Talk & Trust committed to creating socially safe workplaces

As a certified and registered counsellor and member of the Netherlands Association of Confidential Advisors (Landelijke Vereniging voor Vertrouwenspersonen, LVV), Carolien Reinking is dedicated to helping to create safe and inclusive work environments. TTo this purpose, she started Talk & Trust, a firm active at the interface between confidential advising and diversity and inclusion.

Carolien, you are an external confidential counsellor. Why do companies choose to hire someone like you instead of enlisting someone from within the organisation?

“Social safety is something every organization in the Netherlands has to provide for its employees. That’s legislated under the Working Conditions Act (Arbowet). Part of social safety is having someone who’s independent and impartial that people can talk to when they experience unacceptable behaviour. An internal confidential counsellor always

Carolien Reinking

has some kind of working or hierarchical relationship with the reporting employee. An external confidential counsellor, by contrast, is independent and impartial, lowering the threshold for employees to reach out when necessary. Professionality is another reason companies choose to have an external confidential counsellor.”

When it comes to issues of diversity and inclusion, what role can an external confidential counsellor play?

“Many reports I get are made in the context of either discrimination, bullying or sexual harassment. Within the first month of working for a new company, I give an all-staff presentation that starts with questions such as: ‘what is bullying?’, ‘what is discrimination?’, ‘what is sexual harassment?’ Some people don’t recognize their own behaviour as excluding others or bullying, and think they are just kidding around. But especially now, with so many internationals working in the Netherlands, it’s important to realize that different cultures have different norms and values. By listening and talking to a reporting employee, I gain an understanding of their background and try to advise and guide them in finding a solution to the issue they reported by starting a dialogue. That happens in consultation with the reporting employee. By engaging an external confidential counsellor, I think a company sends the message that it values social safety and prioritizes taking care of its employees.”

What kind of companies do you work for, and do you see the same issues coming up?

“ I work for a wide variety of clients, and I see more or less the same issues occur. On a contract base I conduct confidential exit interviews when people leave their jobs. Exit interviews are aalso provide important information on how a company can be more inclusive and diverse. They provide insight into the culture, management, degree of inclusiveness and how to make changes for a higher retention rate.”

What is your mission?

“Inclusive company cultures have happier working relationships. A social safe environment is extremely important. I love helping companies embed a safe environment in their DNA. That way, employees feel free to speak up. Some examples of the companies I work with are Page Group, Validata Group, HaynesPro bv, Impress bv, Libertas Pascal, Probook andthe Van Gogh Museum. My mission is to create a socially safe workplace with you or your company!”