The INOU was delighted to start what we hope will be a series of Employers Talks on Tuesday, 4th February.
Edel McSorley, Operations Director with Mr. Price provided a great start to these talks when Edel gave a very interesting presentation outlining the Company’s inclusive recruitment practices. Edel advised of the significant increases in the numbers of Travellers, Refugees, People with Disabilities and ex-Prisoners that Mr. Price have recruited.
Edel highlighted Mr. Price’s values: Development, Inclusion, Equality, Diversity and Innovation and the importance of ensuring that these are ingrained in Mr. Price’s culture. It was also very good to hear Edel advise of the importance of Mr. Price’s commitments, including to community engagement, host employment expert sessions, to help reduce unemployment and develop a range of mentorships to support staff. Edel also provided a number of different examples of how these commitments work in practise.
The feedback from the event was very positive and we are very grateful to Edel and everyone who attended for making the online event such a positive event.
We are running these events as we know that there are a range of reasons why people can struggle to get jobs, including structural reasons. We know that not everyone does well with their job applications and at interviews. Events, where Employers outline their recruitment practices and provide useful tips and advice on the dos and don’ts at the different stages of the process, may be useful for unemployed people. These events may also further deepen the knowledge of Case Officers, Job Coaches, Employment Guidance staff and others supporting unemployed people.
While some Employers are very reluctant to, or will not recruit people because of ethnicity, age, disability or being unemployed for a long time, we also know that some Employers, such as Mr. Price are providing job opportunities for people who often find it very difficult to find work. We hope that these online events will also provide an opportunity to highlight different Employers who have developed inclusive recruitment practices.