Update, 4/28 2:30 p.m.:
BBC announced it will be overhauling its application process. Applications will now be “anonymized” and stripped of identifying information, such as names and where applicants attended school.
Applicants will also be asked whether they attended private or public school, if they were a first generation college student, and if they ever qualified for government assistance as children.
Additionally, people from “under-represented groups” will be given “pre-application training,” including CV workshops and interview tips.
BBC hopes this change will contribute to diversity.
Given BBC’s new quota goals, it is unclear how removing critical identifying information will result in a more diverse staff.
Original story:
BBC announced it is ditching the traditional practice of hiring the best people for the job in order to promote diversity.
In a “pledge” made on the BBC website, BBC says it will “meet or better” represent the United Kingdom population in staff, leadership roles, and on-air broadcasters by 2020.
Under these requirements, only 19 percent of BBC’s workforce will consist of non-disabled straight white non-trans men.
In order to mirror the United Kingdom population, BBC has promised it will force women to represent “half” of its workforce and leadership roles by 2020, up from 48.4 percent of all BBC employees and 41.3 percent of those in leadership roles.
BBC will also make sure 15 percent of its workforce is black, Asian, and other “ethnic minorities” by 2020.
“Lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender” representation will increase to eight percent of BBC staff.
As well, BBC will require eight percent of its workforce be disabled people.
Mark Atkinson, the chief executive at the disability charity Scope, told BBC there aren’t enough opportunities available for disabled people to be on-air presenters.
He said, “We work with many talented disabled actors and aspiring presenters who are pushing hard to get a break. But it is still a huge struggle for disabled people to make it in the industry and there are too few opportunities.”
A spokesperson for BBC said, “Almost half of our workforce is made up of women and the proportion of our workforce who are black, Asian and other ethnic minority is at an all-time high.”
“We'll continue doing what works but also develop new and innovative ideas to do even better, and we'll set this out in our new diversity strategy shortly.”
Another BBC spokesperson said, “Significant steps forward have been taken, but it is important to us that the BBC is truly representative of our all our audiences -- diversity is more than any single characteristic.”
“We are the BBC and must be held to a higher standard. The range of the BBC's programme and services, and the fact that we will make sure that our approach to diversity is hardwired in everything we do, make these targets even more ambitious.”