How can we improve diversity in the Games Industry?
Diversity in the Games Industry is a pressing issue, namely because diversity across the creative arts is waning. Embracing diversity demonstrably improves the performance of businesses and creative output, as well enabling the Games Industry to have wider reach in the UK and abroad.
Creative England have commissioned a report on social mobility in the creative economy and improving diversity within the creative industries. More specific to the Games Industry is a current campaign by UKIE including on the technical elements of creating interactive entertainment.
What practical steps can you take in order to improve diversity in the games industry?
- Apprenticeships – you can even have degree level apprentices
- Mentoring and Internships
- Work Experience through Local Authorities
- Public Engagement such as Talks and classes
- Embrace a flexible workforce with freelancers
Is increasing diversity in the Games Industry expensive?
The simple answer is: no, it actually saves money. The increased productivity from having a diverse workforce and supply chain significantly improves performance and reduces the amount of input needed to achieve the same output.
Taking on apprentices does come with an administrative overhead, all hires do after all. Many independent or sole-person companies such as those who work in construction regularly take on apprentices to the mutual benefit of employer and learner – it is perfectly possible for SMEs in the Games Industry to follow-suit.
Mentoring, Work Experience and Public Engagement are often directed by Local Authorities or associated non-governmental organisations to enable your valuable time to be spent on the work itself, and not the administration. There is often funding available to make it even easier.
Diversity comes in many forms and creative industries in the UK can grow faster and further by embracing diversity, improving equity and building inclusive workplaces. It takes courage to say change is needed and your efforts will often be rewarded by customers and the industry as a whole.
Enhancing diversity in the Games Industry is a process
At Hayachi Services we are a big fan of Continuous Improvement – nothing is an event, and when projects are completed they are handed-over to teams with sufficient resource to ensure they are sustained.
Improving diversity is like this, it can never simply be an event such as a “I hired one black person once, so we’re good on diversity,” which can often be exactly what candidates hear from prospective employers. This is unacceptable and flies in the face of good practice.
Like any business process change, especially a transformational change on diversity within the Games Industry and your business in particular, it has to be planned for. If it isn’t planned it will not be a good experience.
Hayachi Services include ESG in our Roadmap document because doing business ethically means implementing technologies in an ethical way. You can download a copy of our Roadmap using the button below.
Design diversity as one of the tools and considerations in your toolbox, it will become a routine that puts you ahead of many others in the industry and does a lot of good for your sector.
