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Crowleys DFK take part in Customised Leadership & Management Programme

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Leadership & Management

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.

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

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Top 100 Companies Leading in Wellbeing

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 MarkTM; 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.

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Crowleys DFK Awarded Bronze Investors in Diversity EDI Mark

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Investors in Diversity Bronze

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.

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Crowleys DFK Announce Aware as Charity Partner for 2023-2024

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Crowleys DFK is delighted to announce that Aware has been selected by our employees as its Charity Partner for 2023-2024.

Aware is the national organisation providing free support, education and information services to those impacted by anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder and related mood conditions.

Aware undertakes to create a society where people affected by stress, depression, bipolar disorder and mood related conditions are understood, supported, free from stigma, and are encouraged to access appropriate therapies.

Commenting on the announcement, James O’Connor, Managing Partner, said:

“We are delighted to have Aware as our Charity Partner for 2023 & 2024. The work that Aware does has never been more important. We are looking forward to working with this great charity to help raise much needed funds and raise awareness of mental health issues.

We believe that this partnership will also help us further embed mental wellbeing into our corporate culture and build on what we have already achieved in terms of our awareness initiatives, manager training and the supports available to our employees. Reducing the stigma associated with mental health in the workplace is a key goal for the firm.”

Stephen Butterly, Head of Fundraising & Business Development at Aware said:

“We are delighted to have been selected as charity partner of Crowleys DFK for the next two years. Aware exist to support people impacted by depression and bipolar disorder all across Ireland, and the support of organisations like Crowleys DFK is vital to ensuring that we can be there for people when they need us, 365 days a year. We look forward to getting to know the teams in Dublin and Cork, and to working together on initiatives over the coming years.”

In the coming weeks, Crowleys DFK will work with Aware to develop a fundraising calendar for this two-year partnership.

Please keep an eye on our website and our social media feeds (LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram) to follow our journey supporting Aware throughout 2023-2024.

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3 Years Supporting LauraLynn

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Pictured L-R: James O’Connor (Managing Partner, Crowleys DFK), Claire Shiels (Corporate Fundraiser, LauraLynn) and Natalie Kelly (Partner, Crowleys DFK)

In early 2020, we announced LauraLynn, Ireland’s Children’s Hospice as our Charity Partner. Not long after, members of our CSR Team visited the hospice and came back inspired and full of ideas on how we could help raise funds and awareness for this amazing charity… but then everything changed.

With all our fundraising plans impossible due to the lockdown reality we were all in, we had to find new ways to support LauraLynn and the children and families that relied on them.

This kickstarted our virtual fundraising initiatives. From our Virtual Walk Across the US and Canada, Wear Your Christmas Face Mask and Christmas Gifting campaigns, a lot (!) of Step Challenges, our Donate as your Earn campaign and various raffles, the employees at Crowleys DFK dug deep and put their hearts into each and every campaign.

“It has been a pleasure to be involved with our Firm’s campaigns. Knowing how difficult the last few years would have been on fundraising for LauraLynn, it has been an honour to help out where I can.”

Elaine Murphy, Assistant Manager, Audit and Assurance

 “I feel very proud of the Firm’s fundraising initiatives supporting LauraLynn over the last few years and being able to participate in these initiatives means a lot to me personally knowing that the funds raised are making a difference to the children and their families.”

Paula McCann, Human Resources

While all these initiatives raised some vital funds for the Charity during what was a very challenging few years, we are in no doubt that we got a lot more back from the partnership. Not only were we continually inspired and moved by our online talks with the incredible staff and care givers at LauraLynn, but our initiatives also kept us connected during a time when we all had to be apart.

“I have enjoyed participating over the past few years as not only do you know you are helping a good cause, but it has given us the opportunity to interact with our colleagues during a time we were unable to meet face to face.”

Emma Dunne, Manager, Corporate Compliance

 “It has been a great way to connect with my colleagues, many of whom I hadn’t met in person in 2 years. Ultimately, we have all benefited hugely from both a mental & physical health perspective by getting involved with a fantastic and very deserving charity.”

