All or Nothing: Why You Must Address Socio-Economic Diversity
Rhys Weightman

In our previous blog, we explored the issue of discrimination towards social class following comments made by Lord Digby Jones regarding BBC presenter Alex Scott MBE dropping her g’s during coverage for the Olympics.


Since the establishment of the Equality Act in 2010, we’ve seen a laser focus on improving diversity in the professional workforce. While the Act includes official ‘protected characteristics’, a significant element of the diversity equation is missing.


Someone’s social and economic background can significantly impact their entry and progression into the workforce. Despite this, many organisations don’t monitor socio-economic diversity or have a plan on how to improve accessibility and progression. 


Embracing social mobility should be a positive move for employers as it opens the door to previously untapped talent. Additionally, diversity of background can bring new ways of thinking and help to foster innovation and change. So, what’s the problem? Unfortunately, it seems to be two-fold: 


Because socio-economic status is not a protected characteristic, employers are, therefore, not held to account for bypassing it in D&I efforts.


Employers have vested interests in maintaining the status quo within their organisation due to prejudice or convenience. 


Regardless of the reason, ignoring socio-economic diversity demonstrates a lack of commitment to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. In short, it’s all or nothing.


Getting started


Firstly, addressing social mobility doesn’t mean penalising those who have had advantages; it’s about making the best use of the talents of every person. Here, we look at how employers can take the first steps in improving social mobility in the workplace. 


1. Measurement 


A crucial step to improving socio-economic diversity is finding out more about the background of your current workforce. Such measurement enables you to identify any gaps in access and barriers to progression that need to be tackled. Making a record of such data will also help your organisation evaluate whether progress is being made over time.


You can do this by conducting employee surveys. A Civil Service report entitled ‘Measuring Socio-economic Background in your Workforce’ suggests asking the following questions to gauge employee backgrounds: 


  • What type of school did you attend between the ages of 11 and 16?
  • What is the highest level of qualifications achieved by either of your parent(s) or guardian(s) by the time you were 18?
  • Thinking back to when you were aged about 14, which best describes the sort of work the main/ highest income earner in your household did in their main job?
  • If you finished school after 1980, were you eligible for free school meals at any point during your school years?


The answers can help to highlight patterns in hiring and progression. For example, if most of your managers and leadership team are private school alumni, you can start taking the steps to understand why this is the case and work to rectify it to become more inclusive. 


2. Attracting diverse talent 


“We get the same types of people applying to work for us.” Such an attitude is no excuse to hire the same traits over and over again. If that’s the case, you need to take a closer look at your talent pipelines, methods of attraction and employer branding. 


When it comes to making real change, there are two routes that we recommend: 


  • Developing paid internships and work experience placements. Many placements are unpaid, which limits the type of people who can undertake them. Additionally, they can go completely unadvertised and end up going to friends or relations of existing employees. Advertising internships and placements on your website and social media, as well as providing pay, a stipend, or expenses, ensures money isn’t a barrier and opens up your organisation to a broader pool of talent. 
  • Take advantage of apprenticeships. Apprenticeships are an excellent route to the workplace for young people, enabling them to earn while they learn. Organisations that invest the time in developing apprenticeships and publicising the benefits of taking this route as an alternative to formal education will go a long way in improving social mobility. Additionally, employers with a pay bill over £3 million a year will pay the apprenticeship levy, enabling them to receive funds to spend on apprenticeship training. Remember, it’s still crucial to monitor the socio-economic background of apprentices, so the same people aren’t awarded opportunities over and over again. 


3. Hiring practices 


Any selection and interview processes should enable candidates to demonstrate their suitability


for the role, with recruitment decisions free from bias. To ensure a perception and bias-free hiring process, we recommend: 


  • Being honest. All personnel involved in hiring should have an open conversation about the skills they are looking for in candidates. Are the assessment methods used to identify these skills working? Are they accurately measuring these skills, or is there an element of ‘gut feel’ creeping into the selection process? 
  • Confronting bias head-on. It can be challenging to accept unconscious bias. However, acknowledging it exists is an important first step that you must take to be a truly inclusive employer. For sports organisations, level= offers help, guidance and training to tackle bias at all stages of the talent acquisition process. 
  • Employing diverse interview panels. If interviews are conducted on a one-on-one basis, you’re unlikely to get a fully rounded idea of a candidate’s suitability. Having interviewers from a wide range of socio-economic and other backgrounds will help provide a greater perspective and help to reduce possible biases.


