Opening the door to employees from lower socioeconomic backgrounds isn't enough.
To truly assess how your organisation is advancing social mobility, you need to ask two critical questions:
- How are individuals getting in – what barriers or advantages exist in your hiring process?
- How are they getting on – do all employees have fair opportunities to progress?
Equitable access: "Getting In"
Traditional recruitment methods often favour candidates with prestigious academic backgrounds, extracurricular experiences, or prior industry exposure. While these factors may indicate potential, they can also unintentionally exclude talented individuals from less privileged socio-economic backgrounds.
But is equitable access the same as equal opportunity? Not quite. While equal opportunity assumes everyone starts from the same place, equitable access ensures tailored support and structures are in place to level the playing field.
"True meritocracy is not just about removing barriers, but about actively creating pathways for those who face them." (David Lammy)
Creating Equitable Access to Your Organisation
To attract a more diverse talent pool, organisations should actively engage with underserved communities through school partnerships, charities, and grassroots initiatives. Collaborating with social mobility experts can also help create pre-recruitment programmes focused on skills rather than background.
For early careers, working with specialist consultancies to design inclusive apprenticeships and graduate programmes ensures recruitment processes prioritise potential over privilege. Transparent assessment criteria, alternative routes into roles, and inclusive hiring practices help break down barriers.
Breaking the Class Ceiling: "Getting On"
Class Pay Gap Day is a stark reminder of how socio-economic background continues to impact career trajectories. Research shows that individuals from lower socio-economic backgrounds often experience slower career progression (Bridge Group, 2024).
“Achieving greater socio-economic diversity at senior levels within financial services is not only a moral imperative but also a business necessity” (Nik Miller, The Bridge Group)
How Can Employers Support Social Mobility in Career Progression?
To foster fair and transparent advancement, organisations should implement:
Clear progression frameworks
Making career paths, required skills, and promotion criteria visible to all employees
Structured mentorship and sponsorship
Ensuring career growth isn’t dependent on personal networks or ‘fitting in’ culturally
Data-informed targets
Tracking socio-economic diversity at leadership levels to drive accountability.
One of the most impactful ways to drive change is listening to employees with lived experience. By gathering insights on challenges and successes, organisations can refine policies and create truly inclusive workplaces where talent – not background – defines success.
