Every year, Social Mobility Day shines a light on the uncomfortable truth – that where you start in life can still have a huge influence on where you’ll end up.

Too many talented people remain locked out of opportunities because of factors beyond their control. Family income, geography, access to professional networks, confidence, exposure to role models and an understanding of how professional environments work can all play a part. These are the invisible benefits and barriers that privilege, or a lack of it, can create.

The reality is, some people begin their careers with advantages they didn’t earn, while others face barriers they didn’t choose. All employers should be engaged and care about this, not just because creating opportunity is the right thing to do, but because businesses and the wider economy are missing out on talent as a result of this inequity. It’s not right that capable, ambitious people with the potential to make a significant contribution never get the opportunity to demonstrate what they can do.

At a time when organisations face significant transformation, relating to early careers recruitment and increasing pressure to evolve and innovate, we need to work harder to avoid overlooking talented people because they might not have the ‘look’, accent or life experience we have become accustomed to when it comes to certain types of jobs.

What We’ve Learned

For the past 12 years, Agent Academy has worked with young people who are talented, ambitious and full of potential, but who often feel locked out of the industries they aspire to join.

Many are the first in their family to go to university or to consider a professional career. Some have never met anyone working in the industry they hope to enter. Others have faced financial barriers, caring responsibilities or discrimination that have made their journey more challenging.

What we’ve learned is that extraordinary things can happen when those barriers are removed, and when a young person is elevated and given genuine access to opportunity. Our experience has shown that, more often than not, they will exceed expectations.

Through our programmes, we’ve seen those who have had to overcome the greatest challenges frequently becoming the most committed, resilient and determined people in the workplace. They understand the value of opportunity because they have had to work harder to access it. As a result, they often stay longer with employers, develop quickly, bring fresh perspectives and contribute in ways that organisations might not have expected.

The challenge is not a lack of talent but instead that too many talented people never get the chance to demonstrate what they’re capable of.  That’s why Social Mobility Day should be more than a moment for reflection and instead a clear call to action.

Here’s our list of straightforward actions employers can take immediately to make a lasting difference:

Review your job descriptions

Take a fresh look at your latest vacancy.  Does it really require years of experience?

Does it genuinely need a particular qualification or are these requirements there because they always have been there as standard?  Focusing on skills, potential and attitude rather than unnecessary requirements can immediately widen the talent pool and create opportunities for people who might otherwise exclude themselves from applying.

Open your doors

Invite people into your business who might not otherwise have the chance of this immersion into your space and industry.  That could be working with organisations such as Agent Academy to connect with emerging talent through expert workshops or leadership talks. Many young people simply need to see what is possible before they can imagine themselves pursuing it.  A few hours of your time can have a lasting impact.

Invest in the people who are already in your business 

Creating opportunity doesn’t stop when someone joins your organisation.  Make sure people understand what progression looks like, what support is available and how they can develop.

For employees who may not have professional networks or family connections to guide them, these conversations on how a business works and how to succeed can be transformative.

Build connections and networks

One introduction can change a career – share your network and connections with someone who might not have their own. Encourage mentoring and informal networking opportunities within your organisation too. Sometimes the difference between someone progressing and someone leaving is simply having access to people who can offer guidance, encouragement and advice, outside of their day-to-day line management.

Ask who is missing

Maybe this is the most important question of all.  Who isn’t applying for your roles?  Who isn’t represented in your teams and who isn’t progressing through your organisation?  Then ask yourself why.  The answer to these questions will often reveal opportunities that have been hiding in plain sight.  The businesses that ask these questions honestly will be the ones that make the most meaningful progress.

At Agent Academy, every day is about social mobility, so if you want some help in your organisation to make a difference and level the playing field we would love to hear from  you!