JLL ranked 30th in the 2018 Social Mobility Index

JLL has today been ranked as one of the top 50 UK employers in the 2018 issue of the world's only Social Mobility Employer Index.

July 11, 2018

JLL is the only real estate adviser to feature on the list of companies who have taken the most action on the issue of social mobility in the workplace. 

The Index is the creation of the Social Mobility Foundation and is published in partnership with sponsors the City of London Corporation. It ranks the UK's employers on the actions they are taking to ensure they are open to accessing and progressing talent from all backgrounds. 

JLL was recognised for the removal of A-level and GCSE academic requirements for graduate roles, the implementation of the Rare Contextual Tool into graduate recruitment, engaging with and recruiting from non-Russell Group universities, offering higher level apprenticeships and engaging with students from non-advantaged backgrounds through volunteering and delivering employability skills training.

Research has consistently shown that businesses tend to disproportionately employ people from more affluent backgrounds. This means some of the best and brightest candidates are ignored to the detriment of both the individuals concerned and the businesses themselves. Therefore, it has become increasingly important to ensure a workforce is drawn from a socially diverse talent pool. The index contributes by assessing employers across their recruitment and selection processes and for how people from lower income backgrounds progress within their organisations.

Claire England, head of UK diversity and inclusion at JLL, said:

"We're pleased to have been included in the Social Mobility Index this is an area of focus for us and something that we'll continue to drive progress on. Everyone has the right to a good career and ensuring that talented young people receive the opportunities they deserve is critical to the future of our business. We all benefit from social mobility which is why at JLL we are working so hard to remove the barriers for those who lack the support and connections to get ahead."

David Johnston, Chief Executive of the Social Mobility Foundation, added:

"We have been very impressed by the efforts employers are making to ensure their organisation is open to talent from all backgrounds. We can really see organisations taking a whole host of actions to try and ensure that they have a diverse workforce in terms of socio-economic background as well as in terms of gender and race; they in turn are benefitting from accessing a much wider talent pool than they have traditionally recruited from. All entrants should be praised for broadening their approach."