Following the big news of the Microsoft acquisition of their company, Blizzard created new HR and DEI roles (human resources and diversity, equity, and inclusion) to combat their bad workplace allegations.
The news that Blizzard created new HR and DEI roles was announced over on their company blog, where Blizzard Entertainment head Mike Ybarra talked up their commitment to improving the workplace culture, under strict multi-level oversight that they hope will “rebuild trust in Blizzard.”
Ybarra has pledged Blizzard is “measuring (its) executive and management teams directly against culture improvement” and that their “success and compensation” will be compared to their ability to create a “safe, inclusive, and creative work environment at Blizzard.” Further, Ybarra noted they’ve tripled their compliance and investigation teams and set “clear accountability for unacceptable behavior.”
“I was encouraged in reading forums, social posts, and emails from people within and outside of Blizzard, standing up for what is right and lending us your guidance,” Ybarra said in the update. “I want you all to know we are listening, and we are committed to change.”
He added, “These actions are just the beginning of the work that lies ahead for Blizzard. I’m motivated and excited to work directly on building the best environment for our teams, to allow them to bring their visions to life.”
There are a host of new resources and positions being created at trying to clean up Blizzard’s reputation, both with staff and with their customer base. There are new full-time positions like a “culture leader”, a new “diversity, equity and inclusion” director, and an “organizational leader” within their human resources team. There’s also a new feedback program for staff to rate their leadership, which they’ll use to “measure the quality and effectiveness of managers.”
Ybarra previously joined Blizzard Entertainment back in 2019 as executive vice president and general manager, following his two decade career as a corporate VP for Microsoft. The previous president of Blizzard, J. Allen Brack, stepped down when numerous allegations of workplace misconduct began surfacing, alongside a flurry of lawsuits.
Prior to the acquisition announcement, Xbox boss Phil Spencer joined in with the other big gaming executives in saying they were concerned over what was happening at Blizzard Entertainment, and even Activision proper. Later when the acquisition was announced, Microsoft leadership were confident that Activision and Blizzard Entertainment can shape up and correct the bad environment and reputation with the company.
