How to improve social mobility in the workplace
Improve social mobility in your workplace
In 2017 the government published an index of 50 employers leading the way in improving social mobility within the workplace. Here is everything you need to know about social mobility and how you can improve the situation within your organisation.
What is social mobility?
Social mobility is the movement of individuals or families within or between social strata of a society. The availability of at least some social mobility can be important in providing pathways to greater equality in societies with high social inequality, such as the UK.
Recent research shows that people from working class backgrounds in the UK, are less likely to secure professional jobs— even if they have been through higher education—because they have less access to the appropriate networks and support, and are less likely to know how to navigate the system. Increasing social mobility is a practical way for businesses to make a difference to social inequality, and improve their own workforce in the process.
What does it mean to students?
No one should be defined by the circumstances or characteristics of their birth, or be held back by poverty, ethnicity or culture. There is a huge wealth of talent in the UK that is often going unnoticed due to academic barriers or the lack of support for those individuals from low-income backgrounds. When organisations choose to improve their social mobility, these individuals benefit through talent recognition, enhanced opportunities, and the chance to develop their skills within an industry they are passionate about.
What are the benefits for businesses?
Dealing with inequality isn’t just an ethical imperative – there is much evidence to show that organisations notice a vast improvement when they are diverse and not restricted by conventional recruitment structures. By ensuring your organisation recruits employees from different backgrounds, who have different experiences and who tackle challenges in different ways, you can benefit from better decisions, new ideas and fresh solutions. By improving social mobility within your business, you have access to a great pool of hidden talent.
How to improve social mobility in your workplace
Here are a few ways you can be an inclusive employer and improve your social mobility.
- Reach out and create school partnerships
Responsible businesses have a vital role to play in nurturing a highly skilled and diverse workforce, and creating an economically viable community. By giving young people in both primary and secondary school— regardless of social background— the opportunity to engage with local employers will encourage them to become active employees within the community. Organisations can provide a mentoring service to higher education students to inspire, support and educate them on potential career possibilities.
- Focus on effective recruitment strategies
Providing apprenticeships and work experience opportunities will provide new entry-level routes into your business, which will help to diversify and create an inclusive workforce. A good recruitment strategy is key in order to make sure these new routes are visible to your targeted audience.
- Provide feedback to all interviewed applicants
For any young person, particularly those who are NEET (not in employment, education or training), to not hear back from an employer after an interview can be discouraging and can have lasting damaging effects on confidence levels. Simply by offering constructive feedback, you will help them learn from their experiences and improve their applications for future job roles.
- Encourage and support career progression
Be sure to provide continuous support to recruits from lower socio-economic backgrounds and progress them upwards through your organisation. This can be achieved by offering appropriate levels of training and mentoring.
- Ensure social mobility is at the heart of your organisation
Social mobility and inclusion must be a key component to your organisation’s workforce strategy, shaping the whole employee experience, and where opportunities for progression are visibly promoted to all, not just the few. The company’s culture must be to encourage, embrace and promote individual differences.
