Social Mobility: Improving Business and Society
There is a growing expectation from business stakeholders that companies will address socioeconomic inequalities within their operations and contribute to social mobility in the communities where they operate. It’s time for business to act!
Implementing social mobility strategies is good for businesses. Numerous case studies have shown that taking action on socio-economic inequality enhances productivity, innovation, and reputation.
The UN Global Compact Network UK is organising a four-part webinar series to accelerate business action on social mobility. These sessions will help UK businesses to effectively deliver on the ‘S’ in ESG. The series will feature guest presentations and case studies from the organisations driving real progress on this critical issue.
This series supported by:

Past Webinars
Driving Social Mobility through Community Engagement
22nd November, 14:00 – 15:30 BST
The last session in the series will look at how companies can have an impact, and secure business benefits, through constructive community engagement around social mobility. We’ll explore good practice examples like engaging with schools and local governments, but also big decisions like where to locate company operations.
SPEAKERS:

Kirsty Green-Mann
Head of Corporate Responsibility
Burges Salmon LLP

Fergus Hynd
Global Implementation Lead
National Grid

Nina Slingsby
DE&I Lead
Accenture

Clementine Johnson
Head of Social Impact
DLA Piper
Social Mobility Means Progression
25th October, 14:00 – 15:30 BST
Inclusive hiring practices are critical, but social mobility means progression. This session will focus on how companies can create a fair and inclusive culture that enables colleagues from less advantaged socioeconomic backgrounds to access opportunities for advancement and fulfil their potential.
SPEAKERS:

Jenny Baskerville
Director of Inclusion, Diversity and Equity
KPMG UK

Olivia Larkin
Head of Skills
City of London Corporation

Jenn Barnet
Director and Head of I&D and Sustainability
Grant Thornton UK LLP

James Whiteman
Co-Chair
The Diversity Project
Improving Recruitment and Boosting Inclusion
5th October, 14:00 – 15:30 BST
This session will highlight case studies of companies making an impact on social mobility through comprehensive policies for hiring people from less advantaged socioeconomic backgrounds. We will look at the role of intersectionality in social mobility and explore difficult questions, like 'is progress so slow?' And, 'is it time for quotas?'
SPEAKERS:

John Craven
Director
The Social Mobility Commission

Neil Morrison
Director of Human Resources
Severn Trent

Naomi Puri
Talent Acquisition Manager - Early Career Programme
NatWest

Tracy Foot
Graduate Recruitment and Development Manager
Simmons & Simmons
Social Mobility: Time to Act!
13th September, 14:00 – 15:30 BST
We brought together the UK’s thought leaders on social mobility to share their insights on the urgent need for action and to provide a high-level overview of the issue. This session explored leading business practice, the social and legal context of the concept, and showcased the most effective approaches to driving social mobility within businesses.
SPEAKERS:

Rt Hon Justine Greening
Founder and Chair
Social Mobility Pledge and Levelling Up Goals

Hollie Crompton
Social Mobility Lead
PwC

Donna Catley
UK&I Chief People Officer
Compass Group
Special thanks to:



STAY INFORMED
- A Broken Elevator? How to Promote Social Mobility (OECD)
- The Global Social Mobility Report 2020 Equality, Opportunity and a New Economic Imperative (The World Economic Forum)
- State of the nation 2021: Social mobility and the pandemic (Social Mobility Commission)
TAKE ACTION
- Socio-economic diversity and inclusion Employers’ toolkit: Cross-industry edition (Social Mobility Commission)
CONTACT
For any questions, please contact Juliana Rivera, Project Manager (Business & Human Rights).