Sustainability Archives

Crowleys DFK Introduce Work From Anywhere Policy

News & Publications, Corporate Social Responsibility, Sustainability, EDI

In the ever-evolving landscape of the modern workplace, adaptability is key. We value the ﬂexibility of our employees in eﬀectively carrying out their job responsibilities, all the while providing the highest level of support to our clients.

We are excited to announce the latest addition to our suite of work-life balance and flexibility policies: a “Work from Anywhere” Policy.

The policy allows employees to perform the duties of their employment, away from their Crowleys DFK office for temporary periods within the working year, including time spent outside Ireland.

James O’Connor, Managing Partner commented:

“Our decision to embrace a Work from Anywhere policy is rooted in the understanding that the future of work is dynamic, and Crowleys DFK are committed to staying ahead of the curve. This policy is designed to empower our employees by enhancing the work experience and further cultivate a supportive work environment that values work-life balance, flexibility and inclusivity.”

If you are interested in a career with us, please check out our careers for experienced professionals or our graduate programme.

December 8, 2023/by Alison Bourke

Crowleys DFK take part in Customised Leadership & Management Programme

Corporate Social Responsibility, Sustainability, News & Publications

A bespoke Leadership & Management Programme was recently completed by 27 members of our management team (senior managers, managers, and assistant managers).

The certified programme, which was delivered by UCD’s Professional Academy, required a significant commitment from the team as it took place over an 8-week period for a total duration of 24 hours.

The course was developed to give participants an understanding of how a successful and productive environment can be established and maintained over the long term through team development and performance enhancement. The broader aim of the course was to help develop quality leaders, who will in turn foster a positive and supportive workplace culture.

“I learned various strategies on how to effectively mentor my team members to be able to produce a quality output while developing their skills.”

– Kyna Lontok, Manager, Risk Consulting

The training took place over Zoom and brought together management from our Dublin and Cork offices for intensely interactive sessions. The sessions comprised eight classes that covered a range of interesting and relevant topics, such as Coaching and Mentoring as Managers, Getting the Best from Your People and Difficult Conversations. The programme made extensive use of case studies to ensure the sessions were applicable to real-world scenarios in the contemporary workplace.

“The biggest takeaways for me was on communication together with motivation. What motivates me may not always motivate my team. I feel the course has made me more aware of the qualities required to both lead and manage a team.”

– Joanne O’Sullivan, Manager, Audit & Assurance

The programme aligns with Crowleys DFK’s commitment to learning and development, which is a key part of our overall business strategy and a core component of our Performance Development Programme (PDP). The firm recognises the value of supporting its management teams, both new and experienced, with ongoing training. Participating in this programme will help our managers more easily navigate daily challenges, handle their varied workloads, and ensure the continued success of their teams.

I gained valuable insight into the various forms of leadership, the difference between coaching and mentoring and the importance of both in developing team members.

– Brian O’Donoghue, Assistant Manager, Accounting & Financial Advisory

If you are interested in developing your career with Crowleys DFK, take a look at our career options.

August 14, 2023/by Alison Bourke

Crowleys DFK Recognised in Top 100 Companies Leading in Wellbeing Index 2023

Sustainability, News & Publications, Corporate Social Responsibility

We are delighted to be recognised in the Top 100 Companies Leading in Wellbeing Index, for the third year in a row.

This index, published by Business & Finance in partnership with Ibec, recognises top businesses of all sizes who lead the way and have improved their performance in supporting employee mental health and wellbeing.

This follows our recent reaccreditation of the prestigious Ibec KeepWell Mark^TM; an evidence-based accreditation and award that recognises Irish employers for investing in workplace health and wellbeing.

Speaking about this achievement, Paula McCann, Health & Wellbeing Lead said:

“The health and wellbeing of our employees is a core priority for us. We are striving towards a true culture of wellbeing and the inclusion of Crowleys DFK in this index for the third year in a row is a great acknowledgement of the progress we have made.”

Ian Hyland, Publisher, Business & Finance, commented:

“We are honoured to be working with our partners Ibec to recognise the companies that place employee wellbeing at the top of their priority list. It is imperative for businesses that the wellness of the entire team plays a core part of their business strategy to cultivate a healthy and rewarding working environment which is crucial for business and employee development.”

Danny McCoy, CEO, Ibec commented:

“It’s important to recognise the efforts being made by businesses in supporting the wellbeing of their people. Environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria is now driving how investors evaluate companies. Mental health and overall wellbeing of employees is increasingly forming part of the measurable foundation of the ‘S’ within ESG.”

If you are interested in working in one of Ireland’s Top 100 Companies Leading in Wellbeing, take a look at our career options.

