Press releases
HFW is a Top 50 employer for social mobility
HFW has today been ranked as one of the Top 50 employers in the UK’s first-ever Social Mobility Employer Index
The Index is a joint initiative between the Social Mobility Foundation and Social Mobility Commission, in partnership with the City of London Corporation. It ranks Britain’s employers for the first time on the actions they are taking to ensure they are open to accessing and progressing talent from all backgrounds and showcases progress towards improving social mobility in the workplace.
The aim of the Index is to encourage firms to share their initiatives and progress in becoming more inclusive employers and to reveal which sectors and companies are taking the issue of social mobility most seriously.
HFW has been ranked 43rd in the Index for the commendable work it has taken to tackle this and enable those from lower socio-economic backgrounds to succeed. Measures taken by the firm to improve social mobility include: reading schemes run with local primary schools; work experience and mentoring programmes run with secondary school students and undergraduates; our partnership with Aspiring Solicitors which aims to increase the diversity of applicants to our vacation schemes and training contract; use of a contextual recruitment tool which highlights talented individuals which may have otherwise been overlooked; and our involvement in City Solicitors Horizons a social mobility programme aimed at undergraduates from lower income backgrounds who are keen to become lawyers.
Firms from 17 sectors, who collectively employ just under one million people, submitted entries about their practices and procedures in areas such as work with young people, recruitment, selection and progression. The final rankings were decided by a respected panel of experts and all firms will receive a report with recommendations for areas for improvement.
HFW’s success in the Index will be announced today at a launch event at the City of London and in a supplement in The Times newspaper.
Marcus Bowman, HFW Managing Partner, said: “we are delighted to be included in the first social mobility employer index as we recognise the importance to our firm and the wider community of improving social mobility. We are pleased to have been recognised for the steps we have taken to ensure we are not missing out on hidden talent and will continue this work to ensure we access the best people, irrespective of socio-economic background.”
David Johnston, chief executive of the Social Mobility Foundation, said: “All the Top 50 firms in the Social Mobility Employer Index should be applauded for the progress they are making towards ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to get in and get on – regardless of their background. They should be congratulated both for having prioritised social mobility and for being prepared to have their processes and practices independently scrutinised.”
The Rt Hon Alan Milburn, chair of the Social Mobility Commission, added: “Social mobility is hugely important if the UK is to become more productive and make the most of its talent. But research has shown that people from working class backgrounds – even if they are high educational attainers – are less likely to secure professional jobs because they have less access to the networks and knowledge to navigate the system.
“The Top 50 firms are paving the way by changing their workforce strategies to ensure they get don’t lose out on talented people from less privileged backgrounds. We want the index to herald a step change towards improving social mobility by encouraging many more employers to compete to recruit, and keep, the best and brightest candidates – regardless of background.” Please click here for more information.
