Actiris Diversity Plan: inclusion in recruitment

Brussels is strengthening its commitment to inclusion with the Diversity Label. This initiative of the Brussels-Capital Region supports companies in adopting inclusive practices, for the benefit of their teams and their performance.

The Diversity Label, an initiative supported by the Brussels-Capital Region, helps companies to implement inclusive policies, with a clear objective: to guarantee equal opportunities and improve the performance of each structure. Since its creation, more than 300 companies have already benefited from it, but there are many others in Brussels that could also benefit from it. The label, awarded by the Brussels Regional Public Service for Economy and Employment, is based on tailor-made work carried out by Actiris. Interested companies have access to personalised advice, with specific support leading to the award of the label. This is what the employment organisation calls the ‘diversity plan’.

The diversity plan by Actiris

Since 2008, Actiris has been supporting diversity through a global plan aimed at making the diversity and inclusion policy accessible to all types of companies in Brussels, whether small, medium-sized or large, and in all sectors. ‘The plan is tailor-made. We visit the company directly to carry out a qualitative analysis with a representative working group. We then help them to identify relevant and achievable actions, while remaining ambitious. The aim is to break down these major objectives into affordable stages,’ explains Brechje Moerman, diversity consultant at Actiris.

Companies then have two years to implement these actions. ‘Some actions can be postponed to a future plan if they cannot be carried out in the first plan,’ she points out. Actiris is also responsible for guiding companies in the choice of actions and the order in which they should be implemented.

The selection criteria are well-defined and focus on six priority target groups, according to the Brussels region's criteria: young people under 26, people over 45, people with disabilities, people from other origins, people without a secondary school diploma, and newcomers who do not yet have a diploma or equivalent recognised by the Belgian state. ‘Secondly, we pay particular attention to gender balance and to people with different gender identities and sexual orientations’, the advisor explains. The analysis takes into account all aspects, from recruitment to career management, including training and career path management. So the idea is not just to look at visible labels.

Findings: differences and progress

The research carried out by Actiris reveals that the diversity and inclusion gap in many companies is quite variable. In some of them, especially in the social sectors, the Brussels employment office notes a real desire to be inclusive, but after an in-depth analysis, there is often room for improvement, even if actions are already in place.

Other companies, on the other hand, reveal a more pronounced homogeneity in their teams, often linked to the same educational or professional background. ‘There are always target groups that are less represented and could be more so’, says Brechje Moerman, even when it comes to in-house personnel. She adds that, even in a company that is already inclusive in its team, there is always room to improve and encourage inclusion, both in the composition of teams as well as in recruitment and human resources management processes.

Promoting diversity with Actiris and BECI

As part of this diversity plan, Actiris is partnering with BECI to organise themed events aimed at promoting recruitment in Brussels companies. Every month, the two partners invite employers to find out about the different ways of recruiting (always in an inclusive way), depending on the professional sector: hospitality, technology, logistics, etc. For Actiris, organising this type of event with employers' organisations and company representatives makes sense for promoting diversity: “We have noticed that BECI is very active in this type of subject”, explains Brechje Moerman.

These events allow companies to share their practical experiences. ‘That's what inspires people. It's important that we're not the ones intervening,' the diversity advisor explains, adding that in this way, it's not Actiris that imposes the diversity plan, but the companies themselves that take the initiative, because they are inspired by other employers who come to share their experience.

For 2025, Actiris is planning new initiatives to further promote diversity in the workplace, including training courses dedicated to religious practices and the integration of religious symbols in the workplace.