Let’s Make the Best Games Ever! - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Let’s Make the Best Games Ever!

Developing a D & I strategy for widget game studio

Ashton consulting – April, 2017Slide2

Definitions

Diversity

:

Inclusion

:

Equity:

Diversity and Inclusion Strategy

:Slide3

Definitions

Diversity

:

Diversity is the range of human differences, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, social class, physical ability or attributes, religious or ethical values system, national origin, and political beliefs

.

Inclusion

:

Inclusion is involvement and empowerment, where the inherent worth and dignity of all people are recognized. An inclusive workplace promotes and sustains a sense of belonging; it values and practices respect for the talents, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of living of its members

.

Equity

: treating people fairly

Diversity and Inclusion Strategy

: A plan that allows Widget Game Studio to have a wider and deeper talent pool to recruit from, maintain an inclusive work environment and encourage all staff to work to their full potential and create

better games

.Slide4

Let’s Start at the Beginning – Why?

- Why does Widget Game Studio need a D & I Strategy?

Staff are homogeneous (mostly straight white dudes)

Diversity of background leads to diversity of thought leads to greater creativity =

better games

Who plays your games? Not just straight white dudes. Being more representative of your audience increases your understanding of your audience =

better games

Why do you want to produce

better games

? To be more successful and make more money.

- Why Now?

Increase in business requires hiring more full time and freelance staff. Good timing to be thoughtful and strategic about who to hire

there are funding requirements to consider (i.e. CMF Experimental gender parity rules)

No company is too small to develop a D & I Strategy. Each company’s strategy fits their situation and evolves as it does.Slide5

Developing a Custom D & I Strategy

-Step One: Leadership Buy-in ✔️

- Step Two: Employee Buy-in

P

urpose of this discussion. Ask questions. The goal is to understand why, how and your role.

- Step Three: Assessment (2 months)

How does the studio recruit, interview, evaluate and hire

What does the studio do to encourage all staff and freelancers to perform to their potential

What are the studio’s core values and how do they have to change to encompass inclusion

Employee survey with confidential self-identification of differences and assessment of current inclusiveness

How are the Toronto and Halifax offices different?

What external factors are relevant (e.g. depth of talent pool, funding requirements, legislation)

Are there specific audiences trying to reach (e.g. women, youth, specific ethnic groups), who play the games now?

Step Four: Drafting of Plan (1 month)

Management review followed by all staff review before finalizingSlide6

Rolling Out the D & I Strategy

Step One: Communicate Plan and Goals (1 month)

Communicate the plan to all staff

Establish measurable qualitative and quantitative goals

Identify who is responsible for reaching and reporting on goals, should there be consequences?

Step Two: Short Term Wins (6 months)

Strategy will identify short term wins that can be implemented quickly (e.g. Review website, does it look like an inclusive company, review language, staff photos, identify new recruitments strategies, job ad language)

Establish annual ‘pulse check’ survey for full time staff and freelancers developed with input from staff

Report regularly on activities and success to all staff

Incorporate D & I as one of core values in all corporate communications

Hire or promote at least one woman in key role to meet CMF Experimental 40% requirement

Step Three: Medium Term Wins ( 1 – 3 years)

Hire more employees and freelancers who are not straight white dudes

Develop employee training and leadership program, customized based on both company goals and experiences with D & I activities

Develop

inclusive employee policies

Identify company publicly as an inclusive company

Step Four: Long Term Wins (3 to 5 years)

Seen as a studio employees want to work at because of creativity (

better games

) and opportunity to meet individual potentialSlide7

Ongoing Process

Change will not happen overnight

Consultants will stay involved and help tweak the process as needed, depending on what works or doesn’t work.

Feedback from staff is essential

Share thoughts with immediate supervisor

Confidential feedback to consultant at

[set up confidential email]

Will be opportunities for discussion at roundtables at least once per yearSlide8

What Does This Mean For Me?

How will this D & I Strategy affect my job and my work environment?

Little additional workload for most beyond input on the strategy, annual surveys, round tables

Leadership and HR will be more involved in drafting the strategy, developing the core values, and adapting existing procedures and policies as the strategy directs

Managers will go through training to be more inclusive and learn new ideas re recruitment, retention and advancement

New hires will bring in a diversity of thought, new ideas, which will make

better games

Better games

will mean more revenue from more markets, bringing longer term stability to the company, growth, advancement opportunities

Existing staff will be energized and learn from those who bring different experiences to the table

Employment policies will be implemented that may improve the quality of work lifeSlide9

Let’s Get Started

Questions?

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