The gender composition of boards in Ireland has surpassed 30% female representation, according to EY.

The third annual report from EY on Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) across the island of Ireland was launched at the annual EY Diversity & Inclusion InMotion Summit held in the Mansion House, Dublin.

EY’s survey interviewed c. 150 C-suite leaders, Human Resource directors and Diversity & Inclusion leads. Respondents were drawn from both indigenous Irish and global organisations of varying sizes, across a range of diverse sectors, resulting in a sample range that EY says is highly reflective of the market in Ireland.

Olivia McEvoy (pictured), director of Diversity & Inclusion advisory service at EY Ireland, commented: “While it is encouraging to see that progress is being made on boards, the lived experience for women in work can be a different matter, highlighted by the fact that even within the seemingly more progressive organisations, it is perceived the men are still more likely to be promoted.

“More starkly, only one in four of organisations have a specific programme in place to develop diverse leadership. More focus is needed on building up the next generation of leaders, and measuring the experience of different groups around promotion, reward and other factors.

In Association with

“Diversity in all its forms is fluid, and is not something that can be ‘achieved’ and forgotten about. It will continue to evolve in rhythm with employment cycles, so carefully-planned strategies backed by leadership are essential for sustained improvement.”

• Download EY Ireland 2019 Diversity & Inclusion Report

McEvoy added that the latest EY monitor points to lack of measurement and accountability on diversity issues.

“This may help explain the chasm between the importance organisations say they attach to D&I versus what translates into action. If organisations are not measuring the impact, how can D&I compete for a place on the boardroom agenda?

“We all know that what gets measured gets done, so without concrete metrics, it’s understandable to see why leadership buy-in may be lacking. D&I has proven impacts on talent attraction and retention, reputation and innovation. For D&I to progress, it needs to be quantified, and there need to be accountability measures for senior leaders and middle management put in place,” McEvoy said.