Last in, first Out.
The UK Games Industry Workforce Demographics Survey has been released, and it is unfortunately showing an unsurprising but troubling trend when it comes to diversity and inclusion.
We are slowly but surely slipping back into old bad habits, having gone over the data, it shows the age-old trend of: ‘Last in, First out’ when it comes to diverse individuals working in the industry.
‘Last in, first out’
Let me break down exactly how this structural backslide is happening.
The census shows a decline in junior-level job advertisements and a corresponding drop in the representation of people in junior roles. Since entry-level hiring has all but ground to a halt, this pathway that would bring in new diverse talent into the industry has been closed off. Ergo, we are restricting the people from entering these rooms in the first place.
The industry has faced so much upheaval, including massive downsizing and a loss of jobs. These roles are more often than not are the junior and mid-level roles. These are the exact tiers where diversity is currently concentrated; the massive wave of redundancies has disproportionately impacted diverse professionals.survey
Unsurprisingly, the data shows that senior roles, which remain dominated by older, less demographically diverse men, have seen an increase.
This is a glaring disparity and an indication that some roles are above reproach; in essence we are preserving the status quo at the top level while allowing the more diverse foundation to erode beneath it.
And it is the foundation that is the most fundamental to the industry’s growth. Yet, the data shows that it is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain a career in gaming, and becoming far more expensive to even try.
Gaming is slowly becoming an elitist club, where the barrier to entry is priced far out of reach for working-class talent
Gaming is slowly becoming an elitist club, where the barrier to entry is priced far out of reach for working-class talent
The issue is not just about the lack of diversity; it is also about a lack of opportunity and forward growth.
When it comes to leadership and management training, it is heavily skewed toward seniority; 42% of senior leaders in large organisations and roughly a third of lead roles received management training, compared to low percentages in mid-level roles.
If we are only investing in the training of those who have already established themselves in the industry, and we don’t train the very people who are going to be needed in the future, then we are destined to have a gaming industry that looks exactly like its past.
As most of you know, I am an optimist; to work in the diversity and inclusion sector, you have to be.
While the survey paints a picture of an industry going backwards instead of forwards, the most pressing question we face right now is quite obvious: what can we all do to ensure that the next census represents everyone?
We all want the UK to maintain its position as a global leader in the gaming industry. In order to ensure that position remains intact, we have to create sustainable change by actively aiding the communities and organisations already on the ground doing the work. We don’t need to re-invent the wheel or making sweeping statements about wanting to create change.
We need to be the change and act now.
There are already established organisations doing the necessary work to ensure we build a future that represents all of us. As a direct response to the census data, UKIE’s Raise the Game initiative has brought together a network of industry-leading partners to tackle this issue:
Into Games, Many Cats Studio, Melanin Gamers, POC in Play, Safe in Our World, Special Effect, Code Coven, Limit Break, Games Leadership, Mayamada and Women in Games.
A huge thanks to UKIE, for organising this.
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