People come from all sorts of socioeconomic backgrounds in the U.K. There is a wide range of people that make up the country, each with their own individual story and context.

Too often, people with a socioeconomic background that is considered “lesser” than others are held back in terms of employment. There is a lot of bias that takes up the world of recruitment and employment. This bias affects certain people getting the jobs that they want and are able to do. 

At Aspiring to Include, we want to help advocate for equal and fair employment. We believe that people of all socioeconomic backgrounds should be equally considered for the same opportunities. We believe that bias is something to work on and eradicate. 

On this page, we want to work towards this aim by talking about different socioeconomic backgrounds. Specifically, we want to discuss the advantages in store for employers when they employ equally. It isn’t only people with wealthy backgrounds that become good employees. There are many benefits of employing someone with a more diverse and even underprivileged background. They are as follows:

Dedication

Being from a community that has often been refused stable and quality opportunities builds resilience and dedication. People from socioeconomic backgrounds that generally experience higher levels of poverty and exclusion understand the value of things. They know how to work hard and be dedicated to their work. 

People who have grown up without a lot of opportunities generally relish the opportunities they now do get. This means they are committed to their job and to doing a good job. Coming from a background in which parents, friends or family recognise they must work harder to counteract the lack of quality opportunities, these candidates are unlikely to be lazy.  

Overall, candidates from lower socioeconomic backgrounds are resilient, dedicated, grateful, and reliable. That makes a quality candidate for any job posting. 

Higher Potential

People from working-class communities and lower socioeconomic backgrounds tend to have less access to further education than those in middle-class communities. But this doesn’t mean that they don’t have the skills or qualities needed for certain jobs.

In fact, people from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds often have a lot of untapped potential. As an employer, you have a unique opportunity to tap into this very potential. Support your employees with training and upskilling opportunities is crucial. For employees from less advantaged socioeconomic backgrounds, this kind of thing will land very well. They will be more grateful than the average candidate to have such opportunities and will make the most of them. 

Helping someone reach their higher potential through employment is both satisfying for you and them. It can help you reach your business goals and can help with employee loyalty and retention. 

Loyalty

Speaking of loyalty…

Candidates from a lower socioeconomic background tend to be very loyal employees. They understand the value of a good quality job and they aren’t easily ready to let go of a good work opportunity. Growing up around hardship and scarcer opportunities means that you don’t take good opportunities for granted. This is a good thing for you as an employer. 

Loyalty amongst staff is a hugely underrated thing. When your staff is loyal, you can reach your business goals much easier, maintain profit levels, and continue to grow year on year. Staff turnover is one of the greatest unnecessary costs to U.K. businesses. It also causes a great deal of hassle. If you can have a great group of loyal staff, you can really stay on the right track as a business.

Another great reason to widen your net and run inclusive recruitment campaigns. Not judging a book by its cover may just be the very thing that saves your business. And helps it go from strength to strength too.

Funding

There are funding options employers can access in return for providing opportunities to those in disadvantaged areas. If you get in touch with your local council and Jobcentre Plus, you will find the appropriate opportunities open to you and your employees.

At Aspiring to Include, we have a guide that provides support and resources for diverse employers. You can check that out right here and find out even more ways in which you can be supported. We believe that employers receiving the right support leads to employees receiving the right support. The more we help each other, the better things get for everyone. 

Diverse Perspective

As with hiring anyone from a diverse background, adding their voice to conversations is invaluable. When developing an inclusive company culture, you need as many different perspectives as possible. It is really important to remember that the decisions we make as a business are only as diverse as the group of people we have making those decisions. 

When you include people from all walks of life in the decisions you make, things become much fairer. Equality needs to start from within your company. Recruiting and employing from all socioeconomic backgrounds means that all voices are heard and accounted for. Having a diverse perspective can help your business grow exceptionally.

Ultimately, hiring from a range of socioeconomic backgrounds is a good choice for everyone. As an employer, you can gain loyal, dedicated, and skilled workers that will be an asset to your team. You can take your company to the next level and expand your own market. 

Being an inclusive employer is something that brings more advantages and benefits than you might imagine. 

If you want to get started as a more inclusive employer, we can help. We offer many different services for employers at Aspiring to Include. All of which help you become more equal, diverse, and inclusive, and help you tap into a diverse market

If that sounds like something you want to be a part of, explore the services we offer employers here and get started today.