Improve Quality of Life and Nurture an Inclusive Culture

Astrid Berkman, Sector Managing Director, Arcadis

 IWD 2022

At Arcadis we strive for diversity and an inclusive culture and are proud that we reflect the diverse communities that we serve.

Our passion is improving quality of life and an integral part of that is creating a dynamic working environment in which individual differences are valued and celebrated.

Our most creative and innovative solutions are generated when our people can be themselves and contribute to their full potential.

To achieve this, we need to #BreakTheBias and that starts with asking ourselves the honest question whether we as a person are acting in the same way, saying the same thing, using the same words when we are speaking to people of a different gender and backgrounds.

We all have our unconscious biases, and it is up to us individually to recognise what they are and change them; that means we will have to stop, think, and truly listen to what the other person has to say and to reflect what our response is.

This will take time and we are on a journey to create diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging within Arcadis, so that we are a place where every Arcadian has the same opportunity to grow and develop their full potential regardless gender or background.

Arcadis ranks in the top 5% of companies in Europe for a diverse and inclusive workplace.

Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) workstreams have realized tangible results, including achieving the Disability Confident accreditation and winning the best mental health initiative at the Legal & General Awards.

We will be continuing our push to #BreakTheBias in 2022, creating opportunities to improve quality of life and nurture an inclusive culture within our business.