Commitment and collaboration

An EDI policy typically starts with the nine protected characteristics. However, a pioneering approach to developing an EDI policy would look to go beyond legal requirements, for example, by considering social mobility and/or intersectionality.

Take a look at an example from the British Council.

To create your EDI policy:

1. Before embarking on creating an EDI policy it is crucial to first set a specific vision on what your EDI policy is and its impact on your company and its customers. 
2. Review existing resources, such as this one from High Speed Training, which includes guidance and a free template.
3. Outline the behaviours expected from the workforce and ensure they align with the organisational and EDI values.
4. Clearly state that any form of discrimination, victimisation, harassment or bullying is unacceptable, in the form of a zero tolerance approach and statement. Set out procedures for dealing with complaints and reporting. Take a look at this resource from Acas.
5. Be clear about how to access support in general, or when reporting concerns. 
    

An effective EDI strategy should detail how the organisation seeks to improve its EDI outcomes over a defined period of time, typically with specific and measurable actions.

1. Set a clear EDI vision that articulates what EDI means for your organisation. Be specific about the type of culture you want your organisation to uphold;
2. Engage key stakeholders (senior management, board members, employees and trade union representatives) to create your EDI strategy - EDI strategies work best when they have the buy-in of senior leadership, and any Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). You can find more information on ERGs in the ‘Building an Inclusive Culture’ section (Link to Building and Inclusive Culture section for Creative Medium orgs once webpage created). 
3. Collect and analyse both quantitative and qualitative data (i.e. surveys, focus groups and interviews) to assess your current workplace demographics, staff experiences and identify any gaps specific to your organisation's needs and situation. This will help set appropriate EDI goals and provide a baseline to benchmark improvements against;
4. Set an EDI budget - it is important that your organisation has the resources to deliver on any commitments built into the EDI strategy. This budget must be proportionate to the gaps identified across your organisation as well as your EDI ambitions;
5. Identify the internal / external resources needed to deliver against your EDI strategy and upskill your teams on EDI best practice. Consider creating an EDI team or an EDI Committee to help engage employees across the organisation and work with senior management;
6. Put your plan into action and communicate progress regularly. Be transparent with your employees about areas where improvement is needed, and how you will go about this. Be sure to regularly consult and share your findings with your organisation’s board members and ERGs;
7. Senior leadership should visibly lead EDI and revisit the strategy on a regular basis in order to monitor and deliver progress.  Agreed goals should be regularly measured and assessed against results, and any necessary changes put in place.  The acronym SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-Bound) can be useful in setting goals.
    

This process can reinforce the EDI policy and support the wider intended culture of the organisation. By reviewing existing policies, it can also open opportunities for addressing how well the policy supports the organisation, where it is, and where it is planning to go.
When reviewing existing policies employers must consider the accessibility needs of their employees and clients. A key barrier for Priority Groups is accessibility, so when reviewing existing policies consider asking: 

• Where is their office? 
• Is the built environment accessible? 
• Does your website explain how to reach the office by public transport?
• Does it also explain how to reach the office if you are disabled?

Take a look at policies for HR, career progression, recruitment, and leadership development. Analyse how accessible these policies are to various departments within your organisation. This includes carrying out research, focus groups or using spotlights, as seen below, to consider the most inclusive and equitable practices. Consider working with a professional organisation to conduct a policy review to help you identify  and close policy gaps in your organisation.
 

A flexible work schedule is a great way to make your organisation more attractive to potential candidates, particularly if they have caring responsibilities. Reasonable adjustments ensure your organisation is inclusive to all, by meeting their specific needs. They typically will involve adapting working methods, procedures, or the physical work environment to mitigate against any potential disadvantage. 

Some employers in the sector spoke of the deeply-embedded culture that prevents flexible working from becoming the norm. Flexible working can improve employee well-being and morale, reduce sick leave, protect against burnout and ill-health, and increase productivity and career longevity. It is also a crucial way to support parents and carers, and help retain neurodiverse and disabled employees.

