We’re not interested in box-ticking training exercises. What we’re passionate about is facilitating discussion, reflection and actions that lead to disruptive change and impact. Whether you’ve participated in our diversity and inclusion, mental health and wellbeing, or leadership training, our goal is for you to take these learnings to the outside world with you and adapt for what your company or team needs.  

To help ensure participants are utilising everything that comes with the experience of diversity and inclusion training, we’re sharing our top three tips on how to get the most out of it! 

We don’t like to leave a single stone unturned when preparing for a training session with a new employer partner, which means it’s important for us to communicate beforehand. We advise planning calls between the trainer and a representative from your team so that we understand your specific challenges and can tailor the workshop accordingly.  

All our trainers have lived experience of the issues that they address; our mental health and wellbeing workshops are run by senior psychologists and our legal training by an experienced equalities lawyer. So, this is the perfect opportunity for the trainer to discuss any triggers, situations or dilemmas that they should be aware of and may need their attention in the session.  

It’s also important to allow the participants to prepare for what’s ahead – we recommend sharing the agenda early on, allowing them time to process the sensitivity of certain topics and share any access requirements they may have.  

Participants are given bespoke hand-out materials after each session. Along with the session’s summarised key points, these hand-outs include hours of further reading that will guide you in exploring the topic further (for starters!). They’re also brilliant for acting as regular discussion starters between the participants.  

Once you’ve begun your further reading, we recommend utilising the momentum of the training by organising with your fellow participants to plan further action. This can vary in formality, size and ambition; anything from remembering to check for bias and using appropriate language, to the formation of formal staff networks or Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) to bring together employees with a shared interest to help shape policy and develop initiatives that will lead to greater respect and inclusion within an organisation. 

The idea of taking part in a workshop is not simply to learn, but to effect genuine culture change. One way to ensure a legacy from the training is to participate in a reflective session a few months after the initial workshop. This provides an opportunity to reflect on themes and outcomes of the first workshop; to communicate aspirations, concerns and goals; and to consolidate learning and ensure staff have confidence and tools to lead the inclusion agenda.  

Equity and inclusion is very much a journey, not a destination – there is always more we can learn and the best way to do that, is to have an open mind and a growth mindset; to allow ourselves to make mistakes, but to work hard to continue to create the workforce we want to be a part of. 

Find out more about our training.  

Love literature? TV addict? Crazy about the sound of music? So, how do you actually make a career out of it? So whether you’re a fresh-faced graduate or a seasoned professional looking to make a career-changing move, make sure you check out our tips on how to create an outstanding CV and cover letter…

Composing your CV

1. Step out of your shoes… and into the recruiters: Ask yourself whether you’re making it as easy as possible for the recruiter to determine that you’re a strong candidate for this specific job? What makes your application stand out from the countless other applications they are skim-reading?
   
2. Length: Keep it to a maximum of two sides of A4 (ideally one) and include bullet points so you’re concise and to the point
   
3. Format: Choose a font that’s simple and easy to read. Include clear headings, and leave enough white space so that the reader can easily jump to what they need to find
   
4. Start with contact details: name, phone number, and email. No need for a photo or a full address but you could include your city or region and whether or not you’re open to relocating
   
5. Add a short profile; maximum of two sentences about you, what you’re doing at the moment, and what you’re interested in pursuing
   
6. List your:
   
   • Education: Your most recent qualification first. Include key modules and dissertation title (if relevant to the role) and any awards or professional memberships
     
   • Employment experience: List it in reverse chronological order and include all experience, whether relevant to the role of note. Separate into voluntary/paid employment. Include the role title, the company, and employment start and end dates
     
   • Skills: IT, systems, languages and, soft skills e.g. team working skills
     
   • Interests and hobbies: Include involvement with clubs and societies and anything quirky that makes you stand out from the crowd
     
7. Social media: Include links to your accounts (especially if you’re going for a marketing role) but make sure your feed is current and appropriate; many employers do check
   
8. Blog or portfolio: Include links to these, but only if they’re up to date
   
9. References: Include two full reference contact details (one employment, one academic). If not, write ‘References available upon request’
   
10. Proofread: Yourself first and then get someone else to.
    

Crafting your cover letter

1. Less is more. Your letter doesn’t need to exceed one page. Keep it succinct and to the point
   
2. Always tailor your letter to fit the specific organisation and role you’re applying for. It’s obvious which candidates have put in the work to craft a thoughtful cover letter
   
3. Show why you want to work for this particular organisation; write about the company and what appeals to you; reference the authors they publish, the shows they produce, the content they create, etc
   
4. Don’t repeat your CV, but use this as a chance to explain why you’re applying for the role
   
5. Explain and evidence how you meet the job’s criteria. Don’t just say you can do the job, show them! Include links to relevant content that you have created that demonstrates your ability
   
6. Refer to transferable skills: If you don’t have direct experience in the areas outlined, think about what skills you’ve acquired through study or other jobs and how you might be able to translate them into this role
   
7. Your chance to shine …Sell yourself by including keywords that will credit your attributes and skills; using phrases like ‘was involved in’ and ‘assisted’ implies that you were more of a bystander than an instigator. Consider using strong action verbs such as ‘chaired’ and ‘coordinated’.
   
