leadership teamat Abodoo, a free-to-access site for employers and workers,matching remote talent (called “smart workers”) with companies looking for a flexible workforce. In addition to connecting employers and smart workers, Abodoo also offers forums, advice centres and training. It was founded by husband and wife teamof Vanessa Tierney and BenWainwright in 2016. Both had experienced periods of time unable to commute to their respective workplaces due to illness and injury, and felt there was a void between people who are talented but are unable or unwilling to travel, and companies who are seeking remote-based employees.


Benefits go both ways: Communities need talent to hang around and help it thrive and grow; while people can ensure a positive work/life balance. Wainwright believes that “if you can do what you do fromhome, then you should.We didn’t coin the phrase ‘smart working’ but we certainly use it. Is the tech there for remote working these days? Of course it is. Broadband speed has improved, Skype video calls, Google Hangouts, and many other useful alternatives.


“Remote working isn’t about working fromhome with your kids hanging about – it’s about professionals doing work. Companies look at results if someone’s not pulling their weight, they’ll be found out, whether they’re working fromthe office, a client site, or home.”


He alsomakes the point that the workforce demographic is changing: Millennials are nomadic, digital travellers who are disinclined to performtheir duties fromwithin a cubicle. “There are plenty of supremely talented people with restricted mobility out there,” he says. “Remote working allows these people to work and contribute – that benefits companies, and it benefits the employee who gains a sense of being valued.”


Encouraging women back to the workforce Women take career breaksmainly for parenting or elderly care. CSO figures show a precipitous drop in employment from86% for women with no children; to 60%for women with pre-school aged children. And numbers show that on average, women in Ireland do not re-enter the work force and achieve the same levels of employment or career progression after having children.


Formany women in the fast-changing field of IT, those who take a break quickly feel left behind - the pace of change and evolution of technology is fast, and they lose contact with their professional networks. This is where the ReBOOT programme, run by the Technology Ireland Software Skillnet, can provide unique and valuable support for these talented women.


The goal of theWomen ReBOOT programme is to support IT- qualified women to re-engage, upskill and reconnect back into the workplace after a career break. About 50%of women step outmid-way through their career, and although 75%of these women have every intention of returning, a career break of more than three years can be a significant barrier. Recruiters are hesitant to engage with people if there is a gap in their CV and companies canmiss out on this important pool of talent.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32