Talent management and focusing on diversity are crucial if Channel 4 is to become an employer of choice, according Channel 4’s head of learning and talent.

Jo Taylor, told last week’s Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) conference on recruitment, resourcing and talent at London Olympia: “Graduates would rather work in the BBC because it’s got more [personal] growth opportunities and because it is seen as a bigger entity.”

However, she said that by including diversity as an important stand in its talent mangagment strategy Channel 4 could build a competitive advantage over its rivals.

Taylor said that Channel 4’s definiton of diversity was  broadly based, including not only race and sex but also social mobility.  “Without having a diversity of staff we cannot develop the products and programmes that reflect our audience,” said Taylor.  

Taylor added that it was important to look outside the narrow creative industries for talent, and to learn from the experiences of other organisations.  She said that staff from Channel 4 had recently met a senior executive of Barclays. The aim of such meetings was to “bring some of other organisation’s thoughts and ideas  back into the Channel 4 business”.