In our third year of taking part, the annual Social Mobility Index has been published and we’re proud to be included in the top 75 employers again.

Improving social mobility is a key strand in achieving our DEI strategic imperative goals. We want to make sure opportunities in our firm are available to everyone, regardless of background. We also know that social mobility often overlaps with other characteristics such as gender, ethnicity and disability. So, while working to improve social mobility and inclusion, we’re making progress on our broader DEI goals too.

Participating in the Social Mobility Index gives us the opportunity to gain specialist feedback on our progress through our social mobility journey and points us in the right direction of how best we can improve. In doing so, we’re committing to:

• improving social mobility and inclusion within Hymans;
• recruiting, nurturing and rewarding talent from all social backgrounds; and
• playing our part in building an equitable society for all.

The Social Mobility Foundation describes employers in the index as "leading the way in meeting new public expectations that employers should contribute not just economically, but socially too - helping to make our country fairer."

It’s safe to say, we understand the commitment and effort it takes to make it to the top 75 and stay there. With increasing numbers of passionately inclusive employers participating year on year, and continually upping their game in this area, it’s a reminder of the positive impact of the work we do and the progress we’re continuing to make.

We’re dedicated to making sure that the firm recruits from the widest possible pool of talent and reflects all backgrounds of the UK population. We’re delighted to be branded as “trailblazers” for change in this significant step towards a fairer country. We understand that a more diverse workforce produces benefits for our own business, and for the businesses and stakeholders we serve.

Thanks to our 30 members strong Social Inclusion Network Group, we can take a holistic approach to social mobility. We stay connected to our vision and are kept up to date with developments in this space. They highlight volunteering opportunities, open up discussion, and provide support. This year, they hosted an Open Dialogue event, focusing on sharing career paths whilst examining the many barriers that people often face too.

Following the index, we’ve got plenty to keep us going. We’ll be reviewing the suggestions and tips from the research and looking into how we can improve in the following areas:

• Working with young people
• Attraction and university outreach
• Recruitment and selection
• Routes into the employer
• Data collection
• Progression and retention
• Culture and internal advocacy
• External advocacy

You can find out more about our overall DEI vision here.

If you have any questions, please do get in touch.