Harry O’Sullivan, Partner, Audit & Assurance

Our final fundraising campaign, Week of Celebrating LauraLynn, took place in late November and pushed the total funds raised over the 3 years (of what initially meant to be a 1 year partnership) to €45,045.

“I knew very little about LauraLynn and their work before we began supporting them as our Charity Partner. The past three years has really made me aware of the incredible commitment and passion that volunteers give to so many worthwhile causes. LauraLynn are doing incredible work and it’s been fantastic to see so many of my work colleagues and friends take part in our initiatives.”

James O’Connor, Managing Partner

On 7th December 2022, Crowleys DFK returned to LauraLynn for another onsite visit. While some things had changed since our first visit (outdoor meeting pods, and the new Memorial Tree and Garden), the most important things did not…the care and dedication from each of the wonderful staff we met and the pure sense of peace and warmth coming from every corner of the hospice.

“As a Corporate Partner, LauraLynn could not have asked for more. The team at Crowleys DFK demonstrated creativity in staff and office fundraising initiatives, enthusiastically signed up for challenges and events, and helped us out with volunteering. They were invested in understanding the work we do with children and families, and helping raise awareness of LauraLynn, its services and supports, and its funding needs. Crowleys DFK is a company and a team that is committed to making an impact in its charity work, and undertakes it with energy, commitment and heart. Working with them over the past 3 years has been a pleasure, and their contribution has made a big difference for the children and families in our care.”

Claire Shiels, Corporate Fundraiser, LauraLynn Ireland’s Children’s Hospice.

It has been an honour and pleasure to have supported LauraLynn for the last 3 years. LauraLynn has and will always remain very close to all our hearts.

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Crowleys DFK Reaccredited with The KeepWell Mark

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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 MarkTM; 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 MarkTM. 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 MarkTM said:

“It’s fantastic to be reaccredited with The KeepWell MarkTM. 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 MarkTM 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 MarkTM in Ibec commented:

“We’re delighted to once again award Crowleys DFK with The KeepWell MarkTM 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 MarkTM 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.

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Crowleys DFK Recognised in Top 100 Companies Leading in Wellbeing Index 2022

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Wellbeing Index 2022

We are delighted to be recognised in the Top 100 Companies Leading in Wellbeing Index, for a second consecutive year. This index, published by Business & Finance in partnership with Ibec, recognises top businesses of all sizes who lead the way in promoting employee wellbeing. Companies on the index, through their commitment to supporting staff, have enhanced their employees’ performance as well as their physical and mental wellbeing.

Crowleys DFK provides all employees with a positive, healthy and inclusive workplace. To this end, Crowleys DFK has driven initiatives including hybrid working, right to disconnect policies, professional development and training, birthday leave, sports and social activities and employee wellness events. Recognition in the index highlights how impactful these initiatives have been on employee wellbeing, within and beyond the workplace.

Speaking about this achievement, Colette Nagle, COO and Head of Corporate Social Responsibility said:

“It’s fantastic to be included in the Top 100 Companies Leading in Wellbeing Index for a second year in a row. Ensuring the wellbeing of our employees is a core priority for us. We recently launched our Hybrid Working Policy to enable our employees to achieve a greater long-term work/life balance. We look forward to continuing operating with wellbeing at the heart of everything we do.”

Commenting on the Index, Ibec CEO, Danny McCoy said:

“It is encouraging to note the diversity of industries spanning the full breadth and scope of the Irish economy that are represented in this index. These 100 companies that we are celebrating today are leading the way in workplace wellbeing and their commitment to instilling a best practice approach to wellbeing has made a lasting impact on their employees”.

If you are interested in working in one of Ireland’s Top 100 Companies Leading in Wellbeing, you can view our current list of vacancies.

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Crowleys DFK Launch Hybrid Working Policy

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Crowleys DFK has launched its new people policy regarding flexibility and hybrid working, effective from 7 March 2022.

The policy, which was announced internally on 7 October 2021, has been put in place to ensure that the Firm reaches its goal of building a flexible, purposeful way of working so that our employees can achieve a greater long-term work/life balance.