8. Show enthusiasm: More than anything, an organisation wants to know that you’re passionate
   
9. Ensure your spelling and grammar is accurate. Print out your letter if you can to proofread it; it’s easier than doing so on a screen
   
10. Don’t forget, the perfect CV and cover letter is not an exact science. Stay positive, keep refining your CV and cover letter, and your moment will come. Good luck!

If you want more advice about entering the creative industries, stay in touch with Creative Access:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_creativeaccess/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/_creativeaccess

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/creative-access/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CreativeAccessUK

Register with us at: creativeaccess.org.uk

Over the past ten years, the team at Creative Access have amassed a wealth of knowledge to help organisations attract the strongest candidates from communities under-represented in the sector. One key thing we have learnt is that if you don’t include a salary you are much less likely to generate a positive response to your advert…

We analysed 500 of the most recent job listings that have appeared on our website. Our research found that jobs where the employer chose to withhold the salary and list it as ‘competitive’ attracted nearly 40% less applicants than jobs where the salary (or a salary range) was stated in the advert.

This is also an issue when recruiting for a more experienced hire. Our research showed that listings for senior roles where the salary was stated received 58% more applications than those where it was just listed as ‘competitive’.

People work for passion and for pay

It is not an unreasonable expectation that people will be recompensed fairly for their work. It is for this reason that we refuse to advertise unpaid internships through Creative Access. Pay matters.

Candidates need the full range of information available to them to make informed choices about their careers and their lives, and that includes specific information about remuneration.

If you are transparent with salary details you can help ensure that the correct calibre of candidates apply. Applicants can better gauge what level of experience is required for the roles they’re applying to.

Walk the talk

Our candidates come from groups that are already under-represented in the creative industries. Our pool of candidates is predominantly formed of:

• Women (who already know they are underpaid compared to men)

• Black, Asian, and ethnically diverse groups (who already know they are underpaid compared to their white peers, especially in London)

• People from low-socio economic backgrounds (who already know they are underpaid compared to their peers from more affluent backgrounds)

• People living with disabilities (who already know they are underpaid compared to those who don’t have disabilities)

These candidates are not just looking to work anywhere. They’re looking for an organisation where they will feel valued, and that has a positive, transparent, and inclusive company culture in which they can truly thrive. Starting your relationship with candidates by deliberately withholding key information from them points to a lack of trust and openness, which will raise alarm bells about your company’s practices. Whilst you may be working with us in an attempt to reach great candidates from under-represented groups, by withholding salary information you’re actually inadvertently repelling the best of them.

A practice that entrenches inequalities

When salaries are not stated, compensation can become a matter of negotiation. When salaries are decided through private negotiations, the result is often that pay inequalities are compounded for those from under-represented groups. By stating the salary, you are sending a signal that what you’re offering is fair and that you are ensuring that anyone who applies can access that fair pay.

“When I was looking for jobs and I came across ones that were listed as ‘competitive pay’, I skipped them,” one candidate who was job-hunting last summer told us. “Applications take a lot of time and it’s disheartening to go a long way in the hiring process to then discover that pay is lower than you expected. This has happened to me before and I had to turn the role down because I couldn’t live off that wage. Now when I see a role listed as ‘competitive’, to me it screams ‘low pay’.”

This experience is consistent with other reasons we’ve heard from candidates about why they avoid jobs where the salary isn’t stated. They said:

• It gives out a bad vibe about the organisation; they appear secretive

• It could be a potential waste of their time to submit an application only to find out that my expectations are way off

• It suggests that current staff are underpaid

• I don’t have a clear idea that my skills and requirements are aligned with the seniority of the role

Aki Schilz, who campaigns to improve salary transparency in publishing, believes that it’s a simple and positive step to make salaries for roles more transparent, especially at entry level.

“If we’re to start addressing inequalities, we have to have a cultural shift and that’s got to start somewhere simple and easy – at entry level. From the outside, you have no idea as an applicant wanting an entry-level job who’s new to this [what a fair salary is]. It’s putting far too much expectation on the person applying and there’s not enough accountability from those working in those organisations.”

What should you do?

Quite simply, state the salary from the outset every time.

Salary ranges are fine; candidates understand this, and can prepare for a fair negotiation within a clear range. ‘Dependant on experience’ without a salary range is just as unhelpful as saying ‘competitive’.

Sometimes you might be unsure as to how senior to pitch a role and therefore you’re not sure what the salary range is; just include a wider salary range to cover the lower and upper ends. Alternatively, advertise two roles at two different levels with the respective salaries stated.

Ultimately, a job advert is often a candidate’s first detailed look into you as an organisation. Show that you’re open and fair. Show that you value diversity and inclusion. Show that you respect that candidate’s time. Show all of this by simply showing the salary.

This week Ramadan begins. Our Muslim staff have put together their top tips on creating an inclusive workplace during Ramadan for employers and co-workers.

One way employers can help their Muslim employees is allowing them to leave for prayer. Praying on time is very important for Muslims, especially during Ramadan. Being able to leave for 5 minutes, even when it’s busy, without being bombarded with questions or judgment will help your Muslim employees feel less stressed. If there’s space, we also recommend setting up a prayer room or an allocated space in your office for both male and female workers to pray separately.

