Read: Employers launch Equality of Opportunity Coalition campaign to track progress on socio-economic diversity

A group of leading employers has launched a major UK campaign to make tracking and reporting socio-economic diversity common practice in boardrooms across the UK.  

The Equality of Opportunity Coalition brings together private and public sector organisations who are committing to measuring and reporting the socio-economic background of their employees.

The campaign aims to tackle Britain’s lack of socio-economic diversity in workplaces by encouraging organisations to adopt a new set of measurement and reporting standards and sharing best practices. 

The Equality of Opportunity Coalition will be co-chaired by former Education Secretary, Rt Hon Justine Greening, the CEO of Aldermore Group and former Social Mobility Commissioner, Steven Cooper CBE and Professor Steve West CBE, the President of Universities UK. It  includes a range of employers from businesses such as Co-op Group, the BBC, UK Power Networks, Pennon Group, Aldermore Bank, Shoosmiths, alongside Essex County Council, Staffordshire University, University of Southampton and many others covering nearly 300,000 employees already.

As Minister for Women and Equalities, Justine oversaw the introduction in 2017 of gender pay gap reporting in the UK where voluntary, private and public sector employers with more than 250 employees are required to publish their figures, one of the first countries in the world to do so.

Justine Greening said: “Launching the Equality of Opportunity Coalition is a key moment in the drive to improve social mobility in the UK, quite simply because we know that what gets measured, gets done. Tracking socio-economic diversity for employers is crucial to making sure levelling up happens. We’ve all seen how important measurement and reporting has been for making progress on gender and ethnicity. It helps employers to see where the gaps are we need to close and then work out plans to drive change. It’s fantastic to see employers from both the private and public sector stepping up to lead the charge on measurement and levelling up. I hope their leadership can encourage others to follow suit.”

“Members of the Equality of Opportunity Coalition have recognised that tapping into all the talent that exists in this country isn’t just the right thing to do, it crucially makes their organisations better too. And in a cost of living crisis, the more employers can track that their opportunities are targeting people and communities they can have the biggest impact for, the more they can play their role too.”

Steven Cooper, Equality of Opportunity Coalition, co-chair and CEO of Aldermore Bank said:

“If employers genuinely want to give all their staff, regardless of their background, a chance of rising through the ranks whilst also having access to the widest and most diverse talent pools, then the first step is to understand the socioeconomic makeup of their workforce. That’s why I’m delighted to be supporting this new campaign and I’d encourage organisations right across the UK to pledge their support and sign-up. This isn’t just the right thing to do, it also makes business sense – diverse companies are consistently more successful than those that are not.

BBC Director General Tim Davie said:

 “We’re proud of our levelling up plan and our focus on skills and opportunities across the UK. We’re leading the way at the BBC with an ambition to reach 25% from lower socio-economic backgrounds as part of our plans to open the industry up to all.”

Paul Gerrard, Campaigns and Public Affairs Director of the Co-op Group said:

'Putting our assets at the service of our members and their communities to help them prosper is the heart of any co-operative which is why our members have asked us to tackle inequality, promote aspiration and drive social mobility. We’re now tracking socio-economic diversity of our colleagues for the first time and it is a key part of how we make sure we are a place that is open to all talent, irrespective of background. We'd urge all businesses to do the same so that it becomes standard practice, not just leading practice.'

Alex Sturge Head of Communications, Engagement and Learning & Development of UK Power Networks said:

“UK Power Networks is committed to driving levelling up with our STEM work in schools, apprenticeships and increasingly through targeting our communities where access and opportunity can make a real difference. That’s why we’re delighted to be part of the Equality of Opportunity Coalition. We know that tracking and reporting on socio-economic diversity is crucial if we’re to ensure that we’re a company that’s open to all talent irrespective of background. We encourage other businesses to join our efforts in tracking socio-economic diversity because business has a key role to play in levelling up and UK Power Networks is proud to be taking a lead“

Simon Boss, Consultant and former CEO of Shoosmith said:

“For Shoosmiths, being a place where you can join as yourself, whatever your background and then stay yourself as you progress in a career with our firm is at the core of what we believe will make us successful now and in the future. We’re absolutely committed to driving social mobility not only through the opportunities we offer but also through our work in the wider communities we are part of. Our business should reflect their diversity, so tracking socio-economic diversity really matters to us and is crucial if we’re to have the data and information we need to really bring in the widest possible talent and then see it flow through the whole of Shoosmiths. We’re delighted to be part of the Equality of Opportunity Coalition and hope other employers will take a lead on this too.”

Shirley Congdon, Vice Chancellor of the University of Bradford said:

“Driving social mobility is at the core of what the University of Bradford stands for. It’s what drives our work with our students and the wider City. We believe that measuring socio-economic background matters for all employers, and that should include universities as an employer too. That’s why we are tracking our own socio-economic diversity and we know that having our own staff be representative of our students and City is part of how we can be an institution that helps develop Bradford’s talent and then connect it up with the opportunities in our wider region and beyond.”