While policies to promote diversity, equality and inclusion – “DEI” – have come under fierce attack in the US, they’re a badge of honour for one Irish builder and civil engineer.
PJ Hegarty has achieved the “Investors in Diversity Gold” accreditation by the Irish Centre for Diversity (ICD), a charity and diversity trainer.
It’s now one of just 28 organisations in Ireland to have the Gold accreditation.
Founded in 1925, PJ Hegarty has offices in Dublin, Cork and Limerick, and London and Birmingham in the UK.
It started implementing DEI policies in 2020 and they’re now bearing fruit, to the point where the company refers to itself as “Ireland’s most progressive building company”.
This year, the ICD’s assessment gave it an official inclusion score of 88.8%, some 10% above the national all-sector average. The score is calculated from a staff survey. It’s up nearly 5% compared to 2022.
The company also outperformed its peers in the Irish construction and engineering sector, which has an average inclusion score of 79.5%.
Leading by example
The survey asks staff if they feel they’re treated fairly, with respect, and are valued for their differences.
The ICD assessment noted the company’s new three-year strategy which updates maternity, mental health and wellbeing policies.
The policy applies to staff development, staff appraisals, and recruitment processes.
The ICD praised the company for leading by example, and for offering diversity training to subcontractors and partners.
Maurice Killeen, PJ Hegarty operations director and chair of the company’s DEI steering committee, said that “fostering a diverse, inclusive, and supportive environment to reflect [staff’s] needs and societal change more broadly has been central to our culture and long-term business strategy.
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