If you have Muslim employees working after sunset, also known as maghrib, having dates and water ready for employees so they can break their fast would be much appreciated by your Muslim employees.

Sleep schedules can be a little off-kilter during Ramadan; we usually sleep later, wake at dawn and then go back to sleep; this makes 9am starts a bit tricky. Some people may prefer taking a shorter lunch break and finishing work a little earlier too.

If you have late evening meetings or work events, try rescheduling them for earlier so your Muslim employees have enough time to rest and prepare for iftar (when we break our fast).

Although you may not mean it with ill intent, comments like “I want to fast so I can lose weight” can be seen as rude. Ramadan is a religious tradition and a time meant for reflecting on and being grateful for the life God has given you.

Also refrain from saying comments like, “I’m sorry you have to do this” or “are you forced to fast?” Many Muslims look forward to Ramadan; it is a time where we feel more connected to God, our families and friends, we join together to celebrate and we step away from consumerism and material objects to appreciate life and feel more spiritually connected with those around us.

Ramadan is based on the Islamic calendar which is lunar. This means Muslims may not know when Eid or Ramadan is until the night before, so if your employee calls the night before to change the date of their annual leave please be understanding. The last 10 days of Ramadan are considered the most holy, so if your Muslim employees come in late or take time off it’s so they can focus on prayer, Quran and their spirituality.

If you would like to learn more about inclusivity practises in the workplace, check out our open training workshops

19^th June marks World Sickle Cell Day, a day that aims to raise awareness of sickle cell across the world. In this resource, admin & recruitment assistant, Courteney, shares her tips on handling sickle cell in the workplace so you can find the support you need. 

I have been diagnosed with sickle cell anaemia since birth, it’s classified as a long-term health condition that in essence means your red blood cells are shaped differently. This means they can get ‘stuck’ in blood vessels, which causes a lot of pain and many other complex issues with the body. 

Having sickle cell can be quite unpredictable and it can impact people in a variety of ways. Some of the symptoms that occur for me include anaemia, fatigue, jaundice (in the eyes), and sometimes full-blown sickle cell crisis.  

A sickle cell crisis can appear anywhere in the body from aggravating joint pain to not being able to walk. 

Communication is key when handling sickle cell at work. I’ve been very open with my team about my condition and the needs that come with that and I always ask for help when need be. Having an understanding team and a supportive work environment is how I’m able to work at my best, and when I’m at my worst I know that I have reliable people to lean on. 

Living with the condition for so long, you tend to build up practices and learn the signs of an incoming sickle attack, learn how to pay attention to your body and prepare the best you can. 

The main practices I’ve learnt to implement in the office are: 

• Keeping blankets in my bag and layering up when cold (even when something small like the aircon is switched on). 
• Always having a drink on hand to remain hydrated. 
• Worst case scenario carrying around my medical card to be my voice when I’m unable to speak and to give those around me a clear understanding of what I need. 

For more support and resources, visit the Sickle Cell Society website: https://www.sicklecellsociety.org/  

Did you know: 

Approximately 15,000 people in the UK have sickle cell disorder, and this year Creative Access has teamed up with the Sickle Cell Society to support their latest blood drive campaign, Give Blood Spread Love: https://www.sicklecellsociety.org/blooddonation/  

There is a growing demand for better-matched blood types within the UK to provide life-saving transfusions for people with sickle cell. NHSBT estimate that 40,000 new black-heritage donors are required this year to meet the needs of sickle cell patients across England. Please share this link with friends and family members so we can increase blood donations for people with sickle cell and save lives today: bit.ly/scsgiveblood 

By April Brown – programmes manager, Creative Access

For Carers Week 2022 we want to remind our community about the findings of our Young Carers research and encourage employers to support carers in the workforce. April Brown who is both a carer and programmes manager here at Creative Access shares the benefits carers can bring to the creative workforce and the steps employers can take to make it more inclusive for them.

Have you ever cared for a friend or family member who, due to illness, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction cannot cope without your support? There are over one million young people in the UK who are trying to navigate their personal, academic and/or professional lives while facing the daily pressures of caring for someone who cannot look after themselves. Many of these young people are now doing so with increased pressure due to the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.

Since 2012, Creative Access has been working to enable people from communities that are under-represented in the creative industries, to access careers, progress and reach leadership. We’re aware of the numerous barriers people face when working in the sector and we wanted to raise awareness today of the young carers and young adult carers in our community who deserve to be supported.

• 58% of young carers are caring for longer as a result of the pandemic and lockdown and are spending on average an additional ten hours a week or more on their caring role
• 78% of young adult carers aged 18 to 25 were experiencing an increased concern for their futures since Coronavirus

Our Young Carers survey and focus group was conducted to coincide with Young Carers Action Day on 14^th March to help understand the impacts of caring responsibilities on emerging creative professionals who identify as carers and how we can better support their needs in the workplace.

