Our people
TAUW is a proud employee-owned company with almost 1,400 passionate employees across Europe. Our deep commitment lies in building a more sustainable future for present and future generations. We actively engage in meaningful projects that contribute to a vital living environment. Within TAUW, our experts have the opportunity to continuously improve themselves and grow both personally and professionally.
Working at TAUW is more than just a daily job, it’s… a living ambition
We are TAUW
As we strive to achieve our 2028 ambition of becoming a leading European environmental consultancy, we strongly believe that our people are the key to reaching that goal. Their passion, expertise, and dedication enable TAUW to deliver true value to our clients. In a competitive labour market, it is crucial to be recognisable and distinctive. We understand that new generations of employees have different expectations from an employer. That’s why we conducted research into our identity as an employer, involving all TAUW Group employees, to clarify who we are and what we can offer our current and future employees. Because together we are TAUW!
Our employees particularly appreciate TAUW’s informal, people-oriented culture, which provides autonomy and ample opportunities for personal growth. 80% of our employees would recommend TAUW to its (social) network.
Top 3 employee motivators for working at TAUW
Recommendation
Strong community
Our employees thrive on sharing knowledge and aligning their goals. Collaboration is at the heart of our success. With this strength, we are able to make impact, whether it’s on a local or international scale. We foster an open and people-oriented community where everyone feels empowered to be themselves, learn from mistakes, and contribute their unique talents.
The power of international connection: Responsible Investing
By Souad Alaoui Sossai
As an international company, TAUW is working to expand its presence in Europe. One of our communities is already living that ambition: the Responsible Investing community. Souad Alaoui Sossai (TAUW France) is a member of this community and Sustainable Finance Regulatory Group. In this interview she tells more about the connection.
Join our community!
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Empowering young minds
The Young TAUW International network connects TAUW employees under the age of 36, the future of TAUW. While in previous years YTI organised international events, in 2023 they took a different approach: simultaneous national events in all TAUW countries, where more than 110 passionate colleagues came together. It wasn’t just about international connections and knowledge exchange; it marked an important step towards promoting the flexperience that has been part of the programme; international flexworking opportunities. Young TAUW employees have visited offices across Europe, with the aim of strengthening their bonds and building a truly connected future for TAUW.
Flexperience Young TAUW International
By Daria Volokitina, Lara Clerici and Annerieke Bouwman
Young@TAUW supports flexible work opportunities between the TAUW countries. We talked to three young colleagues who welcomed the opportunity to work in a different TAUW location for a time. Local colleagues made them feel at home, guided them on the job and after work there was plenty of time for going out and sightseeing.
We own TAUW together
Our achievements as a company are thanks to the dedicated professionals working at TAUW. We feel it is only natural for them to share in the success they helped create. That’s why in 2017, TAUW set up a new participation scheme, which gives employees the opportunity to acquire shares in the company’s capital. We keep the profits within TAUW, investing in our people and retaining our independence. By working together as owners, we create a better environment for both the planet and the success of our company.
Anyone with a permanent contract is given five share certificates but can buy additional ones if they want. Indeed, we actually encourage employees to purchase additional certificates and we aim to have a 70% employee-ownership of additional certificates.
2020
2021
2022
2023
Rewarding participation
By Gaspar Baleriola Sánchez
Gaspar Baleriola Sánchez has been a key participant in TAUW’s employee participation scheme since 2021. He is very enthusiastic about the opportunities and benefits it brings. Gaspar explains what the scheme entails, how it works and why it works.
Our human culture
At TAUW, we build connections. We care for our people, clients and society, actively engaging them in our mission. We’re dedicated to continuous improvement, enhancing both the quality of our services and the skills of our people.
Diversity & inclusion
Diversity and inclusion are fundamental at TAUW . We recognise that vital living environments, just like the solutions we design, flourish on a diversity of perspectives. Our passionate teams, with unique backgrounds and expertise, fuel our “diversity of thought” to craft the best solutions. We’re making strides in gender and cultural diversity, fostering a more inclusive culture where everyone feels valued. In 2023, 35,49% of employees and 30,89% of management were female and 0,07% of our employees registered as non-binary. We’re committed to continuous progress on this matter.
But it’s not enough to simply have diversity. We’re dedicated to fostering an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to be their authentic selves. This means embracing differences, encouraging open communication, and truly listening to one another. Our commitment is reflected in initiatives such as the Code of Conduct we established in 2023, the presence of advisors for dignity and respect and social safety sessions during the “Hey Are You Okay” week in the Netherlands. By celebrating our individuality, we can unlock TAUW’s full potential for innovation and success.
Division TAUW 2023
Country management teams division 2023
An inclusive culture starts with you
By Yacintha Mulder
Having an inclusive corporate culture is a great ambition and something that I want to stand up for. Not just for myself but also as a member of the Diversity & Inclusion working group. It starts with expressing yourself, being yourself!
Wellbeing & Vitality
Employee wellbeing is a top priority at TAUW. We believe a healthy work-life balance promotes long-term employability and overall success. Our goal is a happy, healthy and productive workforce that fosters a resilient and thriving organisation. We understand well-being encompasses physical fitness, mental health, and opportunities for enjoyment – after all, happy employees are productive employees! To support this, we implemented a variety of initiatives in 2023.