Your partner in action 

The future of sport is driven by difference. Here at level=, it’s our mission to help every sports organisation, regardless of size or scope, bring diversity and inclusion to their leadership and broader teams. 


Whether you are building greater equity within your organisation or looking to take the next step in your career in sport, our team is committed to working with you to offer the skills, services and access to a globally diverse and level field of possibility.


Connect with us on 020 8392 9959 or email hello@levelequals.com.

Bullying in the Workplace: Recognising, Responding, and Resolving

By Rhys Weightman • December 5, 2023
Bullying is something no-one should have to deal with. While we often associate bullying with childhood, the reality is that bullies can follow people throughout the entire lives, impacting the performance, and culture of workplaces. While conflicts in the workplace are natural, there’s a difference between misunderstandings and clashes among teams, and consistent abuse. Although it’s important for employees to stand up for themselves, and seek assistance when dealing with bullies, HR managers and business leaders also play a role. Direct line managers, supervisors, and executives also need to implement strategies to ensure they’re creating a supportive, respectful company culture. Here’s everything you need to know about overcoming bullying in the sporting space. Defining Workplace Bullying: Identifying the Signs To overcome bullying in the sports, leisure and recreation workspace, business leaders and their employees first need to recognise the signs. Bullying can appear in a range of forms, from name calling, to the deliberate isolation of specific employees by other individuals or groups. However, the Workplace Bullying Institute (WBI) gives the concept a clear definition. It says bullying is any repeated, harmful mistreatment of one or more people by one or more perpetrators. Workplace bullying can happen both offline and online, particularly in today’s world of hybrid and remote work. It can also include: · Name calling or abusive language · Ignoring, isolating, or excluding members of staff · Belittling or making fun of an employee · Scapegoating or blaming other employees for issues · Manipulation or coercion · Spreading rumours about an employee · Aggressive or violent behavior Even business leaders can be perpetrators of bullying, when they set their employees up to fail, disregard them, or overwhelm them with menial tasks. Workplace bullying is extremely common, with 30% of Americans saying they experience this issue in their profession. Unfortunately, the side effects can be disastrous for both businesses and individuals alike. Consistent bullying can cause stress, ill health, and burnout for employees. It also harms team productivity, and increases a company’s chance of talent turnover, leading to significant skill gaps and problems with long-term performance. Handling Workplace Bullying: Global Factors Workplace bullying in the sport industry is an issue that arises all over the world. While the negative impact it has on businesses and employees is consistent wherever you are, the solutions companies and team members can use to deal with bullying vary depending on location. For instance, the UK and Australian governments have both implemented anti-bullying legislation , such as the Equality Act in the UK, and the Fair Work Act in Australia. In these regions, organizations/organisations are encouraged to implement comprehensive anti-bullying policies, outlining unacceptable behaviours, reporting procedures, and consequences for perpetrators. Employees are also encouraged to deliver training and awareness programs, to educate employees about the effects of workplace bullying and how to recognize it. In the US, workplace bullying is addressed through various channels, including legal recourse. While there are no specific federal laws against bullying, many US companies still adopt anti-bullying policies to create a safe and inclusive workspace. Additionally, the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission shares guidelines team leaders can use to address workplace harassment and bullying. Effective Strategies for Handling Workplace Bullying Though there are different regulations and legal solutions in place for workplace bullying depending on where you are in the world, business leaders can still experiment with a range of universally effective strategies for mitigation, no matter their location. Some of the best ways to combat workplace bullying include: 1. Establish and Share Clear Policies First, it’s important to develop and communicate clear anti-bullying policies for the entire workforce. These policies should outline examples of unacceptable behaviours, as well as the potential consequences for perpetrators. Ensure team members understand which reporting mechanisms are in place to ensure they can seek out assistance if they feel harassed by another team member. All employees should have access to accessible, confidential reporting mechanisms, to help them seek out help without fear. 2. Promote a Respectful, Inclusive Culture Today’s most innovative companies are already investing in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives, designed to create equality and respect between team members. This is important at a time when 76% of job seekers and employees believe DEI initiatives are crucial. Promoting a culture of respect and inclusion in the workplace helps to minimise the risk of bullying. Team members should be encouraged to embrace the diverse characteristics of their work mates, and reminded that harassing behavior will not be tolerated. Leaders should set examples, by consistently treating team members with dignity. 3. Invest in Training and Education Investing in educational programs in the workspace isn’t just crucial to give employees access to new technical skills or improve workplace engagement. It can also be a valuable way to promote bonds between team members, and hone soft skills. Consider investing in educational resources that focus on teaching valuable communication, collaboration, and cooperation skills. Provide team members with educational resources to help them understand the effects of bullying, and what they can do to recognise, address, and even prevent the issue. 4. Respond to Reports Correctly Simply ensuring employees in the workplace can report instances of bullying isn’t enough. Companies also need to be willing to act rapidly when an employee is facing harassment. All reports issued by team members should be investigated thoroughly, promptly, and impartially. The consequences for perpetrators should be significant, but also consistent and fair, based on the nature of the situation. Additionally, business leaders in the sport industry should ensure support is available to victims following the event. This could include offering counselling, mediation, or coaching sessions. 5. Stay Vigilant Unfortunately, even as business leaders continue to invest in initiatives to make their companies more welcoming and supportive to employees, bullying is still an issue. In today’s world of hybrid and remote work, it can be even harder to spot problems, particularly when harassment happens online, or through video meetings. To stay on top of the problem, managers and business leaders need to be vigilant about monitoring the workplace environment. Pay attention to the behaviours of employees, investigate instances of severe stress and burnout, and constantly promote team bonding. Workplace bullying is unfortunately a global, persistent issue, that requires attention from both employees, and business leaders. Addressing instances of bullying effectively isn’t just the key to creating a more attractive company culture. It’s also important to ensuring employees can feel engaged and productive at work, and helps to reduce the risk of talent turnover. The right initiatives can even help to make your business more appealing to industry talent.

