Register for updates about the Employer Index
We all share a responsibility to create workplaces where everyone can thrive, no matter their background.
That's why we created the Social Mobility Employer Index: an annual benchmarking and assessment tool. Each and every employer that joins the Index is a leader in building inclusive cultures, leading to more representative, innovative, successful organisations.
The Index uses the latest research and best practice to measure entrants’ performance on eight areas of employer-led social mobility, providing you with expert guidance on how to improve year-on-year.
You can enter the Index confidentially and you don’t have to answer every question or fill in every section. Wherever you are on your social mobility journey, the Index will propel you forward.
Read our report for insights and inspiration from the 2024 Index.
150
organisations entered the Index in 2024.
26
organisations are measuring their class pay gap.
72%
of entrants collect three or four socioeconomic data points for current employees.
78%
of employers that offer in-person work experience pay for travel costs.
+60%
increase in entrants from the tech sector since 2023.
+43%
increase in entrants from the creative sector since 2023.
Each year, we detail how entrants are performing in key aspects of employer-led social mobility. The report features best practice and practical steps all employers can take to improve social mobility.
Index entrants are rigorously assessed on the steps they are taking to ensure that their workplace is open to talent from all social backgrounds. Employers do not have to enter all sections and have the option to remain anonymous.
There are eight areas of assessment:
Schools outreach and work with young people
How effectively are employers targeting young people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds? Is the outreach providing accessible routes into a young person’s career of choice? Employers perform well if they offer well-targeted and well-evaluated programmes that are accessible to all.
Attraction and university outreach
To what extent are employers ensuring their attraction activities reach young people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds? Employers do well if they make an active effort to diversify their attraction methods across their school leaver, apprentice and graduate programmes.
Recruitment and selection
Do employers reward potential over ‘polish’? Are employers removing barriers that prevent those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds progressing to selection and rewarding current ability? Employers perform well if they remove barriers that prevent individuals from lower socioeconomic backgrounds progressing to selection, and reward current ability and future potential over past academic performance.
Routes into the employer
Is the organisation taking the steps to create well-structured routes into employment? Employers who perform well target all entry routes to people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, hire based on potential and pay fairly for the routes into their organisations.
Data collection
Are employers collecting and analysing data to understand the socioeconomic profile of their workforce? What are employers doing with the insights that they collect to improve their socioeconomic diversity? Employers who perform well collect data and rigorously analyse it, using the insights it gives them to improve their socioeconomic diversity.
Pay, progression and retention
Are employers providing an environment in which those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds can flourish? Are employers ensuring that employees are supported in their role and receive progression opportunities? Employers who perform well will have explored the impact of socioeconomic background on pay, progression and retention in their organisation and implemented support to employees from lower socioeconomic backgrounds to allow them to thrive.
Culture and internal advocacy
What strategies are organisations utilising to create an environment that is inclusive of all socioeconomic backgrounds? Does the employer have senior buy-in for their social mobility strategy? Employers who perform well will have undertaken a robust exercise to understand the experiences of people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, will have senior buy in for social mobility strategies and will have set targets to improve their socioeconomic diversity.
External advocacy
What external advocacy work are organisations doing to improve social mobility? Are employers engaging their supply chain and peers to do more on social mobility? Those who perform well are the employers who leverage their influence to encourage external stakeholders to act on social mobility.
Every entrant receives a bespoke feedback report based on their entry detailing how they are performing and offering advice on how they can improve. Employers typically use the report to develop their diversity and inclusion work or to support the creation of a stand alone social mobility strategy.
Our team guides entrants through the Index submission process and is available for questions throughout the year.
Employers can enter the Index anonymously and do not have to submit to each section to secure a feedback report, allowing organisations to evaluate how they are currently performing against the activity they are doing while gaining valuable feedback on the areas they are not.
Employers answer questions and provide data across eight areas using our online form.
There is an entry fee of £1,200 (+VAT). The fee helps our charity to improve and deliver the Index in a sustainable way. Charities and small employers (49 employees or fewer) are exempt.
As we have a high number of entrants in some sectors, we are able to offer detailed sectoral briefings. Sectoral insights for the (i) legal (ii) professional services (iii) financial, banking and insurance service sectors can be purchased for an additional fee of £300 +VAT per briefing. You can purchase sectoral briefings whether you have entered the Index or not.
If you are interested in joining the 2025 Employer Index, please register your interest below. Specific entry information including the survey questions and employer guidance will be sent to you via email once you register your interest.
The Employer Index Report is our annual analysis of the data collected from all employers who entered the Index. We provide a national picture of employer-led social mobility in workplaces that already prioritise the issue.
The 2025 Social Mobility Employer Index will be our ninth year running the Index. The Index has transformed how employers understand and deliver on socioeconomic diversity: improving the recruitment, retention, and progression of employees from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.
01
Winter
Employer Index Report published
02
Spring
Index opens for entries
03
Summer
Entries assessed by the Social Mobility Foundation
04
Autumn
Scoring, benchmarking and analysis
Get everything you need to enter the 2025 Employer Index.
You’ll be asked to commit to paying as part of the entry process. Organisations can pay via card payment, or we can send you an invoice when the entry window closes. Payment should be made within 30 days of the invoice date. Unless your organisation is exempt, you must pay the entry fee to receive your personalised feedback report and be included in the benchmarking process.
Please contact:
employerindex@socialmobility.org.ukWe know that all employers are at different stages of their social mobility journey. We allow organisations to enter the Index anonymously. This means that you will not be included in any external communications, but you will still receive the same level of support, as well as the valuable individual feedback report. We also allow you to skip questions and whole sections if you do not have information or data for those areas. While this will affect your score, we will still offer you advice on the sections you don’t answer, helping you to improve what your organisation is doing.
There is an entry fee of £1,200 (+VAT). This contribution to our charity will help us develop and deliver the Index in a sustainable way. Charities and small employers (49 employees or fewer) are exempt. As we have a high number of entrants in some sectors, we are able to offer detailed sectoral briefings. Sectoral insights for the (i) legal (ii) professional services (iii) financial, banking and insurance service sectors can be purchased for an additional fee of £300 +VAT per briefing. You can purchase sectoral briefings whether you have entered the Index or not.
Find out more about the Employer Index and how to enter.
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