Sky recently releasd the details of its new Assistant Commissioner program. Under the two-year scheme designed to attract creatives from outside the traditional commissioning pool, the company is inviting creatives to apply for six roles, on a full-time salary, working across Sky’s key commissioning genres, comedy, drama, arts and entertainment, factual, kids and original film.“We know there has been a lot of work done to bring new voices and perspectives to commissioning, but it’s mainly been focused on entry level positions," Zai Bennett, Managing Director of Content Sky UK and Ireland said. "We recognised a big gap in the market in terms of developing real skills in commissioning at a senior level which is why we are launching the Assistant Commissioner program. “
Recognizing that senior commissioning executives, with the power to select which programs are made, are often from similar backgrounds, and with turnover low, the new scheme has been developed to bring in fresh perspectives and voices by widening the creative recruitment pool. The programme forms part of Sky’s wider strategy to support diversity and inclusion in our industry and our workforce. The very best creative talent with a wide range of skillsets from industries ranging from theatre, gaming and music to script writers, producers and more will be identified and invited to apply.
To ensure Sky’s hiring panel look at recruitment through a different set of success metrics, Sky also appointed an expert tasked with assessing criteria based more around personality, situational judgement and motivation fit as opposed to the traditional commissioner skill set. “It’s about giving people a platform who don’t already have it. We want new voices, new experiences and new perspectives in our team to tell authentic stories that represent our wide customer base," Bennett said. "This will not only bolster Sky’s creative output but it will upskill talent for the wider broadcasting industry.”
The program, funded by Sky as part of its £30 million commitment , will allow aspiring creatives to follow the process from greenlight to production. Once hired, the candidates will
It is scheduled to go live today for internal and external candidates on the Sky Careers page, welcoming creatives from various minority groups and
We know there has been a lot of work done to bring new voices and perspectives to commissioning, but it’s mainly been focused on entry level positions. We recognized a big gap in the market in terms of developing real skills in commissioning at a senior level which is why we are launching the Assistant Commissioner program.” Zai Bennett Managing Director of Content Sky UK and Ireland
