On the 10th of October, a Thursday, the esteemed Engineers Ireland CPD employer of the year award was presented to Gas Networks Ireland for its women’s advancement programme. During the same week, the company’s commitment to menopause support in the workplace was acknowledged at the Menopause Workplace Excellence Awards, and it also made the shortlist for the Health and Wellbeing Strategy of the Year award at the HR Leadership and Management Awards.
The development programme for women is tailored to boost the number of women in leadership roles within the company, states Nicola McSweeney, the People Director at Gas Networks Ireland. She acknowledges the presence of talented women in the company, yet recognises a disparity in their representation at the executive level.
McSweeney asserts that elements such as lack of confidence could be playing a role, as studies show women are often less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every requirement. The programme aims to pinpoint and tackle these issues.
The programme is open to all staff, employing top-ranking learning and growth strategies designed to enhance the leadership skills of women throughout the firm.
“We have now established a support system of female employees stretching across the company,” McSweeney states contentedly. Their programme being recognised by the Engineers Ireland award holds great significance for them. She adds, “It’s wonderful to be able to present our efforts in this crucial area.”
This acts as only one aspect of the organisation’s human energy strategy. McSweeney emphasises, “Our workforce stands at the core of our enterprise. To achieve our goal of a fully decarbonised network by 2045, as outlined in our Pathways to a Net Zero Carbon Network report, we keep striving to recruit, retain and nurture exceptional talents.”
“It’s always exciting to acquire new skills and showcase the potential within the gas sector, specifically as we manoeuvre from natural gas towards renewable sources like biomethane and green hydrogen. Earlier this year, our most recent apprenticeship intake proved highly popular, accruing over 500 hopeful applicants. Our graduate scheme is currently ongoing, and with all the necessary infrastructure to support these renewable gases, the prospects for future graduates are quite compelling.”
Promoting an increase in female participation is also vital. “We acknowledge the difficulties around encouraging girls to pursue Stem (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects and the associated career pathways in Ireland. We are actively collaborating with universities and engaging in early academic initiatives through our corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes, which are purposed to motivate more females to undertake Stem studies. It’s reassuring to see a growing number of female apprentices. That’s an optimistic sign indeed.”
McSweeney reflects with pride on the company’s exceptional staff retention rates. “A substantial proportion of our workforce remain with us for extensive periods, with the standard duration of employment being 17 years, and in some cases, employees have been with us for over 45 years. We pride ourselves on cultivating a familial ethos here, and our staff take immense pride in their association with the organisation and the work we do.
“We have overseen several transformations of the organisation, transitioning from town gas to natural gas. Now, we are progressing into renewable gases, such as biomethane and green hydrogen, retaining our ingrained sense of pride throughout these transitions.
“Our distinctive culture is undoubtedly one of our defining features. We relentlessly strive to ensure that everyone’s vocational journey is a productive one, regardless of their career stage. We are continually open to receiving feedback from our employees about their experiences. Biannual workforce evaluations, for instance, are a tool we utilise.”
Our recruitment strategies cater to a diverse talent pool, from seasoned professionals to those in the early stages of their career. “We sponsor several initiatives aimed at the earlier career stages, including internships, summer work experience for students, and our graduate recruitment programme,” says McSweeney. “We have a prominent number of staff retiring each year and it is distinguishingly important for us to replenish our workforce with a balance of experienced recruits and an influx of recent graduates, apprentices, and interns.”
“When new members become part of our team, we clarify and elucidate the trajectory of career advancement available to them. We aim to highlight the scope of opportunities, stating that they could experience multiple roles during their tenure. Our organization boasts a notable level of career movement; around 18% of our workforce transitions into new roles each year. We have delightful accounts of individuals who initiated their careers as apprentices and have now climbed the ladder to occupy senior leadership roles, as one such instance.
It is paramount that we persist in drawing in, retaining, and fostering top talent in order to attain a completely decarbonised network by 2045. We back up this mobility with comprehensive learning and professional development programmes. “We hold over 2,000 instructional days annually,” reports McSweeney. “We offer a selection of courses on an educational calendar from which individuals can choose, in areas such as communication abilities, people management, gas appreciation subjects and beyond. We also assist individuals in pursuing further studies.”
The firm adheres to a hybrid work model, splitting time between two days on-site and three from home. “This has been a captivating journey,” observes McSweeney. “We have accomplished considerable work in facilitating this new work pattern. We have adapted our office facilities in Cork and Dublin to encompass more areas for teamwork and casual workstations, among others.
“We have acclimated to the novel employment arena. This hybrid work system suits us splendidly, allowing for in-person collaboration and teamwork as necessary.”
The organization’s diversity equality and inclusion (DEI) scheme, namely ibelong, was created in 2018. “It has witnessed continual progress,” asserts McSweeney. “Its purpose is to deliberately construct a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable work environment, fostering authenticity at work. It has instigated modifications in hiring processes and educational initiatives, incorporating unconscious bias and specialized development programmes.”
“The scheme has also led to the formation of staff resource groups, comprising our family, rainbow, women’s, neurodiversity and ability, ethnicity and cultural, and the recently introduced NextGen group advocating for our younger associates. These groups have greatly benefitted our organisation and persist in spotlighting aspects that might require a shift in our perspectives or dialogues in times to come.”
The work landscape has considerably evolved for the younger workforce who no longer conform to the traditional five-day office week. To address this, the NextGen group is establishing a networking platform. This digital social space is designed for younger staff to interact with peers, thereby closing the gap between different generations. It intends to bring unique perspectives to the table, ensuring each voice within the organisation is heard.
We’ve also set up a network of female colleagues who can provide advice and assistance to others throughout the company. In an attempt to create highly forward-thinking policies, McSweeney and her team have been co-operating with the ibelong programme in recent times. A new policy introduced in 2024 caters to all staff going through different stages of menopause, allowing them five paid leave days per year. New initiatives have also been brought forward to provide paid leave for those dealing with domestic violence and undergoing IVF or fertility treatments.
In addition, we’ve implemented an innovative holiday swap policy, acknowledging the cultural diversity within our organisation. This policy enables employees to trade a company holiday for a different date of more significance to them. Additionally, we introduced a ‘hear my name’ software tool. This application allows staff to record the pronunciation of their names, thereby addressing a common issue where people struggle with pronunciation.
These policies were initiated through feedback from staff and discussions with the organisation’s DEI Council, McSweeney adds. Our objective is for Gas Networks Ireland to serve as a supportive environment for every individual right from their induction. We are in the process of developing a workforce for the future and aim to retain our staff by providing support through their various life phases.
At Gas Networks Ireland, we often discuss our products and services. Yet, our employees are the true driving force behind our success. We strive to provide them with the best possible experience and recognise that our net-zero targets can only be accomplished with a strong people strategy in place.