It is super important to ask everyone across your studio for feedback. Where in place, consider speaking with your diversity & inclusion ambassadors, inclusion committees or diversity & inclusivity employee resource group reps to ensure that information pulled can lead to tangible action points. 

We think it’s a great idea to send every employees quarterly pulse surveys, as well as more comprehensive annual engagement surveys to gather feedback, set goals and move towards being a more inclusive business.  

Some example questions that you could include on a pulse survey are: 

• Do you feel that you can be your authentic self at work? 

• Do you feel that your contributions are valued by the senior members of the studio? 

• How comfortable do you feel sharing your ideas, opinions or concerns? 
  Do you feel supported by your manager in reaching your career goals? 

• Do you feel the studio values diverse perspectives on a day to day? 

Setting up a mentorship program for underrepresented groups to utilise is a great way to provide guidance, career advice and a network of support. By providing these groups with tailored guidance, you are making an active effort to break down systemic barriers. 

 Remember that a one-off meeting isn’t really enough to make an impact, we recommend conducting a mentorship program that lasts around 6 – 12 months. 

Internships are a crucial entry point into the games industry, although it’s key to note that sometimes they can unintentionally exclude diverse talent. They are more than just simply providing a ‘foot in the door’, they are about providing real opportunities for interns to grow and learn, with the ultimate goal being: get hired. 

There is the perception that all interns don't need to be paid but this is not the case. In most cases, internships in the UK should be paid at least the National Minimum Wage (NMW) if they are classed as a 'worker'. This is typically the case if the intern has set hours, responsibilities, and contributes to the business. Unpaid internships are only legal in certain situations such as volunteering, shadowing only, completing a placement that's mandatory as part of higher education. Many talented individuals, especially those who come from lower-income backgrounds, cannot afford to work for free so a paid internship removes this financial barrier and allows for a wider range of candidates to join that pool of potential opportunity. 

Leadership teams and people managers need to be equipped with the right tools in order to develop equitable teams by providing equal access to means of development within the business. These types of disciplines within studios could be trained to foster an environment where employees feel safe to voice their opinions, share their ideas and give feedback without fear of judgement or backlash – this is what it takes to build a psychologically safe working environment. 

 Separate to this, hiring managers should also have a understanding of the complexity of unconscious bias and how this can impact the decision making within the hiring process. 

A reminder that material on this platform is not legal advice but we’re here to point you in the right direction if needed.