HarperCollins UK: Strategic DEI Training and Cultural Shift

Background

HarperCollins UK, a leading publishing company, wanted to move beyond a sporadic approach to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Director of People, John Athanasiou, aimed to create a cohesive, long-term strategy that would be integrated across the organisation. He partnered with Mildon to analyse employee engagement data and design a training programme that would empower staff to act on DEI principles.

The Approach

Toby Mildon’s work with HarperCollins focused on two key areas:

1. Data-Driven Strategy Development:
   • Analysed employee survey data from a DEI perspective.
   • Conducted a detailed presentation for John, which was then shared with the CEO and the executive team.
   • Identified trends, patterns, and gaps that informed the company’s DEI strategy.
   • Recommendations from this analysis became a core part of HarperCollins’ long-term plan.
2. Diversity Includes Everybody Training:
   • Designed a course covering key concepts: privilege, bias, and microaggressions.
   • Delivered live, online sessions to groups of 50-60 employees, maintaining engagement while being budget-conscious.
   • Adapted content mid-rollout to address timely issues, such as racism and anti-racism, following the global attention on Black Lives Matter.
   • Nearly 1,000 employees, including executives, completed the training, ensuring a shared understanding across the organisation.

Results

HarperCollins saw several benefits from this partnership:

• Strategic Impact:
  • The data analysis helped shift the conversation at executive levels, framing DEI as a key business priority.
  • The training programme improved understanding, empathy, and accountability among staff.
  • DEI initiatives, such as blind recruitment processes, became embedded across the employee journey, from hiring to development.
• Cultural Shift:
  • The training helped employees feel more comfortable discussing DEI topics, making inclusivity everyone’s responsibility.
  • HarperCollins’ internal data showed a marked improvement in employee perceptions of DEI.
  • Diversity and inclusion are now seen as strengths, both in the workforce and in the publishing of diverse authors.

Client Perspective

“Toby’s approach is straightforward. He asks the right questions, challenges our thinking, and provides clear direction. His work helped us frame DEI as a strategic priority, not just an HR initiative. The training has shifted our culture, making inclusivity a shared responsibility.”

– John Athanasiou, Director of People, HarperCollins UK