The engineering business is basically a men’s world and we aim to change that. This is why at Royal Haskoning we focus on the awareness of the position and role of women within our organisation. We wish to make Royal Haskoning more attractive to the labour market; more women should be attracted to work for us. However, this does not mean we are adopting a policy of positive discrimination. What we do want is to pay more attention to what women and their specific competences could mean for Royal Haskoning. We want to see women in executive positions, in project teams and as consultants. A diverse team is a better team.

What has Royal Haskoning done so far?
Royal Haskoning feels very strongly about diversity. The policy that matches this feeling should be deeply-rooted in all levels of our organisation. Jan Bout, chairman of the Board of Management was a member of the Ambassadors network in 2006, an initiative of the ministries of Economic Affairs and Social Services and Employment to give an extra impulse to the movement of women to higher or top positions. The members of that network are shaping this impulse by starting concrete specific activities both inside and outside their organisations.

In 2005 Royal Haskoning established a women’s panel which acts as a sounding board for the Board of Management and as an originator of several studies in this area. In the long term this women’s panel will turn into a diversity platform in a broader sense.

Moreover Royal Haskoning has taken part in the Women and Career fair in order to make women become interested in Royal Haskoning as a possible employer and also to make ourselves known as a company which gives importance to diversity.

The theme of our 2005 Social Report was women and diversity.

Several studies are being executed to get a better picture of what makes our female colleagues move. A few examples are a study into the gender particularity of our competences and a cultural barometer. The results help us to make sure that diversity is not only an item on the agenda but also a work in progress. Doing this we succeed in addressing our target groups on what is important to them.

A few concrete results:
In 2005 13,3% of the number of hired new employees was female; in 2006 the percentage was 24,1%
In 2005 27,5% of the number of employees leaving was female, in 2006 the percentage was 20,8%
In 2006 16% of the professional roles was filled by women, mid 2007 this was 14%.

There is still a lot to be done, but diversity is a subject we undertake with a lot of energy and enthusiasm. We are aware of our mission and wish to focus consciously on a diverse composition of our employees and benefit from their difference and similarities.