D&I at KVdL
Originally, we are a firm with a high level of gender diversity, for example, because from the moment we were founded (by 1 man and 1 woman!) we also give part-time employees the opportunity to enter the partner track. Diversity and inclusion is therefore an issue that we at KVdL consider of great importance. We are an organization that provides a safe workplace for everyone, regardless of everyone’s (cultural or religious) background, sexuality, social capital, etc. An office where everyone has equal opportunities. We encourage an open and honest culture and an atmosphere where people – regardless of position – dare to speak up and address each other, regardless of job level.
For us it is a given that the best teams are diverse teams, made up from people from different backgrounds. This is why diversity is a key theme when we source future talent. For our team members we invest in deep knowledge, capability development of hard and soft skills, irrespective of gender, age, nationality, sexual preference, ethnicity, disability, religion or background. We also encourage everyone to train, develop and utilize their experience for the benefit of the wider teams.
We signed the letter of intent of the Bar, promising to promote diversity within our profession. Furthermore, we believe that actively promoting diversity means creating an inclusive work environment that allows for personal growth, an environment where everyone has the headspace and opportunity to succeed, and to develop beyond their current field of expertise. This is why we embrace flexible working principles for everyone.
D&I Ambitions
In order to realize our D&I ambitions, we engaged an external party, who examined how to improve our diversity and inclusion strategy within Kennedy Van der Laan. More importantly, they also examined how we can effectively embed this strategy throughout our firm. We don’t just want to say that we have a strategy, we want to actually act on it and fully integrate our D&I principles into our culture so that it becomes part of our daily operations.
D&I Strategy
At KVdL, we have established a D&I committee led by our D&I Project Manager. The results of the survey are the foundation for our D&I strategy. It is our ambition to create support in all layers of the company and increase awareness of D&I even further.
Equal pay
In addition, we ensure that our HR processes are designed inclusively and transparently. Kennedy Van der Laan has one uniform salary house, making no distinction between male, female and non-binary.