Ina Lüttmann on the D&I Week and being who you are at WUR

How did you get into this role?

‘I worked as an HR consultant at AFSG for the last three years. I indicated that D&I was important to me early on, and it rapidly became my expertise within AFSG. As such, I have worked with Eva Siebelink since October last year, spending eight hours a week on D&I throughout the organisation. I enjoyed that, and when Eva left, she asked me whether I would be interested in taking on a full-time position. I agreed and have been D&I programme manager since 1 September.’

What about D&I is so important?

Diversity and inclusion are sorely needed. You must be able to be who you are here, and we need an environment in which everyone feels safe, appreciated and committed. I am convinced that an inclusive culture contributes to a positive employee experience befitting a modern society. Hence, WUR has been actively implementing policies regarding gender, diversity and inclusion. But there is still work to be done. And although that will still be the case tomorrow and next week, we must take action.

Could you provide examples of actual steps that are currently being taken?

We had an interactive session on amended recruitment and selection procedures for professors. The process has been adjusted to leave less room for bias. The question remains of how we can implement policies to guarantee equal opportunities. To this end, an expert coach has been recruited to analyse processes and explain the ideal situation.

D&I Week is next week. What is the objective?

This week is a great way to enable people to experience D&I, discuss it, learn and become more aware of steps that have yet to be taken. Focusing on this topic for a week is excellent, but that is not where it ends. The objective is also to wake people up and make them aware.

What is not to be missed during the 2023 D&I week?

For example, there is a session in Omnia about the portrait gallery on Tuesday. What will it look like in the future? Creative thinker Giacomo Sardonini will present his ideas and explain his thought process.

And on Wednesday, Rolf Schrama, a sailor with a physical disability, will deliver a lecture. He will discuss the power of taking small steps and focusing on possibilities.

I believe the Being Yourself at Work session on Wednesday interests both employees and students. Clothing expresses values and standards, but to what extent can you be yourself in a professional environment? What if you want to wear a dress to work as a man? How do you find a balance between professionalism and authenticity? That is what we will explore during that interactive session.

What can people who have become inspired and want to contribute to D&I do?

They can actively contribute to a safe working environment. There is a session on this precise topic on Thursday called Crack the Privilege for an Inclusive Workplace by Mira Vasic. How you can further contribute depends on the context. D&I team interventions focus on making inclusive (employer) policies and managing diversity. For example, we were asked by the organisation, ‘We want more inclusion in our recruitment, but how?’. We provide advice for questions such as these. We are also invited for working sessions to explain what we do and to advise on policies and implementation. Becoming known is the first step towards improvement. Employees who have questions or ideas can always contact diversity@wur.nl.