Diversity

Our clients and those who regularly follow our blogs will already know that when it comes to financial planning, we are all about diversification and backed up by a plethora of evidence-based research, we believe long term planning is the key to financial success. Today however we are going to talk about a different type of diversity, investment and long-term planning.

At Metis Ireland we practice what we preach in all areas, including our team. We believe in investing heavily in our team and in the benefits of diversity; that having a wide range of diverse individuals makes us stronger and more successful and will contribute to our long-term success.

Diversity comes in all shapes and sizes. From hiring people with a wide variety of employment and educational background, to employing people from around, not just Ireland, but the globe brings differing experiences and opinions. Having a team made up of varying gender, age, religion, race, ethnicity, cultural background, sexual orientation, religion, languages, education, and abilities makes us stronger. Indeed, having people from Tipperary, Kilkenny and Limerick working in Metis Ireland has certainly made this GAA season a lot more exciting! And like the reaction of this guy to discovering Hurling (and Camogie!), it’s always enjoyable introducing our non-Irish teammates to the joys of our National sport. Of course, this works both ways and it has been a real pleasure to learn more about Poland, Croatia, America, India and Mayo from Marta, Martina, Avery, Manasa and Mary respectively.

So, aside from working with some wonderful people, what are the benefits of diversity to Metis Ireland?

A successful team is created when you bring together people who have a variety of different skillsets and experience. These different perspectives are particularly beneficial when it comes to planning and executing a business strategy. When a group of people who view something in different ways, this exposure to a variety of different perspectives and views leads to an increase in creativity; a melting pot of fresh, new ideas encourages innovation. Indeed, according to Josh Bersin’s research, inclusive companies are 1.7 times more likely to be innovation leaders in their market as they combine various perspectives producing novel ideas and opening doors to innovation.

According to the Harvard Business Review it has been shown that diverse teams are able to solve problems faster than people who are similar cognitively and Cleverpop’s White Paper found that when diverse teams made a business decision, they out performed individual decision makers up to 87% of the time. Making better decisions (Nice nod to our own White Paper there!!) faster leads to better business results and an increase in profits.

So, the above shows us that a diverse team makes sense for a smoother, more successful business but how does diversity affect employees?

In their report “Waiter, is that inclusion in my soup?” Deloitte looked at how Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) make employees feel. What they found is that strong levels of D&I in a company directly leads to higher employee engagement. Creating an environment where employees feel accepted and valued leads to higher levels of happiness in their workplace, stronger loyalty and longer staying power, thus producing lower turnover rates.

Companies who are dedicated to building and promoting D&I have a better company reputation, they are seen as good, more human and socially responsible. Being diverse makes your company look more interesting and makes it easier for many different people to relate to your company and brand, which opens doors to new markets, customers and business partners. Boosting our brand promotes us as a more desirable place to work which is a beneficial asset for attracting top talent from diverse talent pools.

We are proud of our diverse team and the work we put into ensuring we are inclusive. Over the coming weeks we will put the spotlight on each member of our team so you can learn a bit more about the people behind our ongoing success.

Sinéad Clinton
Head of Operations

Disclaimer

Metis Ireland Financial Planning Ltd t/a Metis Ireland is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.

All content provided in these blog posts is intended for information purposes only and should not be interpreted as financial advice. You should always engage the services of a fully qualified independent financial adviser before entering any financial contract. Metis Ireland Financial Planning Ltd t/a Metis Ireland will not be held responsible for any actions taken as a result of reading these blog posts.