May 2, 2023/by Alison Bourke

Crowleys DFK Awarded Bronze Investors in Diversity EDI Mark

Sustainability, EDI, News & Publications, Corporate Social Responsibility

Crowleys DFK is proud to be awarded with the Bronze Investors in Diversity Mark from the Irish Centre for Diversity. This is Ireland’s only Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Mark.

In recent years we have committed to advancing our EDI journey, embracing it as a top priority in everything we do, from hiring to developing talent to client engagement and internal communications.

The accreditation process for the Mark began with a detailed application process to take part in the Skillnet Ireland’s funded programme. This was followed by three senior management employees participating in a 4-week intensive training course. The Irish Centre for Diversity then worked with the team to assess and benchmark our efforts relating to the D&I agenda.

Commenting on the achievement of the Bronze Investors in Diversity EDI Mark, Vincent Teo, Partner and EDI Lead, said:

“We are on a very exciting EDI journey and achieving the Bronze Investors in Diversity EDI Mark is a great step forward. This award recognises the strong foundation we have built for embedding Diversity and Inclusion in the firm and demonstrates our full commitment to an equitable and inclusive workplace to our employees and our clients. We are proud to add the Mark to our name as an Investor in Diversity.”

We know we are on a journey but attaining the Bronze Accreditation Mark is a great recognition of the progress we’ve made and the momentum we’ve built.

January 4, 2023/by Alison Bourke

Crowleys DFK Reaccredited with The KeepWell Mark

Sustainability, News & Publications, Corporate Social Responsibility

Pictured L-R: James O’Connor (Managing Partner, Crowleys DFK), Paula McCann (Project Lead for the KeepWell Mark, Crowleys DFK), Sophie Crosbie (Regional Director, Ibec) & Sophie Moran (Programme Manager of The KeepWell Mark, Ibec)

We are delighted to announce that we have been reaccredited with the prestigious Ibec KeepWell Mark^TM; an evidence-based accreditation and award that recognises Irish employers for investing in workplace health and wellbeing.

In 2020, Crowleys DFK became the first indigenous accountancy firm to be accredited with The KeepWell Mark^TM. The robust accreditation process for the award enabled us to benchmark our workplace wellbeing activity on eight key areas – leadership, absence management, smoke free, physical activity, health and safety, mental health, healthy eating and intoxicants – and provided us with a roadmap to further success and continuous improvement.

Commenting on our reaccreditation, Paula McCann, Project Lead for The KeepWell Mark^TM said:

“It’s fantastic to be reaccredited with The KeepWell Mark^TM. Our reaccreditation journey was made easier thanks to our leadership team, who lead by example in their continued support for promoting and prioritising wellbeing across the firm.”

Since 2020, we built on our already strong commitment workplace wellbeing practices and introduced a Hybrid Working Policy, Flexible Working Hours, Right to Disconnect Policy, and Early Finish Friday Initiative. Annual Employee Workplace Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing Training was added to our annual programme of health and wellbeing initiatives and events.

Earlier this year we also launched our Learning & Development Programme. The aim of the programme is to create a culture and environment for employees and the firm to learn and grow. It supports our revised Competency and Career Paths Development Framework which was launched at the same time. By knowing the current and future capability needs of the firm, we can create a learning culture that ensures employees have the knowledge, skills and experience to fulfil individual and organisational needs and ambitions.

To ensure the validity of our practices, The KeepWell Mark^TM Assessor conducted a thorough audit of our wellbeing practices, spoke with key stakeholders across the firm and held focus groups with a sample group of employees and management.

The Assessor noted:

“A consistent theme from the focus group was that staff regard Crowleys DFK as a good employer and acknowledge the efforts the company is making in promoting wellbeing and facilitating a work life balance. Attaining reaccreditation demonstrates Crowleys DFK’s ongoing commitment to promoting and embedding a wellbeing ethos, and that the company is forward-thinking in cascading wellbeing practices.”

Sophie Moran, Programme Manager of The KeepWell Mark^TM in Ibec commented:

“We’re delighted to once again award Crowleys DFK with The KeepWell Mark^TM accreditation. The consistent effort they have made in supporting the health and wellbeing of their employees is to be highly commended, and we hope their commitment and efforts will inspire many other organisations to approach wellbeing as a strategic priority both now and in the future.”

Our wellbeing journey does not end with reaccreditation. Our focus now turns to working towards the next stage of our KeepWell Mark^TM journey. We will continue to make improvements in all areas of wellbeing, following best practices and using feedback from our employees.

If you are interested in working with a firm that has a core focus on wellbeing, please check out our careers.

December 8, 2022/by Alison Bourke