Hugh Sullivan highlights how Crowe Ireland's graduate programme fosters growth and inspires success
In this interview, we sat down with Hugh Sullivan, an Associate Director in our Consulting department. Hugh has a strong background in management consulting and a genuine dedication to driving impactful outcomes. Through our Q&A with Hugh, we explore how Crowe Ireland ensures the support and readiness of graduates, what diverse growth opportunities are available and what initiatives foster collaboration and inclusivity at our firm for students looking to embark on our graduate programme.
How does Crowe Ireland ensure that graduates are supported and prepared for their roles during the graduate programme and beyond?
We use two main strategies for setting people up the right way:
- A ‘buddy system’ ensures that new graduates have someone with a bit of experience to help their transition to Crowe, and someone who can answer all of the normal questions that come up in a new job.
- Secondly we expose graduates to client work early and often. The focus of what we do is working side-by-side with clients, and they start to learn that approach on day one.
How do you personally work with graduates to help them develop their skills and reach their career goals?
A big part of skills development is about managing expectations. Helping new starters to understand what they ought to be able to do, and what is an appropriate timeframe for mastering new skills and abilities. We work with graduates to set their goals and monitor their progress.
What kind of growth and development opportunities are available to graduates, both during the programme and as they move into permanent roles within Crowe Ireland?
Everything from formal certified training programmes (such as degree programmes) to experiential opportunities (like work shadowing and short courses) are on the table throughout early careers in Crowe. The focus is on finding something that is aligned with the interests of the individual and the skills needs of the relevant department.
How does Crowe Ireland help graduates balance their work and personal lives, and encourage a healthy work-life balance?
Crowe has very active social and CSR programmes, which provide opportunities for the team to come together for reasons other than work. We also offer a competitive benefits package, resources and supports for the occasions when times are challenging.
How does Crowe Ireland approach diversity and inclusion when it comes to supporting and developing graduates?
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion is becoming increasingly important in our client work, and in our internal ways of working. We are continuously working to develop and improve in this area across the firm.
How does Crowe Ireland encourage graduates to take ownership of their career development and growth, and what kind of support is available to help them do so?
We have a professional development framework – this allows graduates and junior staff to think about and tailor their career development aspirations. This framework helps newer staff to plan and reflect on what would benefit their careers the most in terms of focus, training, and experience.
Can you describe any specific skills or experiences that graduates can gain by joining Crowe Ireland, and how these can benefit them in their future careers?
Working in our firm requires an extremely broad array of skills and capabilities. Graduates work as full members of the team from day one, gathering experience across multiple projects in a variety of sectors. For example, a graduate in Consulting can expect to become proficient in the management of complex projects, administration of consultation tools (online surveys, focus groups and one-to-one interviews), and a variety of analytical and technical skills ranging from analysis of large datasets to evaluations of legal and regulatory environments.
What kind of advice would you give to potential graduates who are considering applying to Crowe Ireland, and what should they expect from the experience of joining our team?
To me, the most valuable asset to bring to a career is curiosity. The desire to know more about a problem, to get under the skin of a client’s experiences, and a willingness to learn about new sectors and ways of working is essential to success in Crowe.
How does Crowe Ireland encourage a sense of community and collaboration among employees, and what kind of initiatives or programmes are in place to foster this environment?
The CSR and social programmes mentioned earlier are a component of the community side of Crowe. Another feature of the company is the collaborative and shared way of working that we have built up. Ours is a team sport and everyone’s success depends on the contributions of the full team. This sense of shared ambition and support is something we focus on from the moment a graduate joins the firm.
Crowe Ireland offer an annual graduate programme. Speak to us to learn how you can be part of the next graduate intake.