Inclusiveness across socio-economic backgrounds and social mobility

Progressing at work should not be about where you come from, but where you want to go. At EY, we're all in for social mobility. Together we can make a difference.

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Understanding social mobility and socio-economic background

Is someone’s potential only recognized when it fits the traditional mold?

We all have different starting points based on our backgrounds and identities, which shape the experiences, and sometimes the barriers we face. One aspect of our identity which is often overlooked at work is our socio-economic background. Factors like our upbringing and the education and income of prior generations of our family impact the extent to which we can access resources, networks and opportunities. It can also come with social stigma, and a pressure to hide our backgrounds for fear of judgment, negative perception of capability or pressure to "fit in". This can significantly impact career experiences and progression.

Social mobility is how a person’s socio-economic situation changes over time. It plays an important role in social cohesion and economic growth. Given that it is inconsistently enabled across the globe, we’re surfacing this important topic globally as part of our broader DE&I and social equity efforts, to spark new conversations and promote action. 

Progressing at work should not be about where you come from, but where you want to go. At EY, we believe in the power of different perspectives, feeling free to be yourself, and clearing obstacles to enable access to opportunities — for everyone. This belief is at the heart of our "All in" strategy, driving purposeful growth and creating new value for EY people and stakeholders. 

By paying closer attention to some of these persistent barriers people from lower socio-economic backgrounds may face, we can be intentional with our actions to create a big impact on the people around us.

Together, we can shape the future with confidence. 

Portrait of Karyn Twaronite
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The reality is that great talent exists everywhere, and we can open doors for more people from more places - including opening doors for those currently on our teams.

Karyn Twaronite

EY Global Vice Chair - Diversity, Equity & Inclusiveness

How can a story raise awareness of socio-economic background?

Storytelling is a powerful way to offer insights to other people’s experiences that may differ from our own, create strong connections and help us be better equipped to spot inequities that we might otherwise miss. We've produced a series of short films featuring EY colleagues and alumni from around the world, sharing their personal stories to help us better understand the impact that socio-economic background can have on access to resources, opportunities, career experiences and progression.

These new films help us lean into their experiences to inspire reflection, conversation, learning and action — so we better understand and connect with each other. By better understanding our colleagues’ experiences, identifying and removing barriers, and further building environments where everyone feels free to be themselves and can thrive, we can enable greater social mobility and create new value.

Meet our EY colleagues and alumni courageously sharing their stories below:

Insight: Social stigmas

Social stigmas attached to lower socio-economic backgrounds can drive people to suppress aspects of their background, for fear of judgement, negative perception of capability, and pressure to “fit in”. This often goes unseen in the workplace and can impact self-confidence, the ability for people to feel free to be themselves, a sense of belonging, and the access to opportunities to progress at work.

Chris, United Kingdom

“You tend not to talk about home, you tend not to talk about how you’ve grown up, you tend to reveal very little of yourself.”

Marjana, France

“It took me years later to understand and to accept that, ‘Yes, I am intelligent’, and that, ‘Yes, I can dream big’.”

Asemahle, South Africa

“Just with the first year of being at EY, I thought I had to hide my background as to where I come from.”

 

Insight: Small actions big impact

Small actions can have a big impact. Colleagues who value differences, create genuine connections, recognize talents beyond the traditional mold, and open opportunities for others can make a meaningful difference.

Vicky, The Philippines

“We should also look outside the four corners of a classroom. What about talents that have developed skills and went through ‘the school of hard knocks’ that enabled them to build their capacity to learn, take some risks and make difficult decisions?”

Josh, United States

“When I interview people now, I see different things because I know there is potential there for solving the problems and being able to manage a lot of complexity.”

Insight: Heightened barriers 

Heightened barriers often faced by people from lower socio-economic backgrounds can create additional pressure on top of a day-to-day job. This can lead to an "outsider" experience at work – impacting ability to build networks, access to resources and opportunities, and affect performance in role.

Sandra, Sweden

“I had my day-to-day job of just trying to be a graduate, also trying to figure out what on earth was going on around me.”

Flavio, Brazil (EY Alumnus)

“I always had that feeling that I was chasing something, to be at least where the other people were.”

Learn more about social equity at EY

Our focus on the dimension of socio-economic background is part of EY's larger global commitment to advancing DE&I and driving sustainable change for greater inclusion.


This commitment is integral to our "All in" strategy, which aims to create new value for our people, clients and stakeholders in an increasingly complex world. 

Learn more

This storytelling series is brought to life by the EY Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusiveness Steering Committee (GDEISC), which is co-chaired by EY Global Chair and CEO, Janet Truncale and EY Global Vice Chair — Diversity, Equity & Inclusiveness, Karyn Twaronite. Its members, drawn from across the organization, explore challenges, surface successful practices and collaborate on meaningful solutions.

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