It is important to note that employers have a legal duty to deal with requests for flexible working in a reasonable manner, and offer an appeal process should the request be denied.
 

Senior leadership support for your organisation’s EDI ambitions is critical as they have influence over organisational priorities and can ensure the EDI vision is effectively communicated. Equally important are middle leaders and managers; without their buy-in, EDI is very difficult to embed.  Spending time ensuring they understand the organisation’s vision, values and expectations on EDI is critical to how the strategy is received and implemented.  

A maturity matrix is a useful tool to assess your organisation on EDI, review progress, and consider next steps. This can then be shared internally and externally; inviting feedback from both internal and external stakeholders can provide further opportunities for honest reflection and building on key successes.  View an example of a maturity matrix. 

Regular internal communication on your organisation’s commitment to EDI is crucial to keeping employees engaged with your strategy. Making your EDI commitment public ensures accountability of senior leadership, encouraging stakeholder buy-in. Communication around your EDI strategy should also invite views and feedback from both internal and external stakeholders. Where feedback isn’t positive, it is important to be honest about any challenges, admit mistakes, and treat EDI as an ongoing process of improvement.

Many organisations communicate their commitment to EDI by signing a pledge. This can be helpful in raising industry standards and encouraging open dialogue across organisations.

The Creative Industries Federation produced a guide for employers in the sector, which contains a step-by-step playbook for developing an EDI strategy.

Channel 4 EDI Strategy communicates an all-round approach, going from within the organisation out into the industry and targeting a pioneering position.

The BBC has an inclusion strategy built around six themes or ‘streams’ to create practical change.

BBC has a Creative Skillset Buddy Programme, which aims to upskill and train ethnic minorities into advertising. It also has BBC creative U, a 10-week advertising course in advertising hosted and taught by BBC creative to improve the diversity of talent entering the advertising industry.

• You can watch all the sessions from Ofcom’s All In: Diversity in Broadcasting 2021 event for key guidance on collaboration.

• BRiM is a cross-industry initiative created to improve the representation of Black people in marketing.

• What Next? is a free-to-access movement that brings freelancers, and small and large organisations together to debate and shape arts & culture.

• Rising’s mentoring scheme pairs young creatives with industry professionals working in a wide range of creative jobs. 

• Pocc is a creative network that brings like-minded creatives together through networking sessions, WhatsApp groups and talks. Pocc’s not-for-profit arm, For the Culture and Community, set up in 2022, supports a variety of community-led initiatives, campaigns, events, scholarships, film club screenings and member activities, with a focus on positively improving the lived experiences of creative professionals from the African, Caribbean and Asian diasporas.

Although current pay-gap reporting is only required for gender and for organisations with more than 250 employees, many organisations are understanding the power of collecting and sharing this data. It is also a chance to get ahead and put in place pay reporting measures that are likely to become law in the near future. 

UKMusic has recognised this in their 10-point plan, where point six calls on music trade bodies to support UK Music to move the reporting threshold to 50+ employees. 

As an industry with a high proportion of freelancers and micro-businesses, agencies also have a role to play here by voluntarily deciding to undertake and report on pay gaps.

The 50:50 Equality Project is a voluntary, self-monitoring system designed to fit into existing workflows. It is simple and flexible, with a methodology founded on three core principles: collect data to drive change, measure what you control, and no compromise on quality. The 50:50 Project aims to help content-makers discover new voices to better reflect the audiences they serve.

A shadow board is a group of non-executive employees that works together with senior executives on strategic initiatives. They serve to bridge the gap between junior and senior members, creating a direct line of communication for strategy building and future-proofing the organisation. Shadow boards can enable people from underrepresented groups to influence the decision-making and strategic direction of the employer.

EVCOM, an event and communication association, took on a shadow board as part of an initiative to boost engagement with younger generations and create a more diverse and inclusive culture.