KPMG Law Advokatfirma AS, Norway > Kristiansand, Norway > Firm Profile

Diversity

Diversity and Inclusion is important and a strategic priority for KPMG Law Advokatfirma AS. We are committed to building an inclusive future for all. This means leveraging our diversity to bring the best of our firm to our clients. Diversity in KPMG is not limited to gender and we work structured to foster an inclusive environment where all our people can thrive, regardless of orientation, ethnicity, physical capacity, age, background and religion. We appreciate the value of different backgrounds and technical skills to be fit for future and in order to succeed it is pivotal to combine a strong inclusive culture with structured ambitions and concrete action plans. We acknowledge that representation is necessary but not sufficient to reach the potential of diversity.

As most professional service firms, law firms and consulting, the gender split is more or less 50/50 on a manager level, but then the percentage of female Senior Managers, Directors and Partners decreases. We believe that the key success factor to improve the split on top management level is to retain the resource basis from Manger to Senior Manager Level to maintain a more equal basis for further career development within our firm. We experience, as many of comparable firms, that female professionals leave the firm upon the first or second parental leave, and we are therefore conscious on what we as employer can do to retain our professionals when returning to work after parental leave. We believe that our initiatives should be gender neutral and that work/life balance is equally important for all our employees. Therefore, as part of our diversity structure, all performance managers are responsible for carrying out one-to-one meetings with our employees prior to and during parental leave and ensure a successful onboarding upon return. We believe that strong and inclusive leadership in this phase of our employees career is utmost important to succeed in retaining our best people.

KPMG is one of the founding partners for “Hun Spanderer” and She Conference. We arrange quarterly “KPMG Junior” for parents on leave, where the firms leadership present business relevant topics and where our employees can network amongst peers, exchange experiences and provide support to each other. Planned activities for KPMG the coming year is to establish a “buddy program” for employees on leave to ensure continuity and close connection with leadership and the employees. People and Culture in KPMG monitor career development, promotions and remuneration differences between men and female and when differences of more significance are identified, address this with performance manager and leadership in the firm.

The Covid-19 and remote work situation has been a challenge for us all, but we have experienced that it all in all has worked out extremely well and that the joint level of trust in our working culture is a tremendous asset. The feedback we have received from many of our younger employees is that the work/life balance has increased during the pandemic and that the challenge and stress in connection with balancing work and life has been reduced, especially for our employees with small children. We believe that increased flexibility in the future on where and when work is carried out, post Covid-19, may be a significant positive factor and we will as employer continue to offer this flexibility. KPMG has decided to sponsor all employees, regardless of level, with home office equipment to facilitate this for the future. That being said, we are conscious that the flexibility only will improve work/life balance if we “unlearn” habits of excessive availability after regular working hours. Work/life balance is annually measured in our Global People Survey.

To utilize and maximize the potential and value of a diverse employee base the leadership of the firm must be educated. In-depth and common insight on what diversity is, its value and knowledge on how to build an inclusive culture is key for buy-in and a common ground. Therefore 30% of our top management is currently undergoing a 6 months Seema Certification Program to become true diversity leaders.

We have zero tolerance for discrimination, bullying and harassment. Suspicion or knowledge of such will immediately be raised with the person concerned and disciplinary actions taken if necessary. On an annual basis we measure how employees experience “respect for the individual” through our Global People Survey. If the results are unsatisfactory, actions are taken.

We practice a life-phase personnel policy, meaning that we accommodate and acknowledge that different life situations require different needs and levels in goal settings. We strive to build a culture where it is safe to address concerns and challenges and that our employees trust that we as an employer go the extra mile to facilitate and provide solutions in difficult phases of life.

That our workplace functions well for employees with physical challenges or other individual needs is of course a minimum requirement.

KPMG Law has recently elected a female Managing Partner, Cathrine Bjerke Dalheim, with effect from 1. July 2021.