This year, many creatives have started to transition to hybrid or in-person working practices after working in isolation for the last two years. Since 2020 we have had to adapt to social distancing, support bubbles and numerous lockdowns juggling domestic life with remote work and/or learning simultaneously. This exceptional period initially allowed us to slow down, reflect and shift our approaches to work and life, with some beneficial side effects. In December, we released our updated research highlighting the impact of covid-19 on under-represented communities with 26% of participants citing flexible working as a positive outcome of the pandemic, something that the majority of our young carers also identified as a huge help. It is important to remember that for many employees and freelancers this flexibility is still an integral factor towards being able to cope with work and caring responsibilities and that many of the people being cared for are still vulnerable and shielding. The pandemic isn’t over yet. It’s also important for employers to be aware of their duties under the Equality Act 2010 which states that a carer cannot be discriminated against on the basis of their association with a disabled person.  

In the same vein, industry events have been adapted over the last two years to accommodate virtual audiences which allowed for greater opportunities to engage with local, national, and global communities. It would be a great disservice to those who aren’t physically able to participate if this wasn’t continued; especially as we have all become so familiar with virtual platforms like Zoom. 80% of the carers we surveyed felt like they had missed out on opportunities in their career due to caring responsibilities and 60% said they were unable to network or attend industry events.

Our findings also highlighted the unique skills and attributes that young carers can bring to the workplace with participants stating their empathy, time management, awareness of accessibility, patience, and crisis management abilities, as well as practical skills such as first aid training and Covid awareness. 

Unlike parents, many carers are invisible in the workforce, reluctant to discuss their personal situation due to stigma and unaware of the support available to them. 30% of our respondents felt like they weren’t supported in the workplace and 10% couldn’t work due to their caring responsibilities. Caring is often less predictable than child-care. Flexible working policies need to include the flexibility to change arrangements as caring responsibilities change. They also need to recognise the possibility of emergencies arising.

• Implement flexible working policies compliant with the current law, and allow as much flexibility for change as is consistent with business needs
• Review all your employment policies to ensure they are ‘carer friendly’
• Quote carers specifically in policies and other documentation or create a policy specifically for carers
• Nominate a key contact in the workplace
• Set up an internal carers group or forum – to allow carers to meet together occasionally

Michael Irwin – Co-Chair of Tate’s Parents & Carers Network upholds the value of an internal carers group:

They can tell you what will really make a difference to their ability to do a good job for you and keep up with their caring responsibilities at the same time. There are often small and inexpensive things employers can do to help – such as:

• Allowing carers to leave mobile telephones on in meetings in case of emergencies
• Flexing start and finish times to help people deal with caring commitments before and after work
• Allowing carers time and access to a telephone to check on the person they care for from time to time during work hours

Surveys, focus groups and employee carer groups are all useful ways to find out what the carers you employ would value.

For more employer advice and ways to get involved in Carers Week 2022 visit:

Carers Week: https://www.carersweek.org/ways-to-get-involved/for-employers/

Employers For Carers: https://www.employersforcarers.org/

Carers UK: https://carers.org/working-and-learning/how-employers-can-support-carers

As Plan B comes into action and we move back to working from home, Creative Access revisits a blog from 2020 looking at how to host a remote internship.

The shift towards working from home as a result of lockdown caused organisations to rapidly rethink their ways of working. Whilst this has undoubtedly seen some benefits (like minimising commutes), one of the downsides has been a hugely reduced number of opportunities for new graduates and aspiring creatives. Young people from under-represented communities have been disproportionately affected by recent events and more than ever, organisations need to find ways of engage and providing access to experiences and opportunities.

Managing a remote internship is not only viable, but can be hugely effective. We’ve put together seven best practices for managing a remote internship, supported by The Climate Group who recruited two interns through Creative Access…

1. The recruitment process: Coronavirus has allowed for the rethinking of recruitment processes. The most notable shift in the hiring process is the interview stage, whereby currently all interviews are conducted online through video conferencing software. When it comes to running video interviews, experiment with different platforms. For more tips, check out our top tips for online interviews here.

Here’s what The Climate Group had to say about their recruitment process: “The recruitment process was straightforward. As HR, we issued some guidance on how to conduct interviews remotely (such as use of video calls instead of phone calls). Creative Access were really helpful in sifting the CVs before shortlisting interview candidates. We did have to review the Job Description of the one of the roles to take into consideration the working from home environment and a change in our events calendar.

2. Induction: Onboarding the successful candidate needs to be carefully planned, to ensure the new starter is well inducted with their line manager and team and that they start their internship with high morale and confidence. Here’s how The Climate Group onboarded their interns: “The Hiring Manager introduced (on video) the new interns to the whole organisation via our global staff meeting. As HR, we have arranged face to face inductions with the interns. We have also arranged for the interns a video call with each member of our management team as a way of introduction.”

3. Technology: Ensuring your intern is equipped with the right technology and software tools and that they have an effective space where they can work from at home is fundamental for remote work. They must have a reliable and secure infrastructure and have the relevant tools which allow for effective communication and collaboration with you and other members of your team:

• Your intern will need access to a lap top or a PC and possibly a work phone. You might need to consider other modifications to the workplace such as a connectivity booster if their wi-fi connection is weak.

