Jerry O'Driscoll pictured in Duckett's Grove, Carlow
Jerry O’Driscoll, Account General Manager with DXC Technology, is originally from Cork. After working overseas and in Dublin for many years, his life changed when he married a Carlow woman and settled in the town in 2008.
“Carlow is a great town to raise a family in,” says Jerry. “We have education facilities that are as good as anywhere in Ireland. It’s a university town now, with the South East Technological University (SETU) Carlow campus, and also currently has major investment and building going on in many of the post-primary schools as well."
“We have great sports facilities and there is an ongoing investment with a new running track. I know my own kids are excited about the brand new hockey pitch that Carlow Hockey Club is getting later in the year!”
Prior to the Covid-19 lockdown, Jerry was commuting long hours on the N7 into Dublin. But as a result of the lockdown and a strategic pivot by DXC to virtual working, Jerry can now work from anywhere and most of the time, he works from home.
“Carlow town is my home now and I’ve no plans to move anywhere else.”
From commuter to remote worker
DXC Technology, a Fortune 500 global IT Services leader, has a significant presence in Ireland. Headquartered in Dublin, they have Business Continuity Centres in Dublin, Cork and Belfast, and Research and Development facilities in Galway.
They provide world-class IT services at scale from their Global Innovation and Delivery Centres in North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Australia to over 6,000 clients around the world. They solve complex technology challenges and transform their customers’ businesses through a workforce of more than 110,000 people. They provide services for Business Process Outsourcing, Analytics and Engineering, Applications, Security, Cloud, IT Outsourcing and Modern Workplace.
While working at DXC before the pandemic, Jerry would leave home before dawn and return late in the evening, leaving little time for personal pursuits and a work-life balance. However, as the world went into lockdown, DXC Technology recognised the need to adapt and enable its workforce to work remotely, efficiently and safely.
Jerry says, “We had to change the way we worked almost overnight and we migrated the vast majority of our staff to home working in a matter of days. We also had to support our clients and the changes they had to make in how they worked. Plus, we had to ensure that the businesses and clients were not impacted by these changes.
“As part of that, some of our staff, including myself, were classed as essential workers and were rostered to travel where required to ensure those businesses continued to operate successfully. When I look at the response of DXC to our clients during this period and the support we all got, it’s something we can be very proud of.”
For Jerry, the advantages of remote work were life-changing. He suddenly wasn’t bound by the daily grind of commuting, often not getting home until nearly 7pm and spending up to 15 hours a week in his car.
“Now my commute is a morning walk around town with my dog before I start work! My wife also works in Carlow and having the two of us working in the town has given us both so much flexibility. I can do the school run in the morning or nip out to collect the kids in the evening. There are times when I need to travel to meet a client or supplier, but the ability to work from there when I get on-site is now so much better.”
And Carlow’s unique characteristics have played a significant role in enabling remote work for Jerry and other DXC employees.
“We have some fantastic bars and restaurants, as well as the Visual Theatre and Arts Centre,” says Jerry. “You can be on the motorway in 10 minutes. If I do need to go to Dublin for work, I often take the train and can work on that in the morning and be in the IFSC in 90 minutes. Location-wise, it’s second to none and with property prices far more reasonable than in Dublin, it’s a great place to work from with a far more relaxed lifestyle.”
Getting support
Jerry says DXC Technology understands the importance of supporting its remote workforce to ensure a positive and efficient virtual work experience. Approximately 90pc of their staff now work from home, and the company has implemented several measures to promote well-being and productivity.
Employees are provided with all necessary IT equipment, accessories, and even furniture to set up their home offices. The focus has shifted from rigid 9-5 work hours to outcomes and results, offering employees more flexibility in managing their time.
“Remote and virtual working is now part of our core approach and culture. And we’ve adapted how we work to facilitate that, whilst continuing to ensure we focus on our client’s needs.
“From a personal perspective, it’s been a life changing move.”
To combat feelings of isolation, DXC employs various tools like Teams and Workplace to drive engagement between remote teams. Regular on-site meetings are also held to maintain a sense of connection among colleagues. And the company provides a comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme to support employees’ mental and emotional well-being.
“An important value for DXC is our approach to the community we live in too. We encourage our staff to get involved in local initiatives. That’s how I’ve been involved in supporting Carlow Local Enterprise Office for the last number of years by sitting on committees and also acting as a judge on the local finals of Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneurs (IBYE). It’s been great to see all of the local start-ups and established businesses we have in Carlow and to do a little bit to help them grow and prosper.”
Jerry adds, “For DXC, our focus is very much on growth - grow our business, help our clients to grow, and help our team to grow.”
You can find out more about DXC at dxc.com
