Quite a few people have had some problems with Ubisoft's work culture in the past; now, the international game developer and publisher has detailed a number of changes it's made over the last year.
A little more than a year ago, a number of top executives left Ubisoft following a number of issues. CEO Yves Guillemot said that the company had "fallen short in its obligation to guarantee a safe and inclusive workplace environment for its employees" and wanted to fix that problem; going forward, it planned to make things better for everyone.
Subsequent reporting noted that not all employees had confidence in anything actually coming from these changes, especially as a number of people they took issue with were still employed at Ubisoft. Still, the company pressed on with its plan to make things better — and now we have an idea of what they've been up to.
The Changes to Ubisoft's Work Culture
A news post titled "A Year of Change at Ubisoft" breaks down how Ubisoft's work culture has changed over the last year. Judging by what's detailed here, it looks like the company has made a serious effort to improve things overall.
To start, more than 14,000 employees participated in assessments including an anonymous questionnaire; 2,000 employees took part in focus groups and listening sessions. Global consulting firm Accenture was hired to do an audit of Ubisoft's worldwide HR organization and processes. The result? The company's non-discrimination and anti-harassment policies have been strengthened and all employees must sign an updated and improved Code of Fair Conduct when it debuts in June 2021.
This is just the start for Ubisoft — It's hired a number of new executives, some of which are filling new positions such as Raashi Sikka taking on the role of VP of Global Diversity & Inclusion. The company has also pledged to continue improving in the coming months and years.
"Considerable progress has been made, and we will continue to work hard with the ambition of becoming an exemplary workplace in the tech industry," read a statement from Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot.
"Management -- myself included -- have a responsibility to act as role models and be exemplary for our teams. I want to stress my personal commitment to continue to improve our workplace culture and create real, lasting and positive change at Ubisoft."
