
Social Mobility: Why Should You Include It in Your Diversity & Inclusion Strategy?
The opportunities of developing Diversity and Inclusion in the workplace tend to focus on improving the representation of ethnic minority groups or creating a better gender divide. But the topic of social mobility remains on the fringes of the conversion, due to the limited understanding around barriers and class perceptions.
Communications leaders often prioritise increasing the visibility of racially diverse and LGBTQI+ employees, without any consideration of their socio-economic background. To create a truly diverse team you need to consider social mobility and how it fits into your vision of an equal and fair workplace, as part of a long-term commitment.
What is social mobility and why is it so important?
Social mobility is defined as the movement of individuals or groups up or down the socio-economic ladder, indicating a strong link between the person’s occupation and that of their parents. While your background should not determine your future, the current structures mean that your birth frequently dictates your access to education, internships and job opportunities. This is an increasingly problem in the UK, which currently ranks 21st on the World’s Economic Forum’s Social Mobility Index – behind most G7 countries.
The protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010, including race, ethnicity and gender, mean that we are starting to see progress in diversity across marketing, digital and communication industries. However, by excludi