It was great to see so many of you joining us last week at our most recent masterclass on ‘Accents in the Workplace’. If you were unable to join us, don’t worry, you can catch up on demand – we’ve recapped it for you alongside the recording!
In this edition we’re announcing our June and July events:
- We’ll be showcasing our new Data Explorer tool which will enable employers to explore social mobility data by UK region and help employers make decisions on their workforce planning, hiring practices and outreach activities.
- We’ll be exploring what a healthy, inclusive conversation about class and socio-economic background looks like, and how you can help everyone in your workplace to get involved.
There’s still time to sign up for our May masterclass on Outreach too – more details below – and read our latest employer blog from Enterprise Rent-a-Car discussing the powerful benefits of outreach through mentoring.
Thanks for reading,
The SMC Employers Team
Upcoming events:
Employers’ Masterclass: Outreach and social mobility
Tuesday 16th May 2023, 1-2pm
Our May masterclass will cover how employers can use Outreach to build an inclusive recruitment pipeline from the ground up, reaching and attracting a wide pool of talent.
We’ll be joined by Career Ready, a national social mobility charity supporting employers and educators to kickstart a rewarding future for young people.
We will also be joined by healthcare provider Bupa, and Be-IT, a small recruitment business operating in Glasgow. Both will share how they have built Outreach into their early talent strategy.
Find out more and register for our Outreach masterclass.
Employers’ Masterclass: Using the new SMC Data Explorer tool to drive regional change
Wednesday 7th June 2023, 12-12.45pm
Employers play a key role in social mobility outcomes for many. They determine where they set up their business, the types of job roles they create, and how and who they recruit – but understanding the issue across the UK is challenging.
Each part of the UK has an individual identity, history and economy, impacting its local population and their opportunities, the challenges to social mobility, and the solutions, may differ from region to region. That’s where our new Data Explorer tool can help. It will enable employers to explore social mobility data by region and gain a more accurate understanding of what is working – and not working – in different areas.
At this event, alongside a demonstration of the tool, we will also share ways in which you could use it to help make decisions on your:
- workforce planning, especially focusing on the regional labour market and skills opportunities
- hiring practices
- outreach activities to support social mobility
- environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals
Find out more and register for our Employer Data Explorer masterclass.
Employers’ Masterclass: Let’s talk about Class
Thursday 6th July 2023, 12.30-1.30pm
Following on from our recent masterclasses that discussed ‘Accents in the Workplace’ and ‘The art of using storytelling to building inclusion’, it is clear that it is important to address the conversation about class in the workplace.
In organisations across the UK, there are conversations about the importance of diversity and inclusion going on at every level in your workforce – but whilst this may address the experiences of different groups in the modern workforce, there’s a strong chance that class and socio-economic background (SEB) isn’t yet being discussed.
In our July masterclass we will explore what a healthy, inclusive conversation about class and socio-economic background looks like, and how you can help everyone in your workplace to get involved.
We’ll be joined by Sophie Hulm, CEO of Progress Together and Mark Cheeseman OBE, Interim Chief Executive of the Public Sector Fraud Authority and Chair of the Cabinet Office Social Mobility Board.
Find out more and register for our Let’s talk about Class masterclass.
Hear more from the SMC:
Recap: Accents in the Workplace
Don’t worry if you missed our April masterclass about accent bias and what we can do to limit its effects. Our recap is now available, as well as a full recording of the session.
Catch up on ‘Accents in the Workplace’ now.
Accent bias – what does that mean in practice?
On the topic of our employers’ masterclass ‘Accents in the Workplace’, our colleagues Gemma Wykes and Paula Kemp shared with us their own experiences of accent bias and discussed what steps employers can take to address this topic.
Read their experiences of accent bias and guidance for employers here.
Employer blog: The powerful benefits of outreach through mentoring
In our SMC employer consultation at the end of 2022, we found that almost all employers who responded participated in outreach, using it to raise awareness of their organisation and industry to a wider reach of prospective employees and to redress the balance of ‘unlimited potential, limited opportunity’.
In our latest employer blog, Emily Wells-Burr, Corporate Communications Manager at Enterprise Rent-A-Car, describes the powerful benefits of outreach through mentoring.
Read her thoughts on the benefits of outreach through mentoring here.
Improving Social Mobility, Inclusion and Belonging in the Workplace
Monday 10th July 2023
We are delighted that our Director, John Craven, will be speaking at the Whitehall & Industry Group’s event, ‘Improving Social Mobility, Inclusion and Belonging in the Workplace’.
John will be joining Shirine Khoury-Haq, Group CEO, Co-op and Dr Padmini Iyer, Head of Research and Advocacy, Making The Leap, for this lunchtime briefing which will explore how employers can improve social mobility, inclusion and belonging, drawing on research commissioned by Co-op with their employees from lower socio-economic backgrounds.
In case you missed it:
- Wondering how you can use stories more effectively in your social mobility initiatives? You can find the recap of our Storytelling masterclass online, as well as a recent blog focusing on Storytelling for Social Mobility.
- Our friends at Making The Leap and UK Social Mobility Awards have announced that nominations for the 2023 UK Social Mobility Awards are now open.
- Following last year’s inaugural Social Mobility Awareness day, Making The Leap are looking for more people to get involved by spreading the word about social mobility on 15th June 2023. This year they’re asking people to #SpeakMore, encouraging them to get involved in the discussions taking place and share what they are doing for social mobility – no matter what stage they are at on their journey!
- It is critical for employers to be able to collect socio-economic background data in order to understand and measure the impact of any interventions. However, a recent report in Responsible Investor shows that many firms still struggle with collecting this information. If you aren’t sure what data you need, or how to ask for it, our resources, developed in collaboration with many employers, can help you.