• File hosting and editing documents collaboratively has been made possible through the use of online services such as Dropbox, Sharepoint and Google Drive.

• Communicating with your intern is easy through various video conferencing software such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams or Google Meet.

• Setting and managing tasks between you and your intern can be facilitated through task boards such as Monday, ClickUp, Trello or Slack.

• In addition to the above, for interns whose responsibilities include utilising creative or industry specific software, whether that is the Abode packages, or Biblio for those working in publishing, ensure your intern has access to those as well.

There are many online options to pick ‘n’ mix from, so experiment with which suits you and your team.

4. Communication, communication, communication! While emails are the primary method of communication between you and your intern, you should incorporate other communication options for simpler, less formal and time-sensitive terms. However in order to use multiple avenues of communication effectively and without doubling up on messages, it is important to establish the ‘rules of engagement’ between you and your intern. For more urgent messages, you may decide to text or WhatsApp, and for daily check-ins you might want to use Microsoft Teams. Whichever way you decide, make sure this is consistent and accessible to the intern.

5. Ensure you establish daily check-ins: Establish frequent check-ins with your intern, ideally on a daily basis. This could take place as a one-on-one call with them, or a joint call with the rest of the team. Whichever way you choose, regular check-ins provide a forum for your intern to ask questions, catch up with the rest of the team, provide support and boost motivation during these unprecedented times. Ensure that interns are a part of events and team meetings as often as possible to ensure they are kept in the loop and have an avenue to participate and share their ideas.

Here’s how The Climate Group have established a routine: “The line managers have several catch ups per week with their interns to support them. Interns also join any relevant team meetings to keep them up to date on what’s going at. We also send frequent check in messages on our Teams platform to say hello and ask if they need any assistance.”

6. Be a source of encouragement and support: We are currently living through a pandemic, and as of the past few weeks, a time of civil unrest, both of which have a significant impact on the wellbeing of interns from underrepresented backgrounds. Living through this while being isolated is very difficult, and support is important now more than ever. Ensure your intern has a place to express themselves when they feel stressed or anxious and make sure you proactively ask for feedback on how they’re doing. If they are struggling, make sure you listen carefully, show empathy and try to make adjustments where possible. 

7. Be social: Reinforcing a sense of belonging is imperative in maintaining confidence and morale. Continuing to interact socially, and not solely for the purposes of work, can allow interns to feel part of the team. One way to do this is to establish time to socialise in the first few minutes of a catch-up call. Ask your intern what they did in the evening after work, or if this is a Monday catch-up, ask them what they did over the weekend.

Alongside this, don’t hesitate to also arrange calls which may exclusively be social. As you would arrange work lunches or drinks in person, try to arrange something similar with your intern and the wider team through a video call if possible. Efforts such as these would be greatly valued by your intern and in turn, they will feel much more comfortable to speak with you openly when it’s time to talk about work.

Challenges are inevitable, but while you’re learning to manage an internship remotely, your interns are also learning to adapt to the changes and demands of a post-Covid world, where remote working and tech savviness will be more normal and required than it was before. The most important thing is to ensure your intern enters into an accessible and welcoming space. With patience and empathy, your intern will undoubtedly thrive and you’ll be sure to reap the rewards too.

The pandemic has had a disruptive effect on people’s jobs and career prospects. It has forced many people into seeking new opportunities, and has turned home into both a living and a working space for many others.

Whilst there is yet no strong indication of when (or if!) ‘normal office life’ will resume, the positive news is that many organisations are still hiring. This means that new employees are starting new internships and jobs at organisations without ever having physically met any of their colleagues, or without having ever visited their organisation’s office.

As an employer, it is important to think about your remote induction processes before you offer any roles to ensure things run smoothly when your new hire starts. We’ve put together this guide on how to onboard new employees in a fully remote work environment, while ensuring that they are set up for success and feel like part of the team.

Step 1 – Contract and offer paperwork

As soon as your offer has been verbally accepted, aim to send out your offer in writing, ideally with a contract of employment/training agreement. E-signing is a quick and easy way to wrap up documentation, and many of our employer partners use DocuSign.

You will want to ensure you have agreed on a secure way to obtain proof of eligibility to work, payroll information, and tax details, as well as details of any employment references you may need.

Step 2 – Equipment and setup

Make sure your new starter has all the right equipment they need to work remotely. You’ll need to conduct a Work From Home audit covering wi-fi, laptop/PC, footrest, office chair and desk, mobile/phone line, printer (if needed), headphones, mouse and mouse mat, cables, and chargers.

Don’t forget to check with the new starter what their working environment looks like, for example, where will they be working (bedroom, office, living room?) What kind of setup do they have at home? Do they have the appropriate space to set up their workstation and do they need any adjustments to help them work effectively? Any health and safety questions that would ordinarily be carried out if an individual were working onsite should also be asked when they work at home.

Ensure that the new starter has all the necessary information they need to log into the company intranet. Do they have the correct access rights, logins, and passwords? Do they know who to speak to in IT support if they have any problems? The smoother the first day starts the better it is for everyone.

Step 3 – Induction

The key to a successful start rests on the induction; use video conferencing to communicate with the new starter.

