Sharing practical steps on social mobility: learning from the Co-op

The CIPD Trust recently hosted a webinar for senior HR leaders to explore one of the most talked-about issues in workplace inclusion: social mobility. The session focused on the forward-thinking work of the Co-op, the UK’s first major retailer to publish its socioeconomic pay gap and openly commit to removing barriers to opportunity.

Head of the Trust, Sally Eley opened the session by highlighting how social mobility sits at the heart of the Trust’s mission, supporting people facing the greatest barriers to get into and on in work. She introduced Lorna Jones, Social Mobility Manager at the Co-op and currently on part-time secondment to the Trust.

Why measure social mobility?

Lorna began by explaining what social mobility means in practice. Research shows that people born into lower-income households are far less likely to progress into higher-earning careers than those from more affluent backgrounds. For a member-owned organisation like the Co-op, looking at how they could address this mattered. In 2021, members voted for the organisation to take a stronger role in advocating for change, including better understanding their own workforce data.

Publishing the socioeconomic pay gap in 2024 was a bold move. But as Lorna explained, transparency helps organisations understand their own reality and build trust with employees and stakeholders. It also opens the door to creating meaningful change.

Behind the numbers are real people. You have to consider how people will view the data and be clear on your ‘why’ before you publish," she told attendees.

What they learned

Through analysing their data and listening to colleagues, the Co-op uncovered barriers that were often invisible. Some store colleagues, for example, felt unable to pursue higher-paid roles because of travel costs or the financial risk of restructuring that could affect higher level jobs. These insights led to practical interventions, including a partnership with Stream to improve financial resilience by offering early access to earned pay and ongoing financial advice via an app. Co-op employees rate this as extremely useful.

Lorna also emphasised the importance of trust in gathering socioeconomic data. High disclosure rates at the Co-op were supported by inclusion champions in stores, helping colleagues understand how sharing information could lead to positive change for everyone.

Practical steps for HR leaders

The webinar offered tangible actions for organisations starting their own journey:

Be clear about why social mobility matters to your organisation.
Listen to employees’ lived experiences before designing interventions.
Build internal confidence and trust before publishing data.
Share learnings openly to help others make progress.

Lorna introduced the Co-op’s free social mobility employer toolkit, designed to help employers make small, practical changes that collectively improve access to opportunity.

A shared responsibility

Feedback from attendees highlighted how valuable it was to hear a real-world employer perspective with feedback including:

“Really refreshing to hear from a retail employer,” and that the session was “grounded in reality with practical tools.”

Lorna closed by acknowledging that the Co-op does not have all the answers, but is committed to sharing its experience so others can take action. Sally thanked speakers and participants, encouraging organisations to reflect on their own role in breaking down barriers in the workplace, creating a more inclusive world of work and also being willing to share their learnings more widely.

Access the Co-op’s Social Mobility employer toolkit and their employability toolkits which are designed to help anyone in their job search journey here.

Interested in using your HR expertise to support people facing barriers to work? Contact us.