Diamond Award for cultural diversity: "It’s a wonderful award, but we’re not there yet"

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  • Diversity and inclusion

Which company is doing its utmost to give diverse talents a place in the organisation? You guessed it: ABN AMRO! So says the Talent to the Top Foundation, an organisation with 30 years experience in diversity and inclusiveness. They’ve presented us with the first ever Diamond Award for cultural diversity.

The award recognised us for our policy on diversity, our targets for greater diversity in director and senior management positions, our clear numerical goals and our insights into the composition of our organisation. Examples of this policy include the Future Proof Program and the Reboot Program. With the Future-Proof Programme we helps employees from different cultural backgrounds achieve their next career step with ABN AMRO. During the first edition of the programme, 70 percent of these participants were able to make that next step.

In addition, our pursuit of more cultural diversity is also reflected in our Reboot program, which offers jobs to talented ‘status holders’ (refugees with residence permits). By the end of 2023, we aim to have 80 such individuals working at AMRO. We are currently running a pilot project with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment to increase the focus on cultural diversity in our recruitment and selection process.

Encouragement

“This award is a wonderful recognition of what we’re doing,” Nicole Böttger, Head of Diversity & Inclusion, said. “But we’re by no means there yet, so we should also be suitably modest. We want to further increase the diversity of the people we appoint as directors and senior managers. So I see the award chiefly as an encouragement to us to redouble our efforts.”

“A diverse organisation is one that’s firmly embedded in, and reflects, society. Such organisations have been shown to deliver better performances,” Nicole stresses. “And are more future-proof. So we think it’s very important for everyone at ABN AMRO to feel seen, heard and valued. Which is why we’re working hard to create a culture of ‘belonging’.”

Do you want to know more about diversity? Then click here.

Robert Swaak, ceo ABN AMRO:

“It’s wonderful news that ABN AMRO has won the prestigious Diamond Award for promoting cultural diversity at work. This is truly something to be proud of. The bank has endeavoured for years to attract more colleagues with a multicultural background and to advance their careers. Our coaching program Reboot helps refugees to find jobs. And our Future Proof program encourages colleagues with a multicultural background to move up into more senior management roles. We aim to have people from culturally diverse backgrounds in 9 percent of our sub-top and 8 percent of senior management positions by 2025. Will we have accomplished what we set out to do then? No – even when we have achieved all the targets we’ve set, we’ll keep on working to promote a diverse and inclusive workplace. Winning this award is a tremendous encouragement along the way, and a tribute to the colleagues who engage every day with what it is that makes other people so unique.”