Let’s Talk About Class – Does it Matter?

Attracting, retaining and developing the widest and most diverse pool of talent is imperative for any forwarding-thinking, innovative business.

Over the past 15-20 years there has been a greater focus on organisations drawing from those communities recognised and protected by the Equality Act of 2010, (The Act) including Race, Gender, Sexuality and Disability. There is a continuing debate as to how effective this work has been and whether it has led to a transformation of lives expected by those who have worked in the Diversity and Inclusion space. The Act however chose not to identify Class and the socioeconomic status of individuals as a characteristic worthy of statutory protection and support. Why do I see this a failure for individuals, our organisations and ultimately society, and what can we all do about it?

Social Mobility as a concept is rooted in the issue of class and in particular those individuals who identify themselves being born from within the low socioeconomic strata of society. Put simply those of us who work in the Social Mobility community believe that your background should not determine your future.

For many in the UK 2022 however this is not the case. A snapshot from the latest “State of the Nation Report 2021“ by the Social Mobility Commission tells us-

• Disadvantaged pupils in England are now as much as 7 months behind their more privileged peers at school, including the gaps that grew in the last year.
• Across the whole workforce, people from a privileged background earn, on average, 30% more than those from a working-class background.
• In 2020, you were 60% more likely to get a professional job if you come from a privileged rather than working class background.
• Ethnic minority individuals from privileged backgrounds are more likely to experience downward social mobility than their White counterparts.

That report stands with a plethora of others that indicate that the UK is becoming a more unequal society.

Does or should this matter to us?

As with the existing protected characteristics there are a number of drivers for taking action. These will always centre around the moral need to do something – that must be right that we strive to be a more equal society which seeks to remove barriers (either intended or otherwise). This to be applauded.

We must however also recognise that for some, profit and increased competitiveness stands alongside the moral purpose as reason for taking action. The benefits of increasing gender, ethnic diversity, disability etc representation are well understood and recognised and socioeconomic diversity should be no different. Data from a range of organisations including the Social Mobility Commission, The Social Mobility Foundation, The Sutton Trust amongst others show that employees from a lower socioeconomic background perform at least as well if not better than those from more privileged backgrounds. A more diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the society we serve are more creative and resourceful and can improve an organisation’s competitive edge.

Don’t take my word for it ! Look at the latest Social Mobility Index produced by the Social Mobility Foundation which ranks the top 75 organisations in the UK currently doing work to diversify their workforce. These are organisations both private and public looking to reach into communities traditionally ignored and passed over, to ensure that they keep themselves ahead of their competitors.

How have they done this and what can we learn from their experiences to ensure that we bring the issue of class in sharper focus as we emerge from this global pandemic. In the next blog I will explore these issues and suggest some ways that organisations and individuals will be able to rise to these challenges.