The ABC will hire a specialist recruitment advisor to bring in diverse employee candidates and increase diversity in leadership as part of its new three-year Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging plan.
Criticised for not doing enough to support Stan Grant and other staff from social media attacks, ABC management has also committed to provide employees with resources and training to respond to racism and discrimination, which, the plan says, can include "comments or stereotyping, verbal abuse, harassment, intimidation, discrimination and unacceptable public commentary".
The ABC will also work to "actively create the space to listen, build empathy, and provide employees with an opportunity to be heard".
Under the plan, which will run until 2026, the ABC will:
- review its existing career development approach to identifying opportunities for Indigenous and diverse staff
- work to better understand why employees from Indigenous and diverse backgrounds choose to leave the ABC
- develop and implement a retention framework.
Managing Director, David Anderson, says the plan is based on an 'inclusion in practice' approach which will assist the organisation to meet its Charter obligations to "contribute to a sense of national identity and inform, entertain and represent all Australians".
Anderson said that ground-breaking programs such as First Day, Here Out West, Love on the Spectrum, You Can’t Ask That, Blakout, Total Control and Mystery Road "demonstrate the quality and distinctiveness of the Australian stories we tell".
Drawing on voluntarily reported staff data, the plan shows that, of the ABC's 4419 employees at the end of last year, some 13% identify as from the LGBTQIA+ community, while 3.3% identify as Indigenous and 5.4% as having a disability.
Within management, the data shows 55.4% of women in executive roles and one-fifth of all executives having culturally diverse backgrounds.
Along with inclusion in practice, the ABC's diversity and inclusion approach will centre on:
- a diverse workforce
- inclusive content, products and services
- connection with Indigenous and diverse communities
- accountability and transparency
Cultural Guidance Advisors to be appointed in content divisions will assist the ABC to be "authentic, accessible and culturally aware when creating and sharing stories".
Sophie Arnold
Editor of ABC Friends email newsletter