Why social mobility matters

Raw talent is everywhere – but opportunity is not. The futures of far too many people are determined by their background, and not their potential.

How to drive true equality of opportunity remains a riddle that, in the UK particularly, is yet to be solved. Historically high on the agenda for a succession of governments over many decades, the fact remains that we are still far from consensus on how upward social mobility – or the movement of an individual, social group, or class to a position of increased status – should be achieved. Extensive geographical disparity of wealth, a deeply entrenched class system and economic shocks that have hit disadvantaged households harder have all had a harmful impact on British people’s ability – irrespective of their background – to showcase their true capabilities.
 

A challenging climb

Taking action to drive social mobility upwards makes sense for many reasons – both ethical and commercial. Not only is it the right thing to do, but the lack of access to skills makes it an economic necessity. The public sector, in particular, has historically encountered challenges with attracting the skills it needs to deliver vital services.

Many strategies and approaches have been deployed over the years to address this imbalance, but all too often social mobility relies on being able to move to places where prospects are better, and the economic domination of London and other large cities means the greatest career rewards belong to those able and willing to move to these.
 

How our Skills and Learning business can help

In response to this challenge we’ve created our new Skills and Learning business, a unique and proven solution that not only bridges the talent gap and enables social mobility, but helps organisations build and develop their workforces of tomorrow. Our theory is that when you strip away technical requirements, remove entry barriers and hire for attitude and motivation, you open up a whole network of undiscovered talent who – for a number of reasons – including socio-economic factors, may be hard to access or unable to pursue traditional training and development pathways.

Combining all the best aspects of the traditional skills development models, such as Bootcamp Training, Apprenticeships and Hire-Train-Deploy, but without barriers like learner fees and penalties that historically have prevented people without the economic means to undertake these programmes, we provide learner communities with fully-paid training that’s tailored to employers’ specific needs. We help people both financially and professionally to develop into world-class talent with the specific skills our partners need, not only enabling them to hire for their most challenging roles, but also providing financial health and independence for all our learners. 
 

The Defra Cloud and Security Academy Campaign

This model was successfully deployed recently in the form of the Cloud and Security Academy Campaign, which was run on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). Their challenge, to secure highly in-demand cloud and security skillsets with challenging location requirements, was met by a progressive assessment approach that focused purely on transferable skills, motivation and the value an applicant had the potential to bring.

• 1337 people applied in total – a 500% increase on the typical number of applicants
• Applications were received from people with diverse backgrounds and experiences
• Neurodiverse individuals made up 19% of successful candidates
• 40% of successful applications were female
• 7% of positions were filled by those who had previously been homeless

These results demonstrate the value that can be unlocked with a progressive approach to hiring, and so now seems the right time to truly reflect on why social mobility matters, not only to individuals, but to employers too:
 

1. It broadens the talent pipeline

Stepping up and opening opportunities to everyone regardless of socioeconomic background not only demonstrates your inclusivity as an organisation, but also gives you access to the skills you need. A workplace that possesses diversity in views and experiences will not only translate into ideas, solutions and revenue, but also help create and fashion future leaders.

Socially aware hiring requires only some simple changes that are easily implemented. Ask yourself: does this role really need a candidate with a degree? Can you hire for potential, rather than experience? Advertising far and wide, casting the net further than your immediate area or borough, using a broad range of channels and working directly with local groups representing underrepresented communities, schools and youth organisations as well as universities (not just elite ones), are all measures you can take to attract a broader range of candidates. 
 

2. It reflects our wider society

For organisations – particularly those in the public sector – to be able to provide for society it’s vital that they reflect the people they work for and the local communities they serve. When those from a variety of backgrounds work together to create the public services we all rely on, the outcome is much more likely to be a service that benefits everyone.

Not only this, but diversity within organisations enhances trust, perpetuates a democratic culture and facilitates innovation. In the public sector especially, the variation in perspectives, experience and skillsets are able to contribute to the efficient designing of effective and elegant solutions to policy challenges.
 

3. It makes the economy stronger

Studies have shown the positive link between upward social mobility and productivity. The notion behind this is that a more socially mobile society should mean the talent and potential of all entrants to the workforce is more readily recognised, and barriers to jobs are reduced. It’s much more likely – in this case – that a job will be filled by someone with the greatest potential to thrive, rather than someone who may be less suited, but who has more advantageous socioeconomic circumstances.

In theory, this means that productivity at work should improve, as employees are, on average, more suited to their roles. This is consistent with the view that policies which increase social mobility, such as improved access to higher education, can unlock the potential of individuals that would otherwise be unrealised, thereby increasing the value of their contribution to the economy.

“According to a study by the Sutton Trust, catching up with Western Europe’s average social-mobility levels could mean a GDP increase of more than £2,600 per person for the UK economy.”
 

4. It contributes to our ESG aims

Ultimately, many workers are losing patience with organisations who talk about social responsibility but in fact take no real action. The escalating climate crisis has meant that many organisations have a well-developed environmental strategy, and it’s – quite rightly – very high on their agendas. However, traditional Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) reporting and straightforward charity donations – particularly by large corporate organisations – are simply not doing enough to address the ‘social’ aspect of the pledge.

This is something that’s set to change. Today, 64% of the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals are committed to social empowerment, and over 700 organisations globally have signed up to the Social Mobility Pledge, a commitment to boosting social mobility through outreach, access and recruitment. Collecting and analysing data on the socio-economic background of potential hires is an ideal way to begin formulating a strategy for removing barriers to opportunity – there are so many ways for businesses to set the tone from the top.

If you’d like to know how our Skills and Learning business can help transform your organisation into a talent creator and gain that competitive skills edge, please reach out to harry.gooding@hays.com today.