Establish work hours, methods of catch-ups, and meeting platforms. Encourage your staff to take regular breaks and not to exceed contracted hours so that the lines between work and home are not too blurred.

Set out the day’s agenda. What should they expect? When should they take lunch? Is there a regular time for team updates?

Draw up an induction timetable for their first week and, if needed, book time with any or all of the following:

Senior Management Team – To give an overview of the company, its vision, achievements, and goals.

Finance – To check payroll processes, expense claims, and any other financial benefit queries.

IT – To go through data security, permitted software lists, shared passwords, security practices, antivirus and malware updates, where emails and files can be stored.

Step 4 – Introducing the team

Introduce your new colleague to as many people as possible in the first week. Sometimes it’s easier to do this informally or in short one-on-ones. At other times it is very helpful to see everyone together. If you have any videos or photos of the office showing how it would usually be, share those.

Add them to any WhatsApp or Facebook groups that your company may have, to help them feel integrated and invite them to any social get-togethers.

Ensure the line manager is available to make contact on the morning your new person starts and every day for at least the first fortnight.

Step 5 – Explain team duties

Manage expectations by letting your new starter know how work will be assessed and when reviews will take place. How often will you update them with their progress or let them update you? Schedule these times in your diaries. Aim for daily updates, with an overall recap at the end of each week.

Prepare a skills checklist and arrange for any necessary training. Do you have team updates in addition to any other arrangements, and if they are asked to attend, what do they need to prepare for those? How should they deal with any queries they may have? Do you share a task calendar or have a shared project management tool? Do you use instant messaging for urgent queries? Taking the time to go through these things with your new starter will help them to feel more at ease in their first few days.

Step 6 – Communicate and ask for feedback

And finally, make sure you communicate and collaborate regularly. Ask for feedback on how the remote onboarding process is working and if there are any suggestions or recommendations for improvement. Being asked for feedback will not only help the new starter feel valued and believe their opinion counts! It will also help you the next time you onboard a new starter.

BAME is the acronym that has been used in an attempt to describe people who are not from White ethnic groups. We consider whether this term has outlived its usefulness, and whether a more nuanced alternative exists…

What is BAME?

The acronym BAME (Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic) originates from, and is mostly used within, the UK. The UK Government introduced ethnic group categorisations in the 1991 Census. The original classifications were:

• White; Black-Caribbean; Black-African; Black-Other; Indian; Pakistani; Bangladesh; and Chinese

These categories are clearly non-exhaustive so there was also an option for ‘Any other ethnic group’. Since then, with the UK’s ethnic diversity increasing, BAME started to gain prevalence as the catch-all term capturing those who did not identify as White. By 2011, the most recent UK-wide census, 7.6 million people fell under the BAME category. Now, it’s about 14% of the population.

Has BAME been bad?

BAME has, to some extent, been a useful lens through which to identify and address the disparities that ethnic groups who are not White face in the UK. In our sector – the creative industries – they are conspicuously under-represented in the workforce. They are also less likely to secure permanent roles, or ascend to senior leadership positions. Addressing these issues was exactly why Creative Access was established in 2012, and we have been proudly working alongside talented creatives from under-represented backgrounds and creative organisations to redress these inequities.

When discussing the additional barriers that people faced in our sectors on account of their ethnicity, people from under-represented ethnicities were able to find strength in numbers, and band together as a larger collective under the term BAME. Using the term BAME had been important for us to articulate our mission, identify candidates, and monitor workforce data.

However, the UK is one of the most ethnically-diverse countries in the world, and London – one of the world’s great creative hubs – is even more so than most of the rest of the country. Simplifying the complexities of so many different ethnicities, cultures, and nationalities into the acronym BAME might inadvertently do as much harm as it has done good.

Over the last year, as the experiences and injustices suffered by Black people in particular have made headlines around the world, it has opened up a conversation about whether grouping all people who aren’t White together under one acronym actually undermines efforts to truly understand the challenges specific communities face. Consequently, we’ve seen a decline in the use of BAME and louder calls for a more nuanced alternative.

Why we can do better than BAME

In 2018, political reporter and Creative Access alumnus Rajdeep Sandhu wrote for the BBC about the need to move away from using BAME. Her voice has been joined by a chorus of other who cite strong reasons for doing so, amongst which are:

• It entrenches power dynamics whereby people who are classified as BAME are perpetually seen as ‘the other’, ‘the minority’, ‘the marginalised’. The reality is that those deemed ‘minorities’ are actually the overwhelming global majority.
  • Read Natalie Morris’ piece with Lenny Henry and Marcus Ryder.

• It masks deeper disparities within different ethnic groups by banding them all together under an acronym simply on the grounds of not being White. This erases the nuances that people from different ethnic backgrounds experience.
  • Read Tolu Coker’s piece on how BAME can be used to skew data

• It attaches a label to people who themselves almost never identify as such. BAME is not a race or an ethnicity, and research shows that very few people self-identify as BAME. Many don’t even understand what it means.
  • Read Zamila Bunglawala’s piece for the Civil Service Blog

• It creates confusion as White minority groups (like Irish Travellers and the Roma) are sometimes included in BAME and sometimes not. It doesn’t allow space for these under-represented communities who don’t identify as Black or Asian, and are – at least for statistical purposes – considered the same as White, but without the same privileges.
  • Read Hannah Vickers on representation of Travellers in media

What are the alternatives to BAME?

