Recession to 'hone and sharpen' talents of Irish business leaders

THE RECESSION will test the resolve of Irish business leaders but their companies "should emerge a great deal healthier" when the economy stabilises, according to Sir Gerry Robinson.

Sir Gerry, a business adviser and television executive, said most people in management positions have never experienced anything like the current economic situation, but he believed Irish companies were in a position to ride out the storm.

"It will test people's mettle; it will test those who are able to lead, and those who are good enough will be able to see their employees through these times."

He said Irish business people around the world have demonstrated strong leadership skills by claiming "a disproportionate share of senior management positions", with their inclusive and encouraging style. They would have to exhibit such strength in the current climate. "I think these talents will get honed and sharpened in the next three to five years, and I think we will emerge with people who are far better than they were going into it."

Sir Gerry was speaking to The Irish Timesyesterday during the Irish Management Institute's Cultural Diversity Conference.

The conference, which was attended by some 100 business people, explored the advantages diversity can bring to companies.

He said there was a tendency among employers not to see the quality in employees from a different culture beyond a certain level, but that the recession could see hard working immigrants rising through the ranks. "Immigrants are driven to make things happen . . . I guarantee some of them will be brilliant," he said.

The Minister for Integration, Conor Lenihan, said immigrants have made an enormous contribution to the success of the Irish economy in recent years, and he described the notion that foreign nationals were a drain on social welfare resources as ridiculous.

"A lot of immigrants, up to 80,000, have left, and the unemployment figures would be a lot worse if they were of the mind to draw social welfare after two years, which they are entitled to."

Mr Lenihan said immigrants comprise 10 per cent of the population, and were mainly filling jobs they were over-qualified for.

He said the number of immigrants on the Live Register was increasing, but the Government was striving to find ways to "progress" these people, as well as 300,000 others in the State who left school without a Leaving Cert.

"It's in our interest to try to reskill people, particularly in a time of recession. We're talking to Fás about upping their game in this area because we can't survive as an economy in the medium term with huge numbers underemployed or over-qualified for their jobs, as it's not in the interest of the labour market."

Niall Crowley of the Equality Authority said the organisation's casework showed that a significant strand of Irish employers were continuing to respond to cultural diversity with discrimination.

He called for stronger enforcement of employment equality legislation to tackle common complaints, including harassment, unequal pay, poor access to leave and recruitment discrimination.