Glossary of Terms

Diversity – This term captures the importance of recognising and valuing difference among individuals, along the lines of gender, ethnicity, socio economic background, sexual orientation, age, and disability, for example. It generally refers to increasing the representation of groups that are under represented in organisations. It must however be understood alongside ‘inclusion’. Diversity in and of itself does not result in an inclusive environment.

Inclusion – This is the meaningful achievement of diversity. This involves creating the conditions to ensure individuals from diverse backgrounds are valued and treated equally, feel empowered and are able to progress.

Social mobility – Social mobility is the link between an individual’s income and occupation and the income and occupation of their parents. It is about where people end up in comparison to their parents or relative to their peers. It is widely adopted as a way of describing the importance of creating opportunities for individuals from lower socio economic backgrounds to enable them to become more economically successful.

Glossary of Terms

Collect data – Data that specifically measures the socio-economic diversity of your workforce based on questions around parental occupation at age 14, type of school attended, free school meal eligibility, and highest parental qualification.

Socio-economic background – ‘Socio-economic background’ is the term to refer to the particular set of social and economic circumstances that an individual has come from. It permits objective discussion of the influence of these circumstances on individuals’ educational and career trajectories; and it can be objectively measured by capturing information on parental occupation and level of education.

Glossary of Terms

Data – Data that specifically measures the socio- economic diversity of your workforce based on questions around parental occupation at age 14, type of school attended, free school meal eligibility, and highest parental qualification.

Glossary of Terms

Socio-economic diversity and inclusion – ‘Socio-economic background’ is the term to refer to the particular set of social and economic circumstances that an individual has come from. Having a socio-economically diverse and inclusive workforce plays a role in social mobility by ensuring someone's background does not determine their future.

Diversity and inclusion – This means diversity and inclusion within the workplace covering gender, ethnicity, disability, sexuality, religion.

Glossary of Terms

Socio-economic diversity and inclusion – Having a socio-economically diverse and inclusive workforce plays a role in social mobility by ensuring someone's background does not determine their future.

Intersectionality – Individuals do not experience their diversity characteristics in isolation: these characteristics overlap and collide to compound the experience of inequality. For example, patterns of progression in the firm will vary not only by gender, ethnicity or socio-economic background, but by combinations of all three. Policy and practice need to recognise the convergence of factors and respond accordingly.

Glossary of Terms

Social mobility coldspots – Social mobility coldspots are areas with significantly low social mobility across 16 key performance indicators used in the Social Mobility Index

Glossary of Terms

Coldspots – Social mobility coldspots are areas with significantly low social mobility across 16 key performance indicators used in the Social Mobility Index

Glossary of Terms

High-level diversity data – This means data such as gender or ethnicity, separated by function and grade.

Socio-economic diversity data – Data that specifically measures the socio-economic diversity of your workforce based on questions around parental occupation at age 14, type of school attended, free school meal eligibility, and highest parental qualification.

Glossary of Terms

Sharing and celebrating evidence of impact – This means data such as gender or ethnicity, separated by function and grade.

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