Member Article

Employers urged to step up social mobility recruitment efforts

Bright Network, who help the next generation succeed as the workforce of tomorrow, is calling on employers to place a greater focus on social mobility in their recruitment practices. Bright Network is urging business to play their part in tackling the “paralysis in progress” on social mobility for many of the so-called ‘COVID generation’ and beyond.

Hot on the heels of the widely anticipated Government Levelling Up Plan, new research from Bright Network among 2,000 students, shows the majority (77%) believe the pandemic has widened inequalities for young people entering the graduate employment marketplace.

100 employers including Morgan Stanley, British Airways, Bloomberg and many others have joined forces with Bright Network on a social mobility action plan. The organisations are pledging their support for the plan which defines ten commitments designed to drive social mobility in early career recruitment. The action plan’s cross industry support signals recognition of the clear business benefits of a more diverse workforce.

Students are voting with their feet too, warns Bright Network, and opting for companies committed to making a difference. Nearly a third (29%) think employers taking Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (DEIB) seriously stand out and 92% of Bright Network’s members say they will consider the diversity or inclusivity of an organisation before applying.

The Bright Network action plan aims to provide a blueprint and advice for all talent acquisition professionals working in early careers functions. A ten-point guide, the commitment covers everything from ensuring the graduate application process includes social mobility identifiers like being first generation to attend university, to creating a mentorship programme, to ensuring suitable role models are in place for new recruits.

The action plan encourages employers to consider how they can proactively provide additional support or coaching where the stages of their application process may cause challenges to some candidates. The organisation’s own research shows 40% of Black heritage students are concerned about tests in the application process (compared to just 29% of the whole student population). Bright Network is also keen more employers remove school grade or university tier requirements as some leading businesses have done.

James Uffindell, Founder & CEO of Bright Network, said: “The last two years have created a persistent decline in social mobility for today’s under-25s and the so-called “COVID generation”. Disadvantaged university students have felt this pandemic scarring acutely, often lacking the family or friend network to help them secure jobs after university. At Bright Network, we passionately believe the early careers industry can work towards ensuring every young person has the opportunity to reach their potential. I am delighted over 100 organisations have put their voice and support behind this action plan and I would urge other major employers to follow suit – together we can create real and meaningful change”.

The 10-point action plan

1. Transparency – identify social mobility indicators and analyse pipeline conversion at each stage in order to target disproportionate attrition of particular groups of candidates

2. Educate teams – engage external experts, schedule DEIB events and empower team members to be social mobility leaders involved in your recruitment planning

3. Build company-wide support networks – champion your company’s special interest groups internally and externally, as well as enhancing your outreach to relevant underrepresented groups

4. Find your role models – establish a formalised programme for enabling role models to be involved in early talent processes, engagement, and mentoring

5. Targeted and bespoke messaging – develop a schedule of activity to engage with underrepresented candidates, such as through events or industry wide initiatives

6. Change what’s measured – pre-empt stages of the application process that may put candidates at a disadvantage and consider new approaches to testing aptitude

7. Review traditional application criteria – reset restrictive requirements, such as around tier of university, school grades or internships over part-time work

8. Take risks – this is unchartered territory for many organisations, one which requires proactive change

9. Change routes to access – diversify how talent is engaged with, from new partnerships to unexplored graduate programmes

10. Champion outreach – open the doors to your recruitment processes to your teams and, ultimately, let them meet their future team members before they even start

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by derrick.owusu@fourcommunications.com .