Diversity and inclusion policy

Distinction is fully committed to equality and inclusion, and values diversity in our team.

We do not discriminate because of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race (which includes colour, nationality and ethnic or national origins), religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

We do not discriminate because of any other factor and will build a culture that values, openness, fairness and transparency.

We’re a long way from where we want to be. We envision a pluralistic space in place of what is currently a dominant culture.

We envisage delivering best in class work borne of a multitude of lived experiences. If our mission is to create rich human experiences through design and technology, we need to become a space for talent from all walks of life to collaborate and flourish.

• We commit to accountability for our workforce diversity.
• We commit to dismantling the systemic racism in our agency.
• We commit to dismantling the systemic agism in our agency.
• We commit to dismantling the systemic sexism in our agency.
• We commit to hiring, developing, and promoting people throughout our organisation, and specifically in leadership, to increase diversity.
• We commit to valuing diversity, including diversity of opinion.

We know we have a lot to do. We will follow these commitments with specific goals and the actions we will take to achieve them.

Specific actions we will be taking include:

• Improving the diversity of our company, including our senior leadership and board members.
• Educating our teams about creating an inclusive environment by offering resources, training, and ongoing company-wide conversations about diversity and race.
• Supporting employees who want to devote time to help local community services and non-profits.
• Donating our time and expertise to initiatives devoted to improving diversity.
• Surfacing content from a more diverse spectrum of viewpoints to help inform people, provide a broader context and inspire readers to take positive action.
• Supporting organisations that nurture talent from diverse ethnic backgrounds.
• Elevating user perspectives on topics like racism, agism, sexism, diversity, and the wide-ranging effects of income inequality.
• Speaking out against activities that incite violence, discrimination and tribalism.
• Holding our team, partners, and clients accountable if they partake in inflammatory rhetoric, vilify people of colour, and fuel racial hatred.

We will report openly about our progress frequently.