Name: Deloitte
Area of business: Professional Services
Website: www.deloitte.com
With offices in Dublin, Limerick and Cork, Deloitte has had a presence in the Best Workplaces in Ireland since its inception seven years ago. Unsurprising then that this professional-services firm exudes defined leadership qualities, and that its people are at the core of what it does.
Orla Graham, head of human resources (HR) at the firm, says the company continuously strives to ensure a work culture that promotes personal and professional development, and encourages respect in a supportive, yet challenging, work environment.
One key theme at Deloitte over the past year has been the development of leadership skills within the management group.
The firm has implemented a variety of leadership-development programmes, including 360-degree feedback, in order to identify key strengths and development areas for its senior people.
At each level of a Deloitte employee's management career, a specific modular programme has been designed to support the key development themes.
"Talent coaching has also been introduced for our senior leadership groups," says Graham, with participants engaging in six individual sessions with a fully qualified coach. The purpose of such coaching sessions is to provide support and enhance leadership capabilities over a range of areas such as personal effectiveness, emotional intelligence, delegation and people management.
To this end, Emma Elliott, manager of HR in the HR and learning department at Deloitte, says success to the firm means hiring the best people and investing in their ongoing development.
"As people's career goals change and grow, we support them with the programmes and education they need to keep advancing. Learning/training programmes are provided at every key stage in a person's career to make sure they have the knowledge and skills required to succeed in the firm," she explains.
While some of these learning programmes will be specific to areas of expertise, others will be firm-wide, giving Deloitte employees the opportunity to build a network of contacts across the entire company spectrum.
"The firm's philosophy is that skills should be learned, shared and practised and that there is a mix of facilitators to allow for different styles of learning and for different shared experiences," Elliott adds. Furthermore, Graham says these learning programmes are motivational and inspirational, while - above all - also being fun and engaging.
Another pivotal initiative at Deloitte is Learning Pathways, which was developed to give its people a clear picture of the training and development opportunities open to them. Graham says these pathways help present career strategies to staff at every level. From the moment they join Deloitte, all employees are assigned a career pathway that sets out their expected progression within the firm.
Indeed, living by Deloitte's core values is integral to that progression. The Deloitte Shared Values System is an initiative that, on a daily basis, helps guide the firm's people as they carry out their work with both clients and colleagues.
As part of its 'core values', the firm encourages each of its employees to commit towards a number of things: building mutual trust and respect towards each other; listening actively and communicating openly; recognising and rewarding initiatives and contributions; sharing knowledge; helping each other and working together; and supporting a balanced lifestyle.
"We aim to be open to new ideas and different perspectives and to develop an environment that enables us to achieve common goals and unity, says Graham.
Employee feedback is important at Deloitte, and in response to their suggestions, the Deloitte Flexible Benefits Policy initiative was established. It arose out of the need to individualise reward packages for Deloitte's people; from the company's point of view, it believes the initiative helps attract and retain the best people.
Explains Elliott: "Introduced in 2007, it recognises the need to allow individuals have more control and flexibility over their remuneration. Flexible benefits recognise diversity and the needs of different employees."
Much thought is also given to corporate social responsibility (CSR) by Deloitte staff. IMPACT Day is a global initiative from the firm, whereby each year a Deloitte subsidiary engages in a day of community service.
For last year's IMPACT day, over 150 Deloitte employees carried out painting and gardening activities at various charities around Ireland, including Merchants Quay Ireland and Simon Communities of Ireland, as well as in local schools.
Elliott says CSR helps invoke a trusting working environment. "People want to work for an organisation that respects the community within which it operates. CSR also helps develop employee competencies and personal skills, as well as generating a great sense of team work among the volunteer groups."
In conclusion, Graham emphasises how, in this current economic climate, Deloitte will continue to invest in people development.
"More than ever, it is important that Deloitte continues to have a highly skilled and flexible workforce. Continued investment also speaks volumes to our people in terms of our commitment to them," she explains.