The hybrid working policy combines elements of home working and office-based working. To enable our employees to work from home effectively, Crowleys DFK facilitated individual risk assessments of employees’ home workspace with our 3rd party provider Capella and provided equipment as needs were identified through the risk assessments.

Criona Turley, CEO & Co-Founder of Capella commented:

“We were delighted to partner with Crowleys DFK in 2020 to carry out ergonomic training and risk assessments for their team while they worked from home. Crowleys DFK continue to use our assessments to proactively ensure that their colleagues working from home are provided with the same level of equipment and technology as if they are in the office, allowing them to work as safely and productively as if they were on site. By investing in Hybrid supports like ours, Crowleys DFK are doing everything they can to ensure a seamless flexible working experience for their staff.”

The policy seeks to empower employees to take responsibility for their own productivity and to facilitate a safe home working environment to do so. Recognising that not everyone’s needs for health, safety and productivity are the same employees can choose to continue to work in the office.

The Hybrid Working Policy follows and operates in tandem with Crowleys DFK’s Flexible Working Policy, and the Right to Disconnect Policy. In line with the Firm’s commitment to the overall wellbeing of our employees and supporting them in balancing their professional and personal priorities in a way that works for everyone, these policies were created to ensure that working patterns do not negatively impact client services, and team working while recognising that every employee is entitled to enjoy their free time without being disturbed.

Paula McCann from the Firm’s HR Department said:

“We are committed to putting people at the centre of our firm, our clients and our employees alike. With that in mind, our new policy, like the preceding flexible working and right to disconnect policies, have been developed to ensure the best working environment. The policy was carefully developed with the needs of the Firm, its employees and its clients in mind and we are confident that it will guide us in achieving the most desirable outcomes for all.”

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Crowleys DFK Announce Continued LauraLynn Partnership for 2022

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Crowleys DFK LauraLynn Partnership 2022

Following the success of the Casa Christmas campaign which raised over €2,100 for LauraLynn, Crowleys DFK is delighted to announce that its partnership with LauraLynn will continue in 2022, for the third year in a row. As the only children’s hospice in the Republic of Ireland, we are proud to continue to support LauraLynn’s requirements, so they may continue to provide specialised hospice care to children with life limiting conditions and their families all across Ireland.

We hope that by continuing our partnership with LauraLynn for a further year that we will get more chances to volunteer, meet some of the incredible LauraLynn staff and have some fun as well.

Managing Partner, James O’Connor commented:

“LauraLynn is a great Charity. It’s disappointing that our involvement coincided with all of their in-person events being cancelled. Hopefully, we will soon be able to take part and support in-person in events with them and see firsthand the incredible work they carry out to support children with life-limiting conditions and their families.”

LauraLynn’s recent announcement to expand services bringing care and support closer to home for children and families in Munster in 2022 with a satellite service based in Cork should also give us further opportunities to show our support.

Over the last two years, we at Crowleys DFK have been involved in some great initiatives for the benefit of LauraLynn, such as:

  • Casa Christmas Light Display, where COO and Financial Advisory Partner, Colette Nagle and ICT Manager, Justin Nagle transformed their home into a magical Christmas light show and raised over €2,100.
  • Christmas Jumper Day and Christmas Gifting, which saw each of our 100 employees and 10 partners give up part of their Firm Christmas Hamper in lieu of a monetary donation to LauraLynn, raising over €5,500 over the last two years.
  • On the 11th of December 2021, 15 volunteers from Crowleys DFK helped out with LauraLynn’s first live event after almost 2 years. Volunteers assisted with the running of Ray D’arcy’s Half & 5K in Phoenix Park, including stewarding around the event site and car parks, manning water stations, staffing the main registration area, giving out goodie bags and refreshments, and the clean up afterwards.
  • Win a Day off Work raffles, which encouraged our staff to donate to LauraLynn and earn raffle tickets. Together, these raffles have raised over €2,000 over the last two years.
  • Wear Your Face Mask, which saw partners and employees of Crowleys DFK receive a handmade face mask of their choice in exchange for a €10 donation to LauraLynn, raising over €3,000.
  • In June 2020, 71 partners and employees of Crowleys DFK and their families each ran, walked, or jogged a minimum of 100 km and used their combined distances to complete a virtual walking tour of the US and Canada to visit as many fellow DFK firms as possible, raising €9,266.85 in the process.
  • In February 2021, 50 members of our firm completed 14,000,000 steps and raised €4,021.13. Later, in September 2021, our 10km Challenge raised an additional €1,612.11.

