Shifting Mindsets: Seeing Working-Class Talent Clearly
No Business Case for Bias:
Why Social Mobility Shouldn’t Need Defending
We talk about the business case for social mobility like it’s still up for debate.
So let’s flip it.
What’s the business case for a lack of social mobility?
For filling our workforce with people who all grew up in the same postcodes, went to the same university and know how to play the game because someone in their family taught them the rules?
Sure, it makes hiring easier.
Less friction. Fewer surprises. Everyone “fits in”.
But sameness breeds groupthink, stagnation, and blind spots.
If you’re serious about building a team ready for disruption, complexity and innovation, you don’t get there by hiring carbon copies.
Yet here we are, still needing to justify why talent should matter more than connections. Why recruitment processes should be fair. Why people deserve a level playing field.
Frankly, we shouldn’t have to explain it.
The Case Has Already Been Made…By the Talent
After 30 years The Brokerage has seen thousands of working-class young people break into sectors that were never designed for them.
And here’s the thing: they’re not just getting in. They’re standing out. Not because they tick boxes. But because they bring skills that are essential in today’s world of work.
In The Overlooked Advantage Report, employers identified five distinct strengths these young people consistently demonstrate – not in spite of their circumstances, but because of them:
- Readiness to Learn: When you haven’t had access to insider networks or tailored advice, you learn to navigate systems solo. These young people show up eager, prepared, and self-directed, because they’ve always had to work things out for themselves.
- Desire for Excellence: For them, success isn’t a given – it’s earned. They carry the weight of being one of the few “in the room” and are determined to prove they belong. That pressure becomes fuel for high standards and a sharp focus on impact.
- Emotional & Cultural Intelligence: Growing up code-switching between cultures, systems, and expectations builds a deep awareness of people and power dynamics. They know how to read a room and how to connect across difference.
- Creativity: When you don’t have all the tools, you get good at making your own. This group often brings fresh thinking precisely because they weren’t handed conventional paths. They’re natural problem-solvers who’ve learned to do more with less.
- Resilience: Setbacks aren’t new to them. Neither is being underestimated. What stands out is their ability to bounce back, take feedback, and keep showing up with hunger, humility and grit.
“They are advantaged in so many ways, but they don’t realise it themselves because they didn’t have the opportunities.” – Corporate Employer
So why is it that so many young people are overlooked for their talents?
#ShiftMindsets Means Seeing Talent Clearly
The real mindset shift isn’t just moving beyond a buzzword.
It’s questioning why we’ve been taught to see talent from working-class backgrounds through a deficit lens.
We treat this group like a monolith and forget that – like any group – it contains brilliance, ambition, and originality.
The issue isn’t a lack of talent. It’s a lack of systems built to recognise and nurture it.
This Isn’t a Zero-Sum Game – It’s a Win-Win
Let’s be clear:
Creating environments where socially mobile talent thrives means creating environments where everyone thrives.
These young people do best when:
- Expectations are clear
- Cultures are psychologically safe
- People are valued for their unique contributions
- Pay and progression are fair
- Relationships cross lines of difference
These aren’t “social mobility” practices. They’re good business practices.
So Let’s Stop Making the Case for Social Mobility And Start Making Workplaces Work
#ShiftMindsets is about recognising that the way we’ve defined and discovered talent has been broken for too long.
It’s time to fix it.
Because when we build workplaces where overlooked talent can rise, we don’t lower the bar – we widen the gate.
And everyone wins.
Written by Aisha Lysejko
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