Why making great games isn’t enough

We’re excited to share some great news – we’ve been accredited as a Living Wage Employer!

This means we’ve made a commitment to paying all of our team a wage that is a real Living Wage. This is higher than the government’s minimum, or ‘National Living Wage’, and is an independently calculated hourly rate of pay that is based on the actual cost of living.

Darren Bowen, Chief Operating Officer and Co-founder at Third Kind Games, said:

“We're extremely proud to have made this commitment, it makes a real difference to our entry-level roles which are so often overlooked and undervalued in other businesses. The industry faces a skill shortage and creating a level playing field and better grass root opportunities for the industry's future is something that has always been important to us.”

In the West Midlands, 13.3% of all workers earn less than they need to earn to get by, with around 316,000 jobs paying less than the real Living Wage. As one of the first game dev studios in Leamington to have made this voluntary commitment, we’d love other studios to get involved so that we can continue growing our ‘Silicon Spa’ hub as one of the best places to make games in the UK, both to live and to work.

Over 12,000 organisations, including TKG, voluntarily choose to pay the real Living Wage because we believe that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay. You can find other organisations that pay the Living Wage on the Living Wage Foundation website.

For us at Third Kind Games, this goes beyond just paying a real Living Wage – it is part of the bigger picture of creating a supportive environment for all our team both at work and at home.

That’s why we think—especially in the games industry—that being a studio that makes great games isn’t enough. Supporting our teams should be one of our top priorities, with an active focus on creating and implementing a benefits package that is people and family centric, and truly fit with the lifestyle of our teams, alongside an employee reward system and paying a real Living Wage.

This goes hand in hand with creating a workplace culture that is inclusive where all forms of diversity are celebrated and valued, enabling everyone to feel appreciated and free to be who they are at work.

The importance of ‘the full package’

Simply riding on the reputations of our games and studios isn’t a sure way to attract the top talent. By paying a real Living Wage and tailoring our benefits to create a customised package enables us to best support the well-being of our team. A good rewards and benefits package can be a powerful tool. Here’s how:

• Attract and retain top talent: Offering a real Living Wage supports entry-level roles and feeds into competitive salaries further on in careers. Beyond that, a good benefits package that supports well-being helps keep those team members on board, happy and engaged and helps to reduce turnover too.
• Commitment to our team: Everyone deserves to feel valued at work. Offering a good rewards and benefits package demonstrates that value to your team and shows that commitment by investing in their well-being. This can help to build trust and loyalty, and can also improve overall job satisfaction.
• Improve employee productivity and engagement: When teams feel valued and appreciated, they're more likely to be engaged and productive at work. A good rewards and benefits package can help to motivate your employees and create a positive work environment.
• Diversity and inclusion: Diversity, inclusion, and accessibility are essential for a healthy workplace. They foster innovation, attract top talent, and create a sense of belonging for the whole team. By recognising and valuing the unique perspectives, backgrounds, and abilities of everyone, we can create a more equitable and welcoming workplace.

Heidi Slee, HR Business Partner at Third Kind Games, said:

“Remuneration isn’t just about the money in your pocket – a lot of things that go into it. Becoming accredited with National Living Wage is a commitment to recognising how wonderful our team are and the contribution they make to TKG, regardless of what stage of their career they’re at.”

Our journey at TKG to be industry-leading in terms of how we support our team is far from over and we’ll be continuing to explore new ways to empower and invest in everyone at Third Kind. Watch this space!