Commenting on the announcement, Kerry McLaverty, CEO of LauraLynn Ireland’s Children’s Hospice said:

“We are thrilled that Crowleys DFK have chosen to extend our partnership into its third year in 2022 – a year in which our services expand to include a presence on the ground in the Munster region where many employees of the firm work.  Partnerships such as this are a vital part of the LauraLynn Community of Care.  We cannot provide our services without the generosity of the public and businesses like Crowleys DFK.  The funds and awareness the firm raise have an enormous positive impact on the children and families that LauraLynn support. So thank you to everyone involved – you should be very proud of yourselves and please keep up the great work!”

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Christmas Light Display in aid of LauraLynn

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Casa Christmas Light Display

This December, Crowleys DFK will take part in a unique campaign in aid of our Charity Partner LauraLynn, Ireland’s Children’s Hospice. In keeping with the festive spirit of the season, our COO and Financial Advisory Partner Colette Nagle and our ICT Manager Justin Nagle have created a Christmas Light Display, “Casa Christmas”, at their home.

From the 1st of December until the 6th of January, the vibrant Casa Christmas light display will run every morning and evening. Visitors will be encouraged to make donations to LauraLynn using the collection box stationed at Casa Christmas, or via the QR code that will allow people to make a digital donation. All proceeds raised during the campaign will go to LauraLynn.

The Casa Christmas creation process has been a true labour of love, taking about four full days to build and a hundred hours to program, as well as a few days to build new props and fixtures. The displays are made up of 7398 pixels (bulbs), and while 4096 of these have been pre-built into two LED panels, the remaining 3302 pixels come in strings of one hundred which have been cut and joined as needed to build the display.

Justin commented,

“As a trained electrician I naturally love creating a Christmas Light Display each year. Although it takes time, it’s so rewarding to see the Christmas cheer it brings. This year is even more special as we hope to raise some much-needed funds for LauraLynn.”

With the festive season upon us, Christmas Gifting to LauraLynn will take place again this year. For the second consecutive year, each of our 100 employees and 10 partners have given up part of their Firm Christmas Hamper in lieu of a monetary donation to LauraLynn.  This combined donation will help LauraLynn gift each family with a Christmas Experience from a beautiful Advent Box that is interactive and brings daily excitement in the run up to the big day.

Additionally, on the 11th of December, 15 volunteers from Crowleys DFK will help out with LauraLynn’s first live event after almost 2 years.  Volunteers will assist with the running of Ray D’arcy’s Half & 5K in Phoenix Park, including stewarding around the event site and car parks, manning water stations, staffing the main registration area, giving out goodie bags and refreshments, and the clean up afterwards.

The Casa Christmas campaign, along with the additional Christmas Gifting and Volunteering, caps off another wonderful year of our Partnership with LauraLynn which has enabled us to highlight the magnificent work they do and raise much needed funds for the organisation.

Claire Shiels, Corporate Fundraiser at LauraLynn commented,

“Our corporate partner Crowleys DFK are a creative bunch when it comes to fundraising. With Casa Christmas they continue to pull out all the stops. Everyone that visits this beautiful piece of Christmas magic will get a much needed lift this December. A big Thank You to Colette and Justin Nagle, and all the team at Crowleys DFK – for your thoughtful ideas and initiatives. We are lucky and proud to be working with you, and so grateful on behalf of the children and families in our care.”

If you would like to visit Casa Christmas or to make a donation, please visit our iDonate page to find out more information.

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