DEI an unlikely faultline in Irish-American relations
I don’t know how many of you saw the story on TechCentral recently concerning the Stelfox Salary Guide 2026 based on a survey of its database of 600 employee candidates and 300 employers.
I’m glad to say that it made for interesting reading because it highlighted potential areas of conflict between employers and employees and, at an even higher level, between US multinationals kowtowing to the Trump administration and its opposition towards DEI and companies in Ireland that are increasing their support for initiatives bolstering diversity and fairness.
But before we look at those intriguing findings, let us dispense with the AI focused content. The report found that AI adoption in Irish businesses surged to 91% in 2025, almost doubling from 49% in 2024, placing Ireland ahead of many of its European counterparts. It noted half of Irish companies believed AI would directly enhance productivity, an 18% increase on last year. Some 8% of tech employers surveyed had gone a step further, adopting an AI-first strategy by integrating it across every division.
Jennifer Dillon, managing director of Stelfox argued that AI had “moved from buzzword to business essential. What’s remarkable is not just how quickly Irish companies are adopting it, but how deeply it’s reshaping the skills market. Ireland’s combination of a strong tech ecosystem, skilled workforce and supportive policy environment, puts us in a leading position to harness AI’s full potential”.
Right, now let us look at some of the other findings, starting with hybrid work. As we all know, there have been moves by employers to try and force workers to return to the office but the survey suggests many employees are highly resistant to losing flexibility in their work. A whopping 92% said they would leave their current role for one offering greater flexibility.
Who in their right mind wouldn’t? To a certain extent, the Covid pandemic opened the Pandora’s box on remote and hybrid working and there’s no way to close it. Not unless every single organisation and business in Ireland mandated compulsory five day office working for all employees overnight. Which is very unlikely when remote and flexible working is perceived to be a competitive advantage for companies seeking to attract workers.
As Dillon commented: “Flexibility has become the deal-breaker. Companies that insist on rigid structures are finding it harder to attract or retain talent. There’s no one-size-fits-all model, but flexibility has to be part of the package.”
Another issue highlighted by Stelfox was the rise in “the multigenerational workplace” with five generations, traditionalists, baby boomers, Gen X, millennials and Gen Z, all active in the workforce. Dillon describes this as “a real blending of experience and innovation” but I wonder if this isn’t more a sign of a return to normal times. Most businesses in days gone by included people of all ages in their workforce. It shouldn’t be that remarkable, should it, if the same thing is happening now?
One of the most significant issues, however, is the growing divide between Irish companies and US multinationals over DEI, a divergence in strategy which I find very encouraging personally.
By dumping their commitment to equity and inclusivity, the US multinationals have opted to advance mediocre white men (because it’s nearly always men) at the expense of equally qualified (frequently more qualified) women, people with a different skin colour, sexual orientation, or nationality.
The new progressives
Ireland, by contrast, is moving in the opposite direction. Stelfox highlighted commentary by CIPD on the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 that found four times as many employers (47%) were prioritising diverse talent pools to expand talent availability compared to two years ago (10%). Nearly nine in 10 organisations in Ireland (87%) had DEI initiatives and 60% were planning to run comprehensive DEI training for managers and staff. Just under three quarters (73%) had plans for pay equity reviews and salary audits, close to double the global average of 39%.
In the tech world, this is particularly welcome because it’s pale and male enough as it is. Anything that can serve to counter the appeasement displayed by some of the most high-profile leaders of the tech world in the US to the dismantling of DEI initiatives should be celebrated.
Finally, I’d like to highlight this sentence from Stelfox’s announcement: “As Ireland’s economy grows, demand for specialised skills is intensifying, particularly in AI, cyber security, Big Data analytics, robotics and the green transition.”
While it’s not surprising to see “the green transition” bringing up the rear in that sentence, I’d argue it should be the first priority. I suppose it’s good news that the green transition is being acknowledged at all but I can’t help thinking it ought to be top of the list because everything else should be dependent on it. The green transition is the bedrock for our future and we should acknowledge that by treating it with the urgency it deserves.
All today’s ‘trendy’ technologies will be worth nothing if we fail to achieve net zero. In fact, they will prove positively harmful if they hinder overall efforts to reduce carbon emissions and mitigate climate change. Right now, it’s hard to see how the gadarene rush to build massive AI data centres that consume vast amounts of energy will do anything but undermine our efforts to achieve a green transition.
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