Employers Should Focus on Increasing Social Mobility, Here’s How

By Ed Pritchard, Managing Partner, Anderson Quigley

Twenty years into my recruitment career, I’ve had my fair share of trials and tribulations. Without social mobility, I wouldn’t be doing the work I am today. My father was a ship’s electrician, working the routes between Holyhead and Ireland, toiling away in engine rooms filled with fumes that likely contributed to his early death. My mother held various admin jobs and worked at the local Booze Busters. While we were comfortable, we were far from wealthy.

Growing up my parents instilled in me two vital values: ambition and the importance of a university education. These principles have been the bedrock of my social mobility and fuel my passion for helping others achieve their potential. At Anderson Quigley, these values are deeply embedded in our approach to senior recruitment. We are committed to fostering social mobility and ensuring that talent from all backgrounds can rise to the top.

Major employers have an essential role to play in increasing social mobility. There are four key areas of focus, recruitment, development and progression, community engagement and advocacy. Here are the three top tips for each area;

Recruitment

1. Diverse candidate pools: collaborate with UK-specific recruitment agencies and networks that specialise in placing candidates from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds in executive roles.
2. Inclusive job descriptions: ensure job descriptions avoid jargon and unnecessary qualifications that may deter candidates from diverse backgrounds. Emphasise transferable skills and competencies.
3. Blind recruitment: implement blind recruitment for executive roles to minimise biases based on name, background, or educational institution.

Development and progression

1. Leadership development programs: partner with UK organisations such as the Chartered Management Institute to develop programmes that prepare diverse talent for leadership roles.
2. Mentorship and sponsorship: establish mentorship programs with senior executives who can advocate for and guide high-potential employees from underrepresented groups.
3. Internal promotion pathways: create clear and accessible pathways for internal promotion to executive levels, ensuring that diverse talent within the organisation can progress to senior roles.

Community engagement

1. Educational partnerships: work with UK schools, colleges, and universities, particularly those in disadvantaged areas, to create programmes that encourage students from diverse backgrounds to aspire to executive roles.
2. Local community initiatives: support initiatives like the Social Mobility Foundation, which works to improve social mobility by providing opportunities and support for young people from low-income backgrounds.
3. Executive role models: encourage executives to engage with community groups and educational institutions to share their experiences and serve as role models for aspiring leaders.

Advocacy

1. Policy influence: engage with UK government bodies and policy makers to advocate for policies that promote diversity and inclusion in executive recruitment, such as the Parker Review’s recommendations for ethnic diversity on boards
2. Industry leadership: Take a leadership role in UK-specific industry groups and initiatives, such as the 30% Club, which aims to achieve better gender balance on boards and in senior management.
3. Public commitments and transparency: commit to public diversity targets for executive roles and regularly publish progress reports to ensure accountability and inspire other organisations to follow suit.

If you are looking for further guidance there are many successful initiatives in the UK you can engage with; The Race at Work Charter for example, which is committed to improving outcomes for ethnic minority employees. The Future Leaders Programme focuses on developing the leadership skills of high-potential individuals from diverse backgrounds. And Stonewall’s Diversity Champions works to ensure that LGBTQ+ executives are supported and included in leadership roles.

The executive recruitment industry still faces a significant culture problem. At Anderson Quigley, our Partner group brings over 200 years of experience in recruiting executive and non-executive leadership for the public sector. Our team is dedicated to delivering inclusive recruitment processes with social mobility at its core. While many excellent executive recruitment firms share this commitment, social mobility in executive recruitment is far from widespread. The industry remains dominated by the 7%, with disturbing anecdotes of senior leaders dismissing candidates as “too street for the shortlist.” At Anderson Quigley, we proudly stand as the antithesis of this view, championing diversity and inclusion at every step.