We pledged to make Activision Blizzard a more diverse and inclusive workplace — we’re now #1 in our industry

Earlier this month, we shared the changes we have made within Activision Blizzard and promised that responses to our employee survey were being heard… and heard clearly. We knew, internally, that we were taking dynamic steps forward on our commitment to enhance our culture and show real, lasting change. Well, others are starting to take notice, too.

It’s my pleasure to tell you all about some fantastic news we got this week, courtesy of the nonprofit shareholder advocacy organization As You Sow.

Each year, As You Sow releases a "Racial Justice Scorecard" and a "Workplace Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Scorecard" designed to help financial advisors and other investors identify the leading and lagging firms in terms of public disclosure, company actions, and environmental impact.

As You Sow has just released its 2022 scorecards tracking Russell 1,000 companies like ours as well as category-leading brands such as Visa, CVS, Nike, and Microsoft. In those scorecards, Activision Blizzard ranked first in our industry for Workplace Diversity Equity and Inclusion and second for Racial Justice.

This is great news. As You Sow is an impartial third party whose rankings are not given lightly. In just two years, their scorecard program has motivated an increase in transparency across all industries (from 23 companies on the S&P 100 in 2020 to 94 this year) and As You Sow has been recognized as one of Fast Company’s 2022 Most Innovative Companies in the Not-For-Profit space.

But more importantly, our ratings from As You Sow also reflect the decision we made to be transparent, to share publicly our demographic data – including overall workforce composition, recruitment rates, promotion rates, and retention, as well as explicit and quantifiable DEI goals, pay equity data, and other categories where we have acted in the last year.

Additionally, these outcomes stand side-by-side with what our people told us in our most recent Upward Feedback survey.  As we reported, our people gave their managers strong scores – in fact, we saw a 15%  improvement in overall ratings - for “encouraging an inclusive culture,” for treating individual employees with respect, and for having a high regard for their ability to work with colleagues from different backgrounds. This is how lasting change is cultivated. 

As gratifying as the As You Sow rankings are to see, we will not be resting on our laurels. We aren’t even remotely done strengthening and renewing our culture. 

Just this past summer, we saw the launch of “Level Up U,” our own in-house “boot camp” designed to open doors to underrepresented talent. The first cohort focused on game developers and software engineers. It was such a rousing success that plans are already underway to evolve the LUU program to encompass varied creative and technical disciplines. Led by Dean Tad Leckman – whose credits include Lucasfilm, Industrial Light & Magic, and Blizzard – the program was intent on tearing down barriers. As he said at the time: “I think it speaks to how many people might be working as web programmers but aspire to do something else and just haven't had that way in.”

Since she joined us last April as our first Chief Diversity Officer, Kristen Hines has been a driving force behind our efforts to make sure everyone is seen, heard, and represented. She made her mission clear from the start, saying, “I’m excited to join a company that is prioritizing its commitment to DEI and making progress on the ambitious goals it has set for itself. In an industry with historical underrepresentation, I’m looking forward to leading the company’s efforts to further build a workplace that values transparency, equity, and inclusivity.”

Our Chief Talent Officer Alex DiLeonardo is also energized by the news this week and is ready to keep the momentum going, saying, “Diversity, equity, and inclusion remains a top priority for our organization and its leaders. In particular, we see data transparency as a key pillar in driving accountability and progress. We’re proud to be leading the way and excited to see such growth and positive change across all industries in just a few short years. The future is bright.”

We continue to be unwavering in our work to make Activision Blizzard “one of the world’s most inclusive, respected, and respectful workplaces.”  

With gratitude,

Julie