Statistics Netherlands making strides in diversity and inclusion
Skills and talents
CBS is an open organisation that values everyone's contribution and opinion. With over 2000 colleagues working in three different locations, CBS aims to ensure that its workforce reflects wider society and to leverage the differences between people in a way that strengthens the organisation and the teams that work within it. Employees’ qualities, skills and talents always remain our key priority. CBS also recognises the importance of diversity and inclusion and works actively to facilitate this across the organisation. It has therefore integrated diversity and inclusion into its policies and objectives. One person who knows all about this is Senior Policy Officer Merlijn Bouwman. He is one of the authors of the Diversity and Inclusion paper that was approved by CBS’s Executive Board in late 2023. He is also a member of CBS’s Inclusion and Diversity Committee.Initiatives across the board
‘We’ve made an energetic start on the Inclusion and Diversity Committee in 2022. The committee is a mixed group of people from our locations in The Hague and Heerlen. The Executive Board supports our activities. In order to define our goals, we’ve drawn up an internal manifesto in which we say who we are and what we’re working for. Our annual plan reflects the activities that we undertake to create awareness on diversity and inclusion among CBS colleagues. One of the activities we organised was a screening of the film El Houb, followed by a discussion with the Director. The film is about a young Moroccan man who comes out and we see how the people around him react to this. In recent years, we’ve also celebrated the Keti Koti festival that takes place annually on 1 July. This is the day when the history of slavery in Suriname and the Netherlands Antilles is remembered and freedom is celebrated. In addition, a queer network has been launched and the National Coordinator for Racism and Discrimination has given lectures at both CBS locations. A number of enthusiastic colleagues also participated in ‘Pride The Hague’ on 17, 18 and 19 May this year. At the beginning of October, we will be holding a week with all kinds of diversity-related themes. In short, there are plenty of initiatives going on!’Significant steps forward
The memorandum on diversity and inclusion was presented and approved by CBS’s Executive Board at the end of 2023. ‘At the same time, it was closely linked to two other themes: social safety and the Jobs Agreement Act, which aims to help people who have not been a part of the labour market to find work’, says Bouwman. The Cultural Diversity Barometer was launched internally to check the state of cultural diversity at CBS. 'The picture that emerged from the Cultural Diversity Barometer was partly in line with our expectations, which were based on the demographic composition of CBS’s workforce. But it has also produced some surprises. For example, 20 percent or our organisation is made up of employees who were born outside the Netherlands [editor’s note: either born outside the Netherlands or born in the Netherlands with one or both parents born outside the Netherlands]. That is above average compared to other government organisations. In short, we have already taken quite a few steps in the right direction, but there is also still a lot to be done.'
Political refugee
One CBS colleague who adds to the diversity of the organisation is Reza Samie Fanny. He is originally from Iran and has been working at CBS since 2016. He came to the Netherlands as a political refugee in 1993 after spending five years imprisoned in his home country as a result of his involvement in political activities. ‘In Iran, I studied mathematics and physics during the evenings. That was because the regime at that time did not allow me to go to university. In the Netherlands, I waited seven years for a residence permit. In the meantime, I started studying so that I could work in the graphics industry. I then attended the Academy of Art and Design in Breda. During the day, I was working in a factory,’ explains Reza. It was difficult to find work as a graphic designer, so he decided to study ICT at the Fontys Hogeschool in Eindhoven. He passed all the modules within three years. ‘After that, I worked as an IT specialist at several companies, including Human Capital Care in Eindhoven and St Antonius Hospital in Utrecht.’Knowledge and skills
Seven years ago, Reza joined CBS as a Software Engineer. ‘The culture at CBS is very different from most commercial organisations I have worked for. Profitability was a major concern there, while at CBS other things are important. It’s a dynamic, modern organisation and I felt valued here right from the start. My colleagues are very friendly and they show a genuine interest in my stories about life in Iran.’ Reza is happy with the opportunities he has at CBS. ‘Before I started working at CBS, I wrote quite a few cover letters in the course of three years. Without much success, probably because of my background and surname. That was different at CBS. I was invited to work here based on my knowledge and skills, and I’m still happy about that every day.’
Quantitative research
Another CBS colleague with a diverse background is Farley Ishaak. He studied public administration and then worked on quantitative research for various employers. In 2013, he started his career at CBS. ‘I’m production manager in the team that focuses on the construction sector and property prices. We work on publishing trends in house price every month, among other things. It’s an interesting role because I’m involved in the whole process of preparing the statistics, from start to finish. I’m also doing PhD research at TU Delft on price statistics on commercial real estate. It’s a complex subject, but it’s a great opportunity to develop new scientific insights.'Always felt welcome
Ishaak was born in the Netherlands and his parents are originally from Suriname. He sees himself as both Surinamese and Dutch. ‘Sometimes I feel more Dutch and at other times more Surinamese. It depends on the situation. For instance, we celebrate Dutch holidays, like Sinterklaas and Christmas. Then I feel more Dutch.’ Ishaak has always felt welcome at CBS. ‘I can just be myself here and CBS offers plenty of opportunities for personal development. For example, I can do my PhD research at TU Delft and work at the same time. That’s a great combination.’Related items
- Website - Careers at CBS