D&I Deep Dive - Increasing diverse representation within DCMS

DCMS’s ambition is to be the most diverse and inclusive department in the UK Government by 2025.

A strategic aim in order to deliver this is through increasing representation. DCMS aims to be more representative of the communities they serve, and more inclusive, to ensure they are conscious of the needs and perspectives of the people their policies affect.

Recruitment is a key factor in increasing diverse representation within DCMS and so they completed a recruitment diversity data deep-dive analysis to review how many diverse candidates were attracted to applying for vacancies at DCMS, and how diverse candidates fared throughout the recruitment processes.

DCMS reflected on the data, comparing it to their diversity strategy targets, the existing diversity of their staff and the diversity of the UK population. They shared the deep-dive data and analysis with all of the various across the department in order to ensure a transparent, open culture and to get their qualitative feedback, alongside the quantitative data. The staff networks and dedicated Diversity & Inclusion team at DCMS fed in to actions that DCMS took in order to improve areas of concern.

For example, they began partnering with the disability centric job board ‘Evenbreak’ to further their outreach to disabled applicants. They posted an article on their Vercida profile highlighting the value of disclosure, and took steps to improve their advertising content in order to highlight how committed DCMS are to diversity and inclusion, in the hopes of encouraging greater disclosure. They will also soon be publishing video guidance, accessible to all applicants, to provide useful advice and tips in order to support a greater number of individuals to pass the application stage and interview stage of the recruitment process. These are a few of many actions taken by the department to hopefully improve the diversity of the department so they can achieve their ambitions of being truly representative of the population they serve.

If you are interested in joining an organisation who value diversity and take active steps to improve it, then take a look and see what opportunities DCMS are currently recruiting for.