level= At The Football Business Awards 2023

By Rhys Weightman • November 21, 2023
Level= takes great pride in our recognition for outstanding work in the sports industry at the esteemed Football Business Awards held in London in May. We were honoured to receive the Silver Award in the Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion category. This award is a testament to our commitment to putting diversity at the core of our mission and engagement. We were in excellent company, with notable nominees including Brighton & Hove Albion FC, Aston Villa FC, Chelsea FC, Liverpool FC, and Watford FC. Our purpose is clear: to empower every sports organisation with inclusive recruitment practices designed to eliminate bias and ensure fairness in hiring decisions. We've collaborated on numerous projects with Brentford FC and The Premier League, aligning with their dedication to equality, diversity, and inclusion through our consciously inclusive approach to hiring. By proactively reaching out to diverse communities and employing a debiased process, Level= has increased the representation of underrepresented groups within these organisations. Jon Varney, CEO of Brentford FC, underscores the benefits of our anonymisation process: "We piloted an anonymous recruitment process for several executive roles within the Club. This approach has allowed numerous candidates from underrepresented groups to advance to the final stages and secure full-time contracts with us." Amy Field, The Premier League Policy Department Operations Manager, recognises the limitations of traditional recruitment methods like CV and cover letters: "It's evident that, among the multitude of applications we typically receive, we might have overlooked some candidates based solely on their work history." At Level=, we persistently challenge the conventional approach to bring about positive change in sports recruitment. Our commitment to creating a level playing field for all candidates has resulted in attracting a more diverse pool of talent, all while significantly reducing the recruitment time for dedicated hiring teams. Click here to see the organisations we have worked with

How to Overcome Overwhelm as a High-Performing Employee

By Rhys Weightman • November 7, 2023
We all feel a little overwhelmed at times. Life, work, relationships, and countless other factors can make even the most organised person feel as though they’re drowning in their to-do list.