Recruitment Award: BBC

WINNER: BBC

About BBC

The BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) is a British public service broadcaster. It delivers programmes across a portfolio of television services, 10 UK-wide radio networks, digital services and global news services. 

Issue

The BBC began re-engineering its recruitment process by recognising that disabled people were underrepresented in its workforce.  

Many disabled applicants previously believed the BBC “wasn’t for people like them”. 

Managers were unfamiliar with disability-inclusive recruitment or workplace adjustment processes, which could lead to hesitation or misstep. 

What they did

BBC created BBC Extend—a transformative positive action employment programme that establishes ring-fenced jobs for disabled people, inclusive recruitment practices and structured business support at scale.

Created in collaboration with the BBC’s Project Managers for Inclusion, Employee Resource Groups and Talent Acquisition Leads, BBC Extend ringfences permanent or fixed-term roles for people who are deaf, disabled or neurodivergent, including pivotal editorial and commissioning roles.

Extend also supports hiring teams, operating as a fully supported, end-to-end recruitment experience in 2 divisions.

The initiative is tailored to the different BBC divisions and is continuously re-evaluated to figure out what works best for different teams and different roles.

A key part of its output is a comprehensive 20-page recruitment playbook, which lays out inclusive practices and guidance on removing barriers for disabled candidates. Notably, its principles are now being adopted more widely across the organisation, raising standards for inclusive hiring.

Impact

Extend has become a principal driver of measurable inclusion within the BBC, contributing to 12.2 per cent offscreen representation of deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people.

What’s more, internal mobility data shows a rise in disabled staff progressing in the organisation. Of over 100 recent Extend hires, 30 per cent were internal, highlighting increased confidence in long-term career progression at the BBC.

Extend has also driven a measurable shift in hiring team perceptions. The ringfencing of roles having demonstrated that disabled colleagues strengthen performance, various divisions are now meeting —and exceeding— disability workforce targets.

Externally, Extend has shifted perceptions of the BBC as an employer: 250+ professionals attended in-person Extend events, with 2,000 additional talent pool signups.

Through its innovation, inclusive design and measurable impact, Extend demonstrates how accessible recruitment can move beyond good intentions to create lasting, systemic change.

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