New Possible’s British HR Awards sets out to discover and celebrate the organisations that are truly passionate about delivering a world-class people experience.
In our new Sharing Success series, we interview British HR Awards Winners to shine a light on the inspiring initiatives that are improving workplaces across the UK and beyond. In this article we talk to Lorna Macdonald at the BBC, Winners of the 2024 ‘Culture Initiative of the Year’ category.
Introducing Lorna Macdonald
Lorna is currently Head of the BBC’s work on Career Development and Mobility, having held a variety of people and culture roles across the organisation. It's fair to say that Lorna practices what she preaches when it comes to career mobility!
About the BBC
The BBC holds a unique place within British Society and around the world, broadcasting in more than 40 languages from Mumbles to Mumbai. The Corporation built its foundations on community more than 100 years ago and now, as then, the Corporation's success depends on its ability to provide value for all audiences - but in a fiercely competitive 21st Century market. As the world’s leading public service broadcaster, they need their people to be the architects of the BBC's future, so together they’re building a globally creative, innovative culture – a world-class workplace for world-class people with the world at their feet.
A creative take on career mobility
In addressing the perception of career stagnation among its employees, the BBC embarked on a transformative journey to redefine career development within its organisation. Recognising the diverse talents and aspirations of its workforce, the BBC has introduced unique initiatives aimed at unlocking many different opportunities beyond traditional career paths.
Part of this approach was myCareer online which served as a comprehensive platform housing an array of career-enriching resources. From workshops to webinars, mentors to masterclasses, employees now have access to a wealth of tools and guidance to help navigate their career trajectories.
At the heart of the BBC's new approach, however, are their career mobility schemes: Hot Shoes and 80/20. Hot Shoes offers employees the chance to experience different roles within the organisation, ranging from two days to two weeks. Last year, over 1,000 placements were available, including unique opportunities such as Eurovision. Meanwhile, the 80/20 scheme enables employees to spend 20% of their time exploring new roles or departments for up to six months.
Lorna commented: “Underpinning our work on all the careers initiatives has been work on the culture around careers. This has focused on supporting managers to understand the role they play in having great conversations about careers and empowering and supporting people to develop. We’ve also focused on helping individuals to understand that our careers are our own responsibility and it’s for each of us to be curious and take action to develop.”
A meaningful impact
Nearly 700 colleagues applied for the 80/20 opportunity last year, with participants citing newfound confidence and skills gained from stepping out of their comfort zones. Host managers also benefit from fresh perspectives and insights brought by participants, showcasing the mutual value of the scheme.
Additionally, the BBC estimate that a quarter of BBC employees who took part in the Mobility Scheme went on to a new role, which is double the BBC average. There was also an impressive 11-point increase in staff survey responses regarding meaningful career development opportunities.
Lorna added: “We hear stories all the time from people who have moved into new roles and credit their Hot Shoes or 80/20 experiences as being the thing which gave them the skills and experience they needed to move. Not everyone who does a placement wants to make a job move, some people want to build their network and pick up insights from another part of the BBC to enhance the role they are in and it’s great to hear those stories too.”
Judges praised ‘fascinating opportunities that are unique to the BBC’, a ‘great showcase of internal mobility, understanding the problem and using creativity and employee voice to get there’ and ‘an outstanding initiative and submission with metrics to back it up!’.
What other advice would Lorna give to organisations that might want to implement similar mobility schemes?
“The beauty of career mobility is that it not only enhances the employee experience, but it also unlocks opportunities for collaboration and knowledge sharing across teams. It’s a win-win. Starting with small pilots is a great way to test approaches and refine ideas before launching activities across a whole organisation.”
About New Possible
New Possible is the people insight platform that’s committed to your success. We work across a range of sectors to provide clear, actionable, and benchmarkable insights across the employee lifecycle. Our NP360 survey helps leaders gain meaningful insight into the broader people experience, measuring 7 themes, including satisfaction, culture, and wellbeing.
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