ESG
Environment, Social and Governance
Welcome to Team17 Group plc’s Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) section, a key pillar of our corporate strategy. As a global provider of games entertainment to a broad audience, we embark on the important journey towards sustainability, responsibility, and positive impact. Our recently expanded Group now comprises of StoryToys, astragon, and Team17 Games Label. This alignment enhances our collective capacity to drive positive initiatives in the ESG space, fostering synergy and maximizing the impact of our sustainability and responsibility measures. Collectively, we are navigating the intersection of innovation and responsible corporate citizenship, shaping not only the future of gaming but also contributing to a more sustainable and responsible global business landscape.
At Team17 Group plc., we recognise that sustainability and responsible governance are integral to unlocking enduring value for our stakeholders. We believe that effective ESG reporting goes beyond compliance; it serves as a tool for building trust with our stakeholders, people and shareholders and showcasing the Group’s commitment to build on more sustainable and responsible business practices.
Environment
As a predominantly digital entertainment company, our impact on the environment is inherently low. However, we still recognise the impact our industry can have on the environment. Learn more about our journey towards net zero and other ongoing initiatives, practices and progress towards a sustainable and responsible future:
Social
We describe ourselves as a “People First” company at Team17 Group Plc. We recognize that our most valuable asset is our people, and fostering their growth and well-being is paramount to our success. By prioritizing human capital development and championing diversity, we aim to set a standard for socially responsible practices within our industry.
Team17 Group plc is dedicated to creating an environment where diverse perspectives thrive. We continue to monitor progress and track diversity in our group, providing regular updates to management and executive teams. We also have numerous employee groups focused on addressing specific challenges and opportunities within our Group, which shape and influence company initiatives.
As part of our commitment to fostering an inclusive workplace, gender diversity remains a focus point. We actively promote gender equality, ensuring equal opportunities and representation across all levels of our organization. A group of female executives at Team17 Group Plc, including the former Group CEO Debbie Bestwick MBE, set up a podcast series, ‘The Purple Panel: Empowering Women in Games Leadership’ in Autumn 2023. This podcast spotlights the stories and perspectives of women leading in the games industry and is available on Apple. From independent game developers to executives at major studios, the series intends to showcase the diverse range of voices, experiences, and leadership styles of women in the field. Each episode will feature interviews with industry leaders, as well as discussions on current topics and challenges facing women in games leadership roles.
Talent Development Strategy
At Team17 Group Plc., we are committed to a comprehensive and forward-thinking Talent Development Strategy that ensures we meet the evolving needs of our businesses in an ever changing industry. By proactively identifying, attracting, and nurturing talent across our companies, we aim to cultivate a sustainable, diverse, and dynamic workforce at every level of the organization.
Our approach includes data-driven workforce planning, where we use analytics to anticipate talent gaps, project future hiring needs, and develop targeted recruitment strategies aligned with business growth and market trends. Each company within the Group also supports talent attraction initiatives, including the creation of interactive careers maps by T17 Digital, as well as the launch of the T17 Careers Discord Page, which fosters networking and communication between existing and future talent.
We partner with colleges and educational bodies to nurture early careers, offering internships, graduate programs, and apprenticeships. For instance, T17 Digital collaborates with a third-party to train IT apprentices, while StoryToys and astragon participate in graduate traineeship programs, ensuring an influx of new talent. These initiatives are complemented by structured “buddy systems”, pairing new hires with experienced team members to aid integration and foster a supportive work environment.
Our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion is a core part of our strategy. We actively engage in initiatives like Games Careers Week in collaboration with our She17 affinity group, and we support three community groups — LGBT17, She17, and Disability17 — to ensure safe spaces and representation for all employees. StoryToys is also actively working to increase female representation in technical roles, demonstrating our focus on diversity across all functions. Additionally, we host events such as career evenings, providing opportunities for young people from underrepresented communities to learn about careers in the gaming industry.
DEI Committee
We have created a new cross-Group team to accelerate our work on DEI – looking to follow through on specific topics and inform Group priorities in partnership with the ESG Committee.
Category: Training & Development
Our endeavours in human capital development means ensuring the continuous professional and personal growth of our diverse workforce. By nurturing a culture of learning and development, we empower our team members to reach their full potential in a self-directed and supported way. We have set up a number of programmes across our Group companies to prepare our workforce with the skills they need and to open up new opportunities for progression.
Team17 Group recognises the importance of learning, in work and in life! Our employees are given dedicated time and space to invest in their learning; whether it’s through dedicated paid time off to learn (6 days a year in Team 17 Games Label), financial assistance for certification programs, job-specific training programs or access to learning platforms so individuals can learn and access learning content at their own pace. We extend our learning supports to all categories of employees including trainees, apprentices, part-time staff members, fixed-term and permanent staff members.
As part of the human capital development approach, individual businesses within the Group have made decisions to actively partner with third level institutions to shape educational curriculums and support graduate traineeship and apprenticeship programs as part of our talent pipelining.
Category : Employee Voice
We integrate employee voice into our practices, frequently engaging with our employee groups to help influence the direction in which our businesses are going. We carry out an annual engagement survey (since 2023) to seek feedback from our employees on what matters to them during their employment lifecycle and act on what needs to be introduced or enhanced. In 2024, we conducted a combined Group engagement survey rather than individual company surveys, covering similar themes to the 2023 survey. This survey spanned five companies, with 271 participants and a total response rate of 78% (over 80% in 2023).
Performance conversations and feedback mechanisms are another important part of fostering employee voice within Team17 Group Plc., as they provide a structured platform for individuals to express their thoughts, concerns, and ideas related to their work. We encourage regular 1:1s, which not only allow employees to share their perspectives on their performance but also contribute to a culture of open communication and trust. By actively involving our people in performance conversations, we strive to empower them, enhance their engagement, and create a collaborative environment that values and integrates the diverse voices within our workforce.
In 2024, StoryToys was recognized for its employee-centric approach, earning the accolade of one of the Best Places to Work, further showcasing our commitment to creating positive, inclusive working environments. To ensure our working environment remains as open and transparent as possible, we conduct regular feedback sessions with our employees through focus groups, gathering feedback from our community groups — such as Green17, LGBT+17, AllTogetherNow and She17 — as well as Q&A sessions during our townhalls and All Hands meetings, and our annual engagement survey.