The scope of the agreement - WorkWithMe
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
Public relations
The scope
of the agreement
Helen Dunne finds out about a groundbreaking partnership between Virgin
Media and Scope to get one million disabled people into work by 2020
W
hen Brigitte Trafford joined Virgin Media as ‘I think that’s important,’ says Trafford. ‘For a company’s
chief communications officer four years ago, she sustainability efforts with a charity to be really effective they have
was surprised to find that the telephone-to- got to align with what you do as a business. It also means it
television services company had relationships resonates with customers and employees.’
with more than 30 charities, and that invariably her colleagues Scope is also a nationwide charity, which fits with Virgin
found it hard to name even three of these. The potential of these Media’s footprint: as the product of a series of acquisitions and
partnerships was far from being maximised. mergers, the company has 130 people sites across the United
Consequently, Trafford led a review of each charity Kingdom. ‘We wanted a charity that made sense beyond London,’
relationship to assess whether and why it she adds. ‘And when we spoke to Scope, we got really
made sense for Virgin Media. ‘It was a really ‘For every 100 excited.’ The charity was keen to create a relationship
thorough process,’ she recalls. ‘We talked to that went beyond a financial one, but instead develop
colleagues about which ones resonated, and disabled people a meaningful partnership that benefited both sides.
we talked to many of the charities and a Initially, however, Virgin Media funded three
couple of charitable organisations.’ who move into campaigns for Scope, including End the Awkward
A shortlist soon emerged, which was campaign, which highlighted the fact that two
then reviewed by Virgin Media’s internal
compliance team to ensure that the charities
the workplace, thirds of people feel awkward around disability.
The campaign used humour, including videos of
did not have any skeletons in the closet and disabled people discussing how colleagues
that donations would be used appropriately. 114 are going to ‘overcompensate’.
‘This was pre-Kids Company,’ says Trafford, It offered advice and tips, such as five things to
alluding to the financial difficulties and leave’ avoid when meeting a disabled person, including
allegations that brought down the children’s asking inappropriate questions or making
charity led by Camila Batmanghelidjh. assumptions. ‘We know that disability is an awkward subject for
Scope emerged as the winner, not least because Virgin most people,’ says Trafford. ‘It is not that they want to be rude but
Media could see that its digital expertise could help to unleash they don’t know how to broach it. The End the Awkward
the potential of the very people the disability charity was campaign [which ran for three years] was brilliant because it made
seeking to assist. the point in a way that was humorous and accessible.’
CorpComms 41
Anna Bird, executive director of policy, research and public affairs disability much further using the reach of Virgin Media, and to
at Scope, explains: ‘We know that we don’t get anywhere with support the company in its evolution as an organisation.
bashing people over the head with endless public information, but ‘It is also thinking about service to customers, as well as the
having a joke with people really does.’ Scope is now considering employee experience. We know that the purple pound, the amount
how it can take certain elements of the campaign into the of money that disabled people spend, is about £250 billion a year,
workplace, and how that might create new conversations. but we also know that businesses are not thinking enough about
‘This is genuinely a two-way partnership,’ says Trafford. ‘And that market share and doing enough to reach those customers. It is
when we saw the impact of End the Awkward, we both started to really good that this internal process is not just looking at
get a bit more ambitious, thinking Okay, that was great but what employees but also at how Virgin Media can improve the
could we really achieve together?’ experience for disabled customers.’
But it took the intervention of chief executive Tom Mockridge Scope is now getting involved with product development at the
to really drive the partnership forward. He asked the simple start of the process. An early example of the charity’s input is a new
question: how did Virgin Media measure up as an organisation in high contrast handset for Virgin Media’s V6 and TiVo set boxes
its treatment of disabled people? Scope was suitable for visually impaired customers, which is white
invited in to conduct a thorough review. with black buttons. The company is also now offering
For example, it is looking at Virgin Media’s
‘Government can video relay or text relay for customers wishing to
working environment to check each building is communicate with the customer service department.
accessible to disabled people, reviewing the only do so much: ‘We’ve been working on the issue of disability
company’s interview procedures to ensure that employment specifically for about four years,
there is no bias against disabled candidates and they are not keen working with Government to change the agenda,’
examining its attitude towards disabled says Bird. ‘We’ve made lots of progress in that time.
customers. ‘In some places we’ve been doing on obligations on There are Government commitments to halving the
well,’ admits Trafford, ‘and in others, like many employment gap and getting more disabled people
companies, we have got a long way to go, but employers’ into work, but we can’t do it if employers don’t
Scope is helping us to get the processes right so change workplace practices. Government can only do
that we are attractive to both disabled customers and employees.’ so much: they are not keen on obligations on employers. Our
Some suggestions have already been implemented. Virgin Media ability to work with an employer like Virgin Media and really
has rolled out a dyslexic font for both employees and customers. push the boundaries is really exciting.’
