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IMPACT Survey reults  A follow up survey was recently was conducted by EDI through an internet questionnaire distributed from May till September 2018. The survey was circulated to businesses associated with ISME, Chambers Ireland and Ibec and was promoted through those organisations. It was also promoted to the EDI Employer Peer Network and through social media. We sought to gain insight into employers’ attitudes to employing people with disabilities and to establish whether attitudes are improving.

Problems with mental health can occur in any individual, regardless of their job, gender, age or social background. For some, this may be a mild and temporary experience while for others it may be more severe or long-term. Importantly, only 1 in 100 people experience the more severe conditions while the vast majority of problems are manageable with treatment by a GP or counsellor.

EDI project manager Seònaid Ó Murchadha spent Wednesday 21st of November in the Citywest Hotel meeting SME owner managers at the ISME Annual Conference.

According to the CSO Employment levels in Ireland increased by nearly 67,000 in 2018. This means that the war for talent is back on however attracting this top talent is proving to be a huge challenge, in particular for SMEs. The question is how do you get ahead of the pack to recruit the best people for your business?

Many of us will have heard about the advantages of employing different and diverse teams of people at some stage in our careers. We will have heard that it can have a positive impact on our workplaces, on profits, on productivity levels and staff morale in general.

Depression is a very common condition which affects more than 450,000 people in Ireland (one in ten) at any one time. Any of us, irrespective of age, gender or background, can be affected at some point in our life. Depression is an invisible/hidden disability and therefore can be difficult for employers to identify and assist.

AsIAm held the 29 Day #AsIAmChallenge for the month of April and on Day 16 they asked all employers to conduct Autism Friendly Interviews. When speaking to Adam and Gaibhin of AsIAm they said that 'Businesses have begun to recognise the valuable skills that autistic employees can bring to the workplace. A meticulous attention to detail, excellent memory and task-driven minds are traits any employer would love to have! However, entering the workforce remains a huge challenge for many on the spectrum. Up to 80% of autistic adults are either unemployed or underemployed, and this often comes down to how they are interviewed and assessed by potential employers.' 

Are you looking for creative thinkers and innovative problem-solvers? It's time to think outside the box.