The class divide: a personal view on how employers can attract, retain and include diverse talent

In 2019 class and race remain significant factors when it comes to your chances of getting into and progressing in the world of work – even if you attain a good degree from a top Russell Group University. This was the depressing, but not entirely surprising, conclusion to come out of Amol Rajan’s excellent BBC documentary, How to Break into the Elite.

Rajan, media editor at the BBC, like me grew up in south London. I lived in a council flat in the 1970s and 80s, the son of Jamaican parents (my mum was a NHS nurse and my dad was an engineer turned cabbie). Both of us were, mistakenly, told by our parents, if we got a good education we could succeed in whatever profession we wanted to. However, neither of our parents knew that, by itself, a good education is not enough to succeed. Academics in Rajan’s programme point to it being necessary to observe ‘social codes’, such as being ‘polished’ or having ‘gravitas’, which are necessary to navigate and succeed in the world of work – particularly in elite professions.

If I say so myself, I’ve had a reasonably successful career in the legal profession. This despite achieving mediocre ‘O’ levels (now GCSE). I left school at 16 and went to a sixth-form college, where I was first introduced to the law, by a lecturer, Mr Powell. His enthusiasm for the subject rubbed off on me. Instead of going off to university to study economics, I deferred for a year and read law. I graduated with a 2:1 degree in 1990.

Although I am proud of achieving a good degree, looking back the mistake I made was solely focusing on my studies. What I also should have been doing was networking, making contacts and gaining industry experience. This would have made it an easier transition to the world of work. Failing to do this meant I spent the next three years making over 400 applications and having 20 plus interviews with law firms and organisations, before I secured a training contract with what is now Transport for London.

Even when I broke into the profession, it took me some time to truly feel comfortable within it and that I belonged. This is commonly described as imposter syndrome. Part of this I put down to the fact that I again was not familiar with the ‘social codes’ that the overwhelming majority of my peers and contemporaries – who were from upper middle class backgrounds – understood, and therefore they found it easier to navigate and progress in the world of work.

So what can employers do to make their organisations more diverse and inclusive? Below are some suggestions from me based on my experiences, which are by no means exhaustive:

Outreach programmes with state schools: my firm,Capsticks, in conjunction with a local state school, run an academy that offers A-Level students a week-long work experience to provide some insights into the world of work and what they need to do to get there. Pupils get a chance to meet other junior learners who can talk to them about their journey.

Paid internships: understandably employers want to see that a job candidate has shown an interest in the role before they apply for a graduate role. Being on an internship is one way to demonstrate this. However, unless these internships are paid they are likely to exclude those from working class backgrounds, who might not be able to afford undertaking such programmes.

Coaching: this really helped me achieve partnership at my last firm. After failing in my first application for partnership I was assigned a coach, who over a six-month period help me prepared my portfolio to demonstrate how I met the firm’s criteria to become a partner. This included ensuring I was more visible, both internally and externally; doing public speaking and writing articles etc. I learned that it's not good enough to be very good. You need to make sure the decision makers within your organisation are aware of what you do.

This article is provided by Paul McFarlane, legal director employment at Capsticks Solicitors LLP.