Netherlands lagging behind in terms of workplace diversity

Today is Diversity Day in the Netherlands. And while many Dutch companies say they are committed to improving diversity and inclusivity in the workplace, less than half are actively pursuing this objective, a study by Top Employers showed. That puts the Netherlands behind many other countries in the rest of the world, AD reports.

Research by Top Employers showed that 77 percent of Dutch organizations chose diversity and inclusivity as their top priority. Of that group, 65 percent formulated an HR strategy to improve, but only 45 percent set measurable goals.

"The Netherlands is lagging behind compared to the rest of the world, but also Europe," Steven Hormann of Top Employers said to AD. "We often see that companies find it a challenge to find a good starting point, which makes it difficult to work in a structured way towards diversity and inclusivity."

That doesn't mean nothing is being gone. The study showed that over half of companies regularly provide awareness training to increase diversity and inclusivity, compared to only a third two years ago. But the Netherlands' business world still has a long way to go.

Diversity and inclusivity will only become more critical in the labor market in the future, Hormann said. "Equality is becoming increasingly important in the world. But it is also very practical with the shortage in the labor market. If you become a diverse and inclusive organization, you as an employer are more interesting for a larger target group."

This year is the third edition of Diversity Day in the Netherlands, an initiative of the Social and Economic Council (SER). On Diversity Day, Dutch companies and organizations pay attention to diversity in the workplace to show that "a mix of people with different cultural roots, sexual orientation, age, gender, or capabilities" is a good thing. This year 337 different companies and organizations are participating.