New signage on the disabled toilets highlights that not every Prompted by Mockridge’s intervention and the success of End
disability is visible. Line managers are receiving training on dealing the Awkward, Virgin Media and Scope have worked together to
with disabled colleagues, and how they can offer advice and launch the ground-breaking Work with Me campaign to help to
support. And a building code now ensures that all new premises are get one million disabled people, who want to work but are
accessible while addressing the issue of older properties. currently not employed, into the labour force by the end of 2020.
Bird explains: ‘Over the years, the partnership has evolved. We ‘It is a bold but singular campaign; we’ve gone from having
are now coming together around a shared strategy and a shared three to one campaign, but I think we had to go on that journey,’
vision, and there is value on both sides. For example, we know that says Trafford. ‘I don’t think we could have gone from 30 charities
there is real value for us in being able to take our message about to one charity and one goal.’
42 www.corpcommsmagazine.co.uk February 2018
Public relations
Virgin Media has pledged £2 million to the three year campaign, the conversation [about the type of support needed] rather than
and, while not setting specific targets for the number of disabled not inviting disabled people to interviews.’
people it will recruit, is now focusing on gender diversity and The campaign encompasses both physical and mental
disability as part of its wider inclusion strategy. (It also has a disabilities. Scope is aware that people suffering from a mental
vibrant and well established LGBT community.) The funds will disability are often worried that there is a stigma attached to their
be used for Scope’s new digital employment support service, which illness, and therefore are unwilling to raise the issue in the
hopes to reach one million disabled people with employment workplace. Bird adds: ‘It all comes down to positive conversations,
information and support by 2020. and being able to talk to your line manager and to trust that
An Opinium survey of 2,000 disabled people, commissioned relationship. It is so important to be able to change those attitudes
by the partners to launch the campaign, found that just half of and open up those conversations; it is the beginning of all that we
applications result in an interview, compared with 69 per cent for want to achieve.’
non-disabled applicants. They also apply for, on Trafford admits that Virgin Media is
average, 60 per cent more jobs than non- ‘Scope is helping us ‘learning as we go’, adding: ‘We’re not trying to
disabled people. pretend we’re the perfect organisation. We are on
The survey also revealed that disabled to get the processes a journey, but we want to share our learnings
people believe there is a bias against them. More with other organisations.’ For example, when
than 37 per cent of those who don’t feel Virgin Media asked employees to inform the
confident about getting a job believe they will
right so that we are company, if they so wished, about their
not be hired because of their impairment or disabilities, it prompted a complaint from one
condition. Two in five are not confident about attractive to both colleague about the wording of the questions.
the chances of getting a job within six months. ‘What we said was Thank you very much, because
‘There is a range of barriers getting into work,’ disabled customers she had raised a really good point,’ says Trafford.
explains Bird. ‘But we also know that many The colleague then joined a working group to
disabled people feel frustrated that the support and employees’ discuss the issue. ‘We had actually thought
is not available to them in the workplace. Half about the wording, yet we still got it wrong, but
[those surveyed] say they do not know their rights within the we recognised that, took on board the feedback and moved on.’
workplace. They are also worried about talking about their Virgin Media is also keen to encourage other organisations to
impairment, and that might hold them back from asking for the join the campaign. It is starting with ‘family’, the other companies
support that they need, such as flexible working, a rise and fall within the Virgin Group and also subsidiaries of its parent Liberty
desk or even time off to manage a condition that is changing, Global [which has no links to Virgin]. ‘Whether it is your
which could mean they cannot apply for progression within customer base or supply chain, or the employees within Virgin
the workplace.’ Media and its social enterprise networks, from Scope’s point of
She adds: ‘We also know that, for every 100 disabled people view there is huge potential to reach out to smaller businesses,
who move into the workplace, 114 are going to leave. There is a individuals and publics in a way that we could not do on our own,’
problem with keeping people in work.’ It is also a huge waste of says Bird. ‘There is so much we can do to extend the reach and tap
talent. Scope has calculated that a ten percentage point increase in into the power of this partnership.’
the number of disabled people in work would increase Britain’s
gross domestic product by £45 billion.
While the Government offers funding to help disabled people
get into work, such as interpreters for those using sign language or
taxis to travel into work, many employers remain unaware this is
available. ‘It’s a lot for line managers to know, and you need to
have the right information and advice present in the workplace,
which is something we are working on.’
Scope believes that employers ‘are nervous’ about the subject.
‘Saying that you are ‘open for business for disabled people’ helps,’
says Trafford. ‘A line manager who is recruiting should know that
hiring a disabled person, and everything that entails, is something
that the company would absolutely support. It allows them to have
CorpComms 43
You can also read
