At Hijabis at Work, we are committed to making inclusive companies visible and inspiring others to create inclusive workplaces. As part of this mission, our founder, Hanan Challouki, spoke with Sovanna Hem (HR Business Partner) and Laurence Jacobs (Business Relationship Officer) from Agoria, an employers' federation representing more than 2,000 technology companies in Belgium.
In this article, Sovanna and Laurence share their insights into the challenges companies in the tech sector face and how they can take concrete steps towards diversity and inclusion.
Diversity and inclusion are now indispensable components of a successful business strategy. According to Sovanna, diversity and inclusion are about "embracing the individual." The focus must be on the person as an individual, without applying labels. "We need to focus more on competencies, skills, and attitude, and less on the labels we often use," he adds.
"An inclusive work culture means being able to collaborate in a pleasant and respectful way with people who are different, both internally and externally. It also means ensuring that everyone has opportunities and can seize them to grow," Laurence explains. This, of course, requires conscious efforts from management and every employee to recognize and break down biases.
The path to an inclusive work environment is not without obstacles. "One of the biggest challenges," Sovanna and Laurence say, "is a lack of knowledge on how to effectively implement diversity and inclusion." Many companies have the will but don’t know where to start or how to take the right steps.
“There’s a widespread misconception that diversity and inclusion are synonymous with anti-racism,” Sovanna points out. Diversity and inclusion encompass so much more. It includes visible diversity traits such as age, gender, and disabilities, but also invisible ones, like inclusive leadership and psychological safety. “What I notice in HR is, for example, a lack of tolerance for a single parent, even among white people,” Sovanna explains. When an organization works on D&I, it benefits everyone.
A specific focus within the discussion of diversity in the tech sector is the representation of women. "We have about 21% of women working in our sector, and 19% of women in leadership positions," Laurence notes. "I think there aren’t enough visible role models," she says.
Laurence, who has also served as a Women in Tech Ambassador, emphasizes, "We have work to do within our companies to ensure that the women working there also stay." It’s not just about recruitment, but also retention.
Companies should not only strive for equal opportunities, but also actively work to create a work environment where women feel valued and supported.
Creating an inclusive culture starts at the foundation: the recruitment process. "It’s essential to screen candidates based on their skills and competencies, not on labels or biases," says Sovanna. This means that hiring managers need to be aware of their own biases and actively work to neutralize them. "There are many personality assessments," Sovanna explains. "Personally, I’m a big supporter of the Core Talents method developed by Danielle Krekels," he says. "You look at intrinsic motivation, potential, and also the personality of the applicant."
Another important step is to establish clear, fair criteria for assessing potential within the organization. "When it comes to promotions, managers tend to recognize potential in men, but for women, they focus more on performance, like how many hours per week she can spend at work," Laurence notes. By creating procedures for how performance and potential are evaluated, companies can offer fairer opportunities.
"When we literally look outside and see who is part of our society, we have to acknowledge that too few organizations, including our own, reflect today’s society," Sovanna says. "Agoria preaches the importance of diversity and inclusion, so we must also walk the talk. We have to actively work on this, both for ourselves and for all the companies in the tech industry, and initiatives like Hijabis at Work can only be encouraged."
He adds: "Our slogan is 'Embracing technology, embracing ambition.' Well, we also embrace diversity, and we embrace Hanan, her team, and this website."
"At Agoria, we are setting up a program as part of our sustainability strategy," Laurence shares. "By 2030, we want to achieve a series of commitments for the entire tech sector in four areas, one of which is caring for people. For example, we want to improve the number of women in the sector annually, and activate both young women and older employees."
The tech sector is constantly evolving, and the demand for talent continues to grow. To meet this need, companies must take diversity and inclusion seriously. This is not only a matter of social responsibility but also of business success. "We’ve had so many studies showing that companies with diverse teams and inclusive leadership perform much better financially, in terms of innovation, and employee satisfaction," says Laurence. "There’s really no reason not to start working on it; the studies are there."
Sovanna and Laurence are optimistic about the future, but they acknowledge that much work remains to be done. Collaboration between businesses, governments, and educational institutions is crucial to making real progress. It starts with awareness but must lead to concrete action.
Diversity and inclusion are not passing trends but essential building blocks for the future of every sector. It’s a continuous process of improvement, with each step forward bringing us closer to a more inclusive society. By embracing diversity and fostering inclusion, companies can not only enhance their own success but also contribute to a better world for everyone.
Want to hear more about what Laurence and Sovanna have to say about diversity and inclusion in tech? Listen to this podcast episode of All Things Inclusive [Dutch].
This article was written as part of a partnership between Hijabis at Work and Agoria. We are grateful for Agoria's support of our initiative and look forward to continuing our collaboration for a more inclusive future.
