Bridge Group seminar: progression in the firm.
Socio-economic background and progression in the firm: fostering inclusive and enabling professional cultures
Tuesday 9 July 2019, 2-4 pm
Basinghall Suite, Guildhall, Gresham Street, London EC2V 7HH
Over recent years, large graduate employers have worked hard to increase the socio-economic diversity of new entrants and are beginning to see positive results. Whilst we need to continue our efforts in this space, and ensure rigorous monitoring to gather impact, we must give equal attention to understanding the relationship between socio-economic background and progression. To-date, the focus has been on who gets in, rather than on who gets ahead and how.
This seminar addressed this uneven treatment of social diversity in the firm to ensure that employers give close scrutiny to the relationship between socio-economic background, role, and progression at every level. We considered evidence of the factors contributing to differential rates of progression and retention by socio-economic background, at the same time as providing practical guidance on measures to foster more inclusive and enabling organisational cultures.
We shared insights from our latest research and were joined by experts on class and inequality in the context of professional employment.
Deb Conner Bridge Group Trustee and Chief Operating Officer, Social Mobility Foundation.
Nik Miller Chief Executive, Bridge Group
Dr Louise Ashley School of Management, Royal Holloway, University of London
Dr Sam Friedman Sociology, London School of Economics
Key themes
Challenging cultural and classist assumptions about elite performance in the professions
Introducing transparency relating to decisions about progression and work allocation
Engaging key audiences within the firm
Building understanding of clients’ expectations
Establishing meaningful and challenging diversity targets at all levels of the firm