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Firms are reaching out to working-class candidates – but not recruiting or keeping them, report finds

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Summary

A recent report by the charity Making the Leap found that only 35% of companies took action to recruit and retain workers with lower socioeconomic backgrounds this year, down from 53% last year. The report also found that while 87% of employers and educators reached out to diverse candidates, only 52% took action on actually recruiting people with these backgrounds. Additionally, research by the Social Mobility Foundation found that professionals with working-class backgrounds earned nearly £6,000 less per year than those with other backgrounds in the same jobs. It is suggested that employers need to actively seek out talent through outreach work in schools and universities, and also need to focus on financial security, job stability, and career progression in order to foster an environment where people can experience social mobility. Blind recruitment practices are also recommended in order to mitigate unconscious biases.

Q&As

What percentage of companies took action to recruit and retain workers with less advantaged socioeconomic backgrounds this year?
35%

What did the report find regarding employers’ actions to recruit and retain people with less advantaged socioeconomic backgrounds?
They were less likely to report activities to recruit and retain LSEB individuals.

How much less do professionals with working-class backgrounds earn than those with other backgrounds in the same job?
Nearly £6,000, or 12%

What role does HR play in addressing social mobility in the workplace?
HR plays a pivotal role in executing recruitment and retention strategies, developing inclusive cultures, and ensuring equitable outcomes.

How can employers reduce barriers to work for people from all walks of life?
Employers can reduce barriers to work by recruiting based on skills rather than qualifications, building relationships with communities through initiatives like school partnerships, and implementing blind recruitment practices.

AI Comments

👍 This article provides a comprehensive overview of the role of HR professionals in increasing social mobility in the workplace. It also highlights the importance of outreach work in schools and universities and the need for businesses to offer pathways to permanent employment.

👎 While this article identifies the need for outreach work and more pathways into permanent employment, it fails to address the lack of resources necessary for HR professionals to actually implement these initiatives.

AI Discussion

Me: It talks about how firms are reaching out to working-class candidates, but not actually recruiting or keeping them. The research found that only 35% of companies took action to recruit and retain people with less advantaged socioeconomic backgrounds, which is down from 53% last year.

Friend: Wow, that's really concerning. It's great that companies are doing outreach work, but it's not enough if they're not actually taking action to recruit and retain these candidates. It's creating a huge barrier to social mobility.

Me: Absolutely. And it's not just the recruitment process that's creating a barrier, but also the pay gap between people with working-class backgrounds and those with other backgrounds. The Social Mobility Foundation found that professionals with working-class backgrounds earned nearly £6,000 – or 12 per cent – less per year than those with other backgrounds in the same jobs.

Friend: That's outrageous. It's really unfair that people are getting paid less just because of their background. HR has a huge role to play in addressing social mobility and they need to take action to ensure that everyone is getting equal opportunities.

Action items

Research best practices for recruiting and retaining workers with lower socioeconomic backgrounds.
Develop a strategy for implementing blind recruitment practices to mitigate unconscious biases.
Create initiatives to build relationships with communities through school partnerships.

Technical terms

Socioeconomic backgrounds (LSEB): Refers to a person's economic and social position in society, based on factors such as income, education, occupation, and wealth.
Reaching potential?: Advancing Social Mobility in 2022-23 report: A report by the charity Making the Leap that examines the 125 entrants to the UK Social Mobility Awards 2023 and looks at the progress made in increasing socioeconomic diversity in the last year.
Class Pay Gap Day: A day designated by The Social Mobility Foundation to highlight the pay gap between people with working-class backgrounds and those with other backgrounds in the same jobs.
Blind recruitment practices: A recruitment process in which the identity of the applicant is not revealed to the recruiter, in order to reduce the risk of unconscious bias.
Social mobility apprenticeships: Apprenticeships designed to help people with less advantaged socioeconomic backgrounds gain the skills and experience they need to succeed in the workplace.
Real living wage: A wage rate that is calculated to cover the basic cost of living, and is higher than the national minimum wage.