If 2020 has taught us anything, it is that race and ethnicity still plays a major role in determining an individual’s outcomes. It has also shown us that we should be more open to talking about race and ethnicity, and more understanding each other’s experiences. Therefore, there is still a need to categorise people by their ethnicity.

In seeking alternatives to BAME, we must be conscious not to continue to homogenise ethnicities under a broad acronym, we must be wary of unintentionally creating hierarchies of ethnicities and relegating some of ‘other’ status, and we must try to ensure we include all the groups that we intend to under categories that feel specific enough for people to self-identify under a term that means something to them (and not just to data collectors at official institutions).

We listened to voices within the sector, including those that contributed to the #BAMEOVER campaign and to Creative Access alumni, and over the past year have moved away from using the acronym ‘BAME’ in favour of using ‘Black, Asian, and ethnically diverse’.

As conversations around ethnicity and identity have shifted since the 1991 census, we will continue to be ever conscious of how language can be used to unite and divide, conceal and reveal. Just as we are on a mission to help the creative industry move with the times, so too must we be able to lead change and start with ourselves.

It is evident that young people from under-represented communities are disproportionately impacted by the pandemic; more likely to be furloughed, have work canceled or postponed; more likely to be affected by the COVID virus itself, and more likely to be impacted by the longstanding structural inequality within the creative industries. Now more than ever there is a need for diverse voices to be heard and amplified. As a sector that aims to represent society, the creative industries have a responsibility to address this issue.

If you’re serious about becoming a diverse workplace is this explicitly stated in your core values? Diversity is not an add-on, it is at the heart of your brand culture.

Look at your data; can you attract, recruit, develop and retain underrepresented workers? Watch out for micro inequities in existing teams. Are there patterns to who is included and whoʼs being left behind? Where there are weaknesses, figure out why and what you can do to solve this.

Conduct regular anonymous surveys, determine where your short comings are, and respond to feedback. Gaining insight on how to improve your workplace from employees is a crucial step towards diversity.

Discuss the challenges and solutions, hold your company accountable to your targets and ensure momentum is maintained over time.

Be transparent about what change you want to achieve, over what period of time, and how you will be accountable. Book in regular review meetings.

Change your hiring process so you are actively recruiting from under-represented communities. Avoid hiring by word of mouth. Advertise opportunities across a range of platforms to enable a broader range of candidates to find your role and apply.

Review your website, job descriptions, imagery and language used to make sure youʼre as welcoming to all. Mix up who you follow on social media and which places you post to.

Invest in your team; support their retention and progression. Encourage staff forums and offer support structures and opportunities for sponsorship and mentoring. Ensure reasonable adjustments to make sure workers with disabilities, or physical or mental health conditions, aren’t substantially disadvantaged when applying for roles and doing their jobs.

Help people to understand the benefits of a diverse workforce, identify and overcome their unconscious biases and become allies. Become a role model and take personal responsibility for leading change. Invite external speakers and set up industry related networking opportunities to hear new perspectives which challenge your thinking.

Workers from all backgrounds should feel comfortable in their workplace. Recognise and celebrate special days in the calendar to make every team member feel seen and included.

Any organisations wishing to collaborate with Creative Access on delivering the above can contact the team here.

Now that working from home has started to become more of a norm, it’s more important than ever to take care of your mental wellbeing. We’ve come up with a list of simple ways to look after your mental health:

1.Keep connected

Staying in touch with our friends and family is key to our mental wellbeing. Catching up with people we enjoy spending time with is a great way to boost your mood. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, it can also be helpful to open up about your feelings to someone you trust.

There are lots of ways to connect digitally beyond video calls and messaging. Netflix Party is a fun way to stay social and watch content together. Online games, like Quick, Draw and Psych, are also a brilliant way to spend time with friends.

2.Take a break

It’s also important to take a break and prioritise yourself. Technology is great for keeping us connected, but when using it a lot you can start to feel stressed. Taking a short break can help you relax.

Try an evening where you don’t check your social media and phone. Use this time to do something else, such as a hobby or something new. This could be listening to music, reading a book or watching a film you’ve been meaning to see for a while. Take this time to focus on what you would like to do.

3.Manage your news intake

Keep track of how much news you’re watching and how this is making you feel. You might want to consider limiting the time you spend following coverage of the outbreak if you’re starting to feel anxious. It might be helpful giving yourself a set amount of time each day to update yourself and turning off news alerts on your phone to remain informed but not overwhelmed.

4.Mindfulness

Focusing your attention to the present moment can help soothe stress and anxiety. Mindfulness and relaxation techniques are helpful for improving our wellbeing. These are great ways to direct any worries away from the future or situations that we have no control over. Headspace has also released free meditation sessions that you can listen to any time.

5.Keep creative and do things you enjoy

Doing something creative can help you feel calm and relaxed and keep your mind active. Explore old and new hobbies, including painting, crafts, playing music, dancing and baking. Don’t worry too much about the end result, focus on enjoying the process.

