Businesses looking to improve social diversity in the workplace can take advantage of a toolkit launched by the campaigning group Professions for Good.
Researched by Spada, the Social Mobility Toolkit for the Professions provides practical recommendations for employers, professional bodies and regulators on how to develop and monitor social mobility in their organisation.
The 52-page toolkit draws on the results of a survey of 300 professionals and the expertise of 50 representatives from universities, membership bodies, NGOs, regulators and government departments.
“Over the past six months, we have conducted intensive research and consulted with professional bodies, employers, government departments, educational institutes and charities,” said Louis Armstrong CBE, chairman of Professions for Good.
“Over time we will all benefit: individuals when aspirations can be fulfilled and the professions as they access the widest range of talent available.”
By providing advice on how to collect and use data, the toolkit aims to help employers diversify the socio-economic profile of their staff and members and promote social diversity and inclusion in the professions.
As the first common framework to measure and track social mobility in the workplace, the toolkit addresses the economic, business and moral case behind the issue and examines recent government initiatives in the area.
Data collected every three years can be checked against the government’s Social Mobility Strategy, so businesses can clearly track their social mobility progress and report to the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission and regulatory bodies.
“Equality of opportunity is the true test of fairness and this means a culture based on what you know, not who you know,” said Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg.
“Opening doors to people from all walks of life is not just good for individuals, but is also good for business too. By making sure the most talented – not just the best connected – people get jobs, employers are bolstering not only their workforce but the economy for the better.