Hays Ireland and Paralympics Ireland have announced a new partnership that will see the multinational, recruitment industry leader become the Official Recruitment Partner to Paralympics Ireland and provide career guidance and mentorship to members of Paralympics Ireland.
This is a first substantial step into sport for the Hays brand here, though they are partners to Manchester City in Britain so will have plenty of experience to call on in terms of making the initial two-year agreement work for all concerned.
The partnership will run until the end of 2024 and the promotion of workplace inclusivity will be a central part.
As part of the new partnership, Hays will provide recruitment and key hire support to the team; support Paralympic athletes as they transition from their sporting career into the workplace and build a network of like-minded organisations who want to ensure their workplaces are as inclusive and accessible as possible for everyone.
The latter part of this mission is of particular interest as inclusion becomes an ever more important priority across the workforce.
Being able to highlight the high-performance talent and skills of Paralympic athletes will open up a real opportunity for companies to highlight the work they are doing in making their working environment as inclusive as possible, according to Maureen Lynch, Operations Director at Hays Ireland speaking to Sport for Business at the launch.
“It is not only something that should be done but it genuinely makes the companies that get it right perform better.”
“The partnership came about organically through personal relationships but as soon as we began to look at it the more it really tied in with our values as a recruitment leader.”
“Elite athletes, including our Irish Paralympians, make huge sacrifices to excel in their chosen fields.”
“Their dedication, resilience and commitment to excellence are genuinely inspiring and are something that any professional environment can benefit from.”
“We know that making the transition from elite sport into the professional workplace can be difficult. So too is the challenge of balancing these two commitments in parallel. In the coming weeks, we will be publishing research, in parallel with Paralympics Ireland, looking at the challenges facing Irish Paralympians in making this transition.
“Hays Ireland wants to support our Irish Paralympians on this journey and help them harness their unique attributes of drive, discipline and focus to the next chapter of their lives.”
Hays is also conducting research with Paralympics Ireland to gain new insights into the challenges athletes face when seeking meaningful employment, and how workplaces can become more inclusive, the results of which will be released at the end of October.
Paralympic shotput athlete Mary Fitzgerald was also present at the launch and we will have a more detailed conversation with her in tomorrow’s Sport for Business.
“Paralympians have so much to offer employers, with their different perspectives and experiences being a real asset for any organisation,” she said at the launch.
“Diversity shouldn’t simply be seen as a buzzword, but as something that can bring real value. To help bring onboard former Para athletes, employers should do what they can to ensure that workplaces, and their recruitment processes, are made accessible for everybody.”
“We are very proud to announce our new partnership with Hays,” said Paralympics Ireland Vice President Lisa Clancy.
“Through this new agreement, we will be taking a holistic approach to help our athletes to be the best that they can be both in and out of the arena of competition and reach their full potential.”
