Lawyers seize the initiative on social mobility

The Index, published by charity the Social Mobility Foundation, analyses what employers are doing to improve social mobility and make their organisations more accessible and inclusive to individuals from lower socioeconomic backgrounds (LSEBs). Measures are taken across eight area such as outreach work, numbers of graduates from outside the Russell Group, and removal of obstacles to progress for individuals lacking in access to money.

This year’s Index received 149 entries.

In the top spot was law firm Browne Jacobson, with accountancy, legal and professional services firms KPMG UK and PwC UK in third and fourth place, respectively. The top 20 included Herbert Smith Freehills (7), Baker McKenzie (8), Squire Patton Boggs (9), DLA Piper (12), Allen & Overy (13), Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner (13), Linklaters (14), DWF (17), Lewis Silkin (18) and CMS (19).

Alan Milburn, chair of the Social Mobility Foundation, said: ‘The workplace is as important as the classroom in increasing social mobility.

‘Britain remains a deeply elitist nation where someone’s chances of getting a well-paid job in a top profession are still strongly correlated with their social background. However, several employers in financial and professional services, law, medicine, government, and the public sector have come to the realisation that a different mindset and a different set of processes are needed to make their intakes more representative of the public they serve. These employers are making these changes both because they see the social need to do so and because they recognise the business benefit that greater diversity can bring.

‘The Index is a celebration of those who are trying to tear down the barriers that stand in the way of too many able and aspirational youngsters getting a fair chance to succeed.’

The Index made 31 recommendations to help organisations improve social mobility and access, including paying travel and tech expenses for interview and application, making financial support available, monitoring the recruitment process to identify sticking points for LSEBs, recruiting for potential and seeking to avoid inherent biases such as ‘polish’, ‘fit’ or ‘culture’, developing an internal advocacy strategy on social mobility and encouraging employees to share their own social mobility stories.