Wellbeing programme – TAUW France
Since November 2023, TAUW France has been offering a wellbeing programme that includes digital stretching and meditation sessions, as well as professional wellbeing advice for all employees. These 30-minute sessions take place every two weeks.
Vitamins at work – TAUW Belgium
TAUW Belgium utilizes the online tool Vitamins at work to measure employee sentiment, enabling them to respond to employee needs and foster a positive work environment.
Vitality day – TAUW Netherlands
In collaboration with KNZB (Royal Dutch Swimming Federation) TAUW NL and Syntraal organised its second Vitality Day – an action-packed afternoon in which almost 220 colleagues took part. Activities included swimming, running, playing golf or volleyball, bootcamp exercises and yoga.
TAUW is a partner of the Royal Dutch Swimming Association (KNZB) leading up to the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024. The partnership with the KNZB reflects TAUW’s past and future. Both TAUW and the KNZB contribute to lasting enjoyment of water.
OpenUp: Mental well-being in the workplace – TAUW Germany
When we talk about vitality we usually think of our bodies. Yet working in a consulting environment means working mainly with our minds. While we exercise our bodies to maintain or even improve our physical health, we tend to neglect our mental health.
So at the beginning of 2023, TAUW Germany introduced a mental health platform. Employees can choose from a wide range of topics on mental well-being, 1:1 talks, masterclasses on ‘stress management’, ‘mindfulness’ etc. Mental well-being exercises are not yet as accepted as physical exercise. But at TAUW we support mental well-being because we understand its importance.
Safe & Secure at work
At TAUW, we’re dedicated to creating a work environment where everyone feels safe and is empowered to speak up. Whether encountering a potential hazard in the field, a concern about social interactions, or an issue with data security, we encourage immediate reporting and even stopping work if you feel unsafe. We believe that together, we can build a culture of safety, inside and outside the office.
We take data security seriously. Every employee plays a crucial role in safeguarding our information. Our Data & Information Security Policy outlines our approach and expectations, but for easy reference, we’ve distilled it into 8 Golden Rules applicable to all projects and activities. To increase awareness further, we conducted a company-wide training campaign in 2023. A total of of 302 new employees enrolled in training courses and 165 current employees started the course. This training mainly focused on Information Security Awareness.
Building on our commitment to safety, we held our second annual TAUW Group Safety Week in October. This year, we introduced the “Hazard Wheel,” an innovative tool designed to sharpen everyone’s hazard recognition skills in our daily work. Many enthusiastic colleagues participated in a safety challenge during the Safety Week, and each TAUW country held local initiatives. By raising awareness through these engaging activities, we strive to continuously increase employee safety at TAUW. We prioritise a safe working environment from the start of our projects by actively recognising and implementing meaningful safety measures. At TAUW Group level, we elaborate closely on a corporate safety approach and programme by sharing monthly safety topics, statistics, and lessons learned.
2023 391
2022 314
2021 348
2020 262
2023 7
2022 1
2021 4
2020 5
2023 0
2022 4
2021 3
2020 3
2023 112
2022 108
2021 106
2020 98
2023 3.17
2022 2.36
2021 3.39
2020 4.23
2023 3.17
2022 0.47
2021 1.94
2020 2.64
* Number of recordable incidents per 1.000.000 man-hours
** Number of lost time incidents per 1.000.000 man-hours.
Unleashing potential
At TAUW, we cultivate a learning environment that nurtures continuous growth. Our employees develop their expertise through daily on-the-job experiences and collaboration with dedicated colleagues. We foster a flexible work environment, empowering them to switch between projects and personal development pursuits. To help employees reach their full potential, TAUW provides a range of development opportunities, from professional courses to personal skills training, giving them the tools they need to grow and take ownership of their careers at TAUW.
Bridging the gap through mentorship
By Mirte van der Vlis and Frank Volkering
TAUW employs experienced professionals and attracts bright young people. We want to retain that talent and foster a collaborative work environment. Mentorship is a small but significant part of our strategy to bridge the generational and knowledge gaps within TAUW.
TAUW Traineeship
For the past nine years, TAUW Netherlands has been organising a Traineeship programme for graduate students in higher education. During the Traineeship, young professionals are given the opportunity to discover their ambitions and participate in unique training programmes consisting of various workshops and peer supervision.
Together with enthusiastic fellow trainees, they form a committed, close-knit group, with which they gain many meaningful experiences.
The Traineeship programme consists of three six-month periods, during which trainees work on diverse projects in different TAUW departments and/or locations in the Netherlands.
Making impact
Our ambition is to help create a vital living environment. We are faced with environmental challenges which call for change and innovative strategies. Our employees adapt and help our clients to set and achieve realistic sustainable goals, preparing them for the world of 2050.
Seeing the big picture through Climate Fresk
By Baptiste Fillebeen
Baptiste Fillebeen is a soil and groundwater consultant with TAUW France, based in Douai. Already committed to environmental issues, he has now become hooked on sustainability. All thanks to an innovative game that is making an impact around the world: Climate Fresk.