DataIQ Awards 2022 winner – Best diversity, equity and inclusion: ITV

Name: 2024 DataIQ Awards
Start: 2024-09-26
End: 2024-09-26
Location: The Roundhouse, London

With the target of becoming a UK leader in streaming services, ITV has rolled out a diversity acceleration plan that will reflect viewer diversity on- and off-screen while improving diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Re-examining the recruitment process has led to female diversity reaching 52% and BAME reaching 33% across all levels.

Reflecting diversity on- and off-screen

With the target of becoming a UK leader in streaming services, ITV has rolled out a diversity acceleration plan that will reflect viewer diversity on- and off-screen while improving diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). ITV has a recruitment drive to fill 200 new roles and the data resourcing team has re-examined the recruitment process which has led to female diversity reaching 52% and BAME reaching 33% across all levels as the team has quadrupled in size in nine months.

A combination of data and AI has been utilised by ITV to create a culture of DEI in employment across every aspect, including brand awareness, outreach, sourcing, interviews, onboarding and each staff member’s first 100 days with ITV. This approach has allowed ITV to reach candidates from all backgrounds, levels and industries to reach 33% BAME representation.

This was achieved by attending events like Black Tech Fest, rewriting adverts for inclusivity, posting across platforms like EvenBreak, introducing Talent Pools, implementing a data referral scheme, and limiting bias with psychometric testing and diverse interview panels.

Combined with a gender-decoder in adverts and ITV’s women in data talent pool, applications from diverse demographics rose from 33% BAME/23% female in June 2021 to 46% BAME/29% female in March 2022. The diversity is further reflected within the senior leadership team which is now 67% female/50% BAME as well as two of the diverse leaders taking non-executive director roles in FTSE companies, amplifying the wider reach of ITV’s DEI. ITV’s data team has exceeded organisation-wide diversity targets of 15% BAME/50% female (achieving 33% BAME/52% female currently) and ITV has been ranked first for equality in FTSE 100 index for overall organisation wide commitment to DEI.