Lots of activities have also moved online, from writing workshops to live drawing classes. You can receive a weekly guide on them here. We’re also sharing the CA’s community art and positivity posts on our Instagram. Check them out to get inspired and share your own posts!

6.Look after your body

Our body and the way we feel are dependent on each other. When we’re stressed, it can be easy to fall into habits that might make you feel worse. Try eating healthy meals and drink enough water and exercise regularly. You can go outside for exercise or try a home work out to stay fit indoors. Yoga is also great for the mind and body. You might want to explore a new form of exercise you haven’t tried before.

7.Connect to nature

Mind recommend getting as much sunlight, fresh air and nature as you can. When going on a walk, take time to listen to the sounds and sights around you. If you can’t go to a green space, try opening your window and noticing your surroundings. Can you feel or hear the sun, wind or rain? Focusing on nature this way can improve our mood, reduce feelings of stress or frustration and help you feel relaxed.

8.Set yourself small goals

When you’re at home or if you have more free time than you’re used to, It can feel overwhelming deciding where to start with the day. Try setting yourself small goals you want to achieve each day: one creative, one social, one productive and one self-care. Start small, it could be calling a friend or opening a new book. Reward yourself when accomplishing a task, even if it’s just telling yourself ‘well done’.

9.Be kind to yourself

If you’re finding things hard, it’s okay to press pause. Try not to hold yourself to expectations and goals you set out to achieve before or after the current situation. Don’t be hard on yourself if you’re struggling to meet them. It’s alright if you aren’t being productive right now and just focusing on taking each day as it comes. You can just be. That’s enough.

10.Talk to your GP or mental health team

If you’re struggling to cope with feelings of anxiety and stress, please speak to your doctor or NHS 111. Many GPs are offering telephone consultations.

For urgent support, Samaritans are also here to listen at any time, day or night. Call free on 116 123 or visit the Samaritans website.

The Wellness Society have also published a Coronavirus Anxiety Workbook.

Anxiety UK also have a helpline staffed by volunteers with personal experience of anxiety so you will be speaking with someone who has been there. Call them on 08444 775 774 (Monday – Friday: 9.30am – 5.30pm).

Local Minds offers valuable support for yourself and if you’re supporting someone else experiencing difficulties with mental health.

Body & Soul are running MindSET every Wednesday at 11:30 for young people aged 16 – 30, help young them to manage emotional distress. You can sign up here.

Do also look at the Creative Access blog on taking care of ourselves and each other here.

Forming a relationship online or over the phone is not always straightforward, so how do you create an effective and fruitful virtual mentoring partnership?

We’re so grateful for our team of brilliantly committed and encouraging mentors. We’d thought we’d share a collection of resources and guidance for both our mentors and mentees to help with connecting remotely.

For mentors

• Mentoring is such a powerful tool, through the ups and the downs, allowing time for reflection, supporting with structure and to help put things in perspective. Drawing on your professional experience to date, you can support by providing a sense of grounding and long-term view.

• Of course, there’s pros and cons to mentoring virtually as opposed to face-to-face and it’s important to acknowledge that whilst it may be more flexible, it may be more challenging to develop a trusting relationship. That said, and as long as you’re able to overcome any technical issues… it could actually inspire more relaxed and creative conversations away from both of your workplace settings.

• For early career professionals who are often the newest members of the team, it can be harder to sustain meaningful relationships with colleagues whilst on furlough and/or working from home. This could lead to feeling lonely or out of touch with the rest of their organisation. The simple act of checking in by sending a text message or brief email to your mentee asking how they are doing can go a long way.

• It’s important to be mindful that the COVID-19 pandemic may trigger trauma for young people. The National Mentoring Partnership in the US provides a practical resource for mentors.

For mentees

• Your mentor might be going through a very challenging time in their personal and/or professional life, remember to ask how they are and whether they’re able to connect remotely. Good mentees are considerate, respectful and can work within their mentor’s schedule.

• It is still important to prepare for a virtual meet up with your mentor, in order to maximise your time together. You might find it helpful to identify some recent accomplishments to share, think about a challenge you’d like to work through together and remember to be specific with how your mentor could help.

• Like many of us, you might be feeling worried and stressed and it can feel difficult adjusting. It’s important to remember that this situation will pass and we will get through it together, we’ve written a helpful blog post on managing your mental health during the coronavirus crisis.

For both

• Successful mentoring takes two and it can also take time and generosity to develop. The relationship must be managed and nurtured, we think the key elements of successful mentoring remain the same when connecting remotely.

• Remember to have fun, it’s ok to have a laugh and talk about something you did at the weekend, enjoyed watching on the TV or baked for the first time. Sometimes it can be helpful to take breaks from more serious conversations. And remember not to judge yourself by pre-pandemic standards, we’re living in unprecedented times!

Also sending a massive thank you for all your efforts, we hope you both continue to learn from a mutually beneficial mentoring relationship. Diverse voices are still very much needed within the creative sector, and mentoring is such an important strand of our work to achieving our vision where Britain’s creative industries truly reflect our society.