Fostering Inclusion: Our Workplace Champions

We take pride in nurturing an inclusive and supportive work environment where every individual’s unique experiences and perspectives are celebrated. As we strive to create a workplace that embraces Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) as core values, we are fortunate to have a group of exceptional EDI champions among us. These champions embody the spirit of EDI, working passionately to foster a culture that values diversity, eliminates biases, and ensures that all voices are heard. We want to shine a spotlight on some of our inspiring EDI champions and explore what EDI truly means to them at Soul Assembly.

 

What motivated you to join the equality, diversity, and inclusivity champions?

 

Gavin (Lead Artist): Having worked briefly in the Netherlands (way back!) in 1989, where being openly gay was normal (unlike in the UK at the time), I’ve always been aware of and sympathetic toward diversity. My interest and involvement has become very much more personal recently through my 25 year old daughters, Megan and Amy, though. Megan identifies as non-binary, and both of them feel very much part of the LGBTQ+ community.

 

Bailey (Associate Development QA Tester): I believe it’s important to have many varied voices when discussing these topics.

I not only want to share my thoughts and experiences but to hear those of others; this is how I can better my understanding of others and be a part of making the company as well.

 

Sean (Junior QA Tester): Having faced discrimination in a past job, I want to help prevent that in the future.

 

Kieran (Experienced Programmer): I signed up to LimitBreak to be a mentor this year and as part of the process I undertook training to become an Ally for underrepresented and marginalised groups. After undertaking the training I was inspired to help and wanted to get involved as one of our EDI champions.

 

How do you define equality, diversity, and inclusivity in your own words?

 

S: Equality, diversity, and inclusivity are the means to allow people who usually suffer from general barriers to entry, to have those barriers lowered. We all have our own struggles in life, but being judged based on appearances or mannerisms should not be one of them, and where possible, for those who struggle more some considerations should be made to help them reach their full potential, even if the considerations would normally go against widely used work practices.

 

G: Gender, sex, appearance or other protected characteristics should never be a limiting factor in the workplace or life in general, and diversity should be welcomed.

 

What role do you believe our champions play in promoting equality, diversity, and inclusivity within Soul Assembly?

 

K: Our EDI champions can play a huge role in helping to create an inclusive environment for individuals from all different backgrounds. We can make sure that we continue to improve the company’s culture to make sure there are no forms of discrimination.

 

How do you approach challenging situations or conversations related to equality and diversity?

 

K: I think the main thing is to never avoid having these conversations. It is incredibly important to speak up if someone says or does something that could be discriminatory to another individual, to make sure that it does not go unnoticed. We all have a responsibility to make sure society is as inclusive as possible.

 

What are some of the main barriers to achieving equality and inclusivity, and how can they be addressed?

 

B: I think the biggest barrier is apathy brought about by ignorance. I think it can be very difficult for people to understand the need to strive for equality if they haven’t experienced inequality; this lack of understanding can lead to people not caring because as far as they know it’s not broken, so why fix it?

 

G: I think it’s mostly down to what’s accepted as OK. In many situations in everyday life it’s difficult to do anything about bad behaviour, however, I think in the workplace we should raise awareness and never put up with prejudice in any shape or form.

 

What are some of the current challenges or areas that still require improvement in the realm of equality and diversity, and how do you think they could be improved?

 

S: One of the biggest challenges I have experienced is the hiring process. Many companies don’t realize how much emphasis they put on language skills during the hiring process, be it from a person who is using a second language, those with a poor education or someone who has a disability such as dyslexia or a speech impediment. CVs, cover letter writing and interviews are required for all applications these days and for some, that is a huge uphill battle for their application to be thrown away because they made too many spelling errors, or mis-spoke during a video call. I think this could be improved, but it would require a change in the mindset of how the interview process takes place to reflect what the company really values.

 

Our commitment to EDI shapes the very essence of our studio. Our EDI champions stand at the forefront, illuminating a path towards a more inclusive workplace. EDI to them is about breaking down barriers, celebrating differences, and embracing unity. Together, they envision a future where our studio’s heartbeat resonates with the rhythm of true equality, diversity, and inclusivity.