Accounting and auditing giant Grant Thornton has nailed the top ranking in the UK’s first-ever Social Mobility Employer Index.

Brainchild of the Social Mobility Foundation and Social Mobility Commission – in partnership with the City of London Corporation – the Index ranks Britain’s employers on the actions they are taking to encourage the access and progress of talents from every background, showcasing their social awareness.

Grant Thornton notes that, in 2014, it became the first firm of its kind to remove academic barriers to entry. Had it not done so, it says, 17% of its 2016 intake for school-leaver and graduate programmes would have been unable to apply, based upon academic criteria such as secondary-school performance and degree classification.

This year, the firm saw a 47% rise in applications for its school-leaver programme, with trainees joining the firm across 20 different office locations.

Grant Thornton CEO Sacha Romanovitch said: “We started our social mobility journey over three years ago with a vision for the firm to be more representative of all levels of society. Investing in social mobility is a win-win and a great example of business doing well by doing good. Businesses get access to a hidden talent pool, bringing diverse perspectives and better reflecting the clients we serve.”

What does this approach reveal about hiring policies, and why should it be more mainstream?

“In a sense, this isn’t really about social mobility at all, but an understanding that there’s a better way of identifying, recruiting and retaining talent,” says The Institute of Leadership and Management's CEO Phil James. “Talent isn’t always about 10 GCSE’s, Grade-7 flute, a gold Duke of Edinburgh award and a II:i from the University of Manchester. The fact that you’re identifying talent in less economically advantaged groups may nod towards social mobility – but what it really shows is that you have a more enlightened view of how much people from all walks of life have to offer.”

James explains: “When you set up barriers, your recruitment process starts very narrow, and you deprive yourself of valuable choice and insight. You have to find more creative and imaginative ways not only of reaching people so that they know you’re out there, but of ensuring that people want to work for you.”

He adds: “It should be a boost to know that you are working for a company that isn’t elitist, and is inclusive rather than exclusive. If one of the by-products of that approach is social mobility, then great.”

For further thoughts about intercultural awareness, check out this learning item from the Institute