My colleague Houda Zaït attended the 2026 Technology Inclusive Award. There, companies demonstrated how attracting, retaining, and developing diverse talent works in practice. Read her findings in this blog post.
Image: Techniek Nederland (LinkedIn)
Making inclusive work tangible
Yesterday, I represented the Refugee Talent Hub at the 2026 Technology Inclusive Award. With this award , Techniek Nederland , Wij Techniek, and SER Diversiteit in Bedrijf (SER Diversity in Business) are spotlighting companies that attract, retain, and develop diverse talent. It's telling that the sector is taking ownership of this initiative. Diversity and inclusion are not a side issue, but integral to how the industry wants to move forward.
The Techniek Inclusief Award demonstrates how inclusive working can be implemented in practice. The award is intended to inspire all companies in the technology sector. It demonstrates that technology truly is for everyone. By showcasing good examples, diverse talent becomes not an unknown concept but a clear added value for smart teams, better results, and greater job satisfaction.
The winners receive their prizes. Minister Mariëlle Paul (Social Affairs and Employment) also spoke.
It can be done: small and large companies demonstrate it
Installation company De Haan , winner in the SME category with approximately 70 employees, demonstrated the power of inclusion. Their message: give people a chance, trust them, and support your employees, even when it's sometimes difficult. As director Janneke Willaert-de Haan aptly puts it: "Inclusion means standing by someone, even when things get tough."
Breman , winner in the Large Enterprise category, encourages other companies in the sector to also work with newcomers. Their approach is ready-to-use. All steps, tips, and lessons are available online . Anyone can download and use them. How cool is that?
Marleen Breman, Inclusion Manager at Breman, put it aptly: "We see so many amazing talents. It's simply bizarre that companies aren't taking this step."
Minister Mariëlle Paul (Social Affairs and Employment) also urged employers: "Don't look at vacancies, but at labor potential. Employers! Inspire and motivate each other to believe it can be done."
Getting started tomorrow
What struck me was that the attendees share the same starting point: newcomers are professionals who happen to be born somewhere else. This is something we've long emphasized at Refugee Talent Hub. The nominees' passion was infectious and demonstrates that inclusive work doesn't have to be the exception, but can become the norm.
Like companies like De Haan and Breman, we have extensive knowledge and experience hiring newcomers. We're happy to share practical tips and real-world examples in ourknowledge base that you can apply tomorrow. For example, explore:
- 5 tips from employers for new talent
- 5 tips for working on inclusion
- tips & tricks for setting up sustainable learning and work trajectories
- the Energy Skills program
Want to talk more about newcomers in tech? Email me at houda.zait@refugeetalenthub.com.