Inclusion, Diversity and Equity
Social mobility
We empower our people to thrive with us.
Social mobility is all about creating a fairer, more equitable society. And that work starts within our own firm. We've been committed to improving social mobility for over a decade and are extremely proud to be leading in this space. The network has been recognised with the Highly Commended award Employee Network of the year 2023 at the Burberry British Diversity Awards and the activity that the network drives plays a pivotal role in making KPMG a socially mobile workplace and the only business to be ranked in the top 5 of the Social Mobility Employer Index (SMEI) since it started in 2017.
KPMG UK Social Mobility Employee Network (UpBringing) chairs
Commitments and recognition
We’ve committed to having 29% lower socio-economic background representation at Partner level by 2030.
We’re recognised as Organisation of the Year at the 2024 UK Social Mobility Awards (SOMOs).
We’re a Living Wage accredited employer and were one of the first companies to be recognised as such.
We’ve been ranked #4 in the Social Mobility Employer Index 2024 and are the only business to have been recognised in the top five since it started in 2017.
Where we are now
Colleagues from lower socio-economic backgrounds firm-wide / 21%
1-Oct-24 spot count
(1-Oct-23: 20%)
Senior colleagues* from lower socio-economic backgrounds / 21%
1-Oct-24 spot count
(1-Oct-23: 21%)
Graduate and apprentice joiners from lower socio-economic backgrounds / 20%
FY24
(FY23: 17%)
New experienced hires from lower socio-economic backgrounds / 23%
FY24
(FY23: 18%)
These figures are based on those that have declared this information to us (72% of employees). Find out more about representation across our firm
here. You can also find out about our 2024 Pay Gaps and how we’re addressing them here.
*Senior colleagues includes Partners, Directors and Senior Managers
Our social mobility action plan
Accountable leaders
In 2021, we set a socio-economic background representation target for the first time, aiming for 29 per cent of Partners to be from a lower socio-economic background by 2030. As part of this we're also publishing the socio-economic background of our Board and Executive Committee.
As a firm, we’ve been committed to improving social mobility for over a decade and we’re extremely proud to be the only business to have featured amongst the top 5 in the Social Mobility Employer Index since it started in 2017. In 2024, we were recognised as ‘Organisation of the Year’ at the Social Mobility Awards.
“I’m passionate about the role organisations like ours play in driving equal opportunity for all, and we’re not the only business who believes in this. Over the summer we held our second annual Social Mobility Conference, bringing leaders from a range of organisations, community partners, and suppliers together to discuss how we address social mobility in the workplace.
Career advancement should be about realising potential, not background. It is through this belief, and longstanding focus in this area, that we’ve continued to make important progress. This includes publishing extensive analysis into the impact of socio-economic background on progression in our firm; the biggest ever performed by a single business. We also launched our “Opening Doors to Opportunities” initiative, which aims to give one million young people the opportunity to develop their skills by 2030."
Jon Holt / Group Chief Executive and UK Senior Partner
As a firm, we’ve been committed to improving social mobility for over a decade and we’re extremely proud to be the only business to have featured amongst the top 5 in the Social Mobility Employer Index since it started in 2017. In 2024, we were recognised as ‘Organisation of the Year’ at the Social Mobility Awards.
“I’m passionate about the role organisations like ours play in driving equal opportunity for all, and we’re not the only business who believes in this. Over the summer we held our second annual Social Mobility Conference, bringing leaders from a range of organisations, community partners, and suppliers together to discuss how we address social mobility in the workplace.
Career advancement should be about realising potential, not background. It is through this belief, and longstanding focus in this area, that we’ve continued to make important progress. This includes publishing extensive analysis into the impact of socio-economic background on progression in our firm; the biggest ever performed by a single business. We also launched our “Opening Doors to Opportunities” initiative, which aims to give one million young people the opportunity to develop their skills by 2030."
Jon Holt / Group Chief Executive and UK Senior Partner
Our broader impact
From becoming one of the first accredited Living Wage employers in 2012, to being the founding partner of the UK's National Numeracy Day in 2018, KPMG has long been a leader on the social mobility agenda. In 2020, we supported the Social Mobility Commission with the planning and delivery of the Professional and Financial Services toolkit, and in November 2023 we sponsored the Social Mobility Foundations ‘Levelling the Playing Field’ report which provides employers with
practical guidance on calculating their socio-economic background (SEB) pay gap.
Jon Holt, Group Chief Executive and UK Senior Partner said: “I’m delighted that we are co-sponsoring the ‘Levelling the Playing Field’ guide. Improving opportunities for those from lower socio-economic backgrounds is not only a moral imperative, but an economic necessity for the professional services sector and the wider UK economy”.
In 2024 our colleagues selected FareShare as our national charity supporting the one in six people across the UK experiencing food poverty. And in June 2024, we hosted our second KPMG UK social mobility conference in London with over 150 attendees from organisations that share our vision from across the private, public and third sectors.
Our leaders represent our firm on groups such as Progress Together, Living Wage Advisory Council and Patchwork Foundation. We also apply a place-based approach to our community initiatives to make sure we're targeting the areas of greatest need, working alongside local stakeholders, governments and charities to help tackle regional inequalities. This includes supporting initiatives such as the Manchester Access Programme and King’s College Careers+.
Jon Holt, Group Chief Executive and UK Senior Partner said: “I’m delighted that we are co-sponsoring the ‘Levelling the Playing Field’ guide. Improving opportunities for those from lower socio-economic backgrounds is not only a moral imperative, but an economic necessity for the professional services sector and the wider UK economy”.
In 2024 our colleagues selected FareShare as our national charity supporting the one in six people across the UK experiencing food poverty. And in June 2024, we hosted our second KPMG UK social mobility conference in London with over 150 attendees from organisations that share our vision from across the private, public and third sectors.
Our leaders represent our firm on groups such as Progress Together, Living Wage Advisory Council and Patchwork Foundation. We also apply a place-based approach to our community initiatives to make sure we're targeting the areas of greatest need, working alongside local stakeholders, governments and charities to help tackle regional inequalities. This includes supporting initiatives such as the Manchester Access Programme and King’s College Careers+.
Inclusive environment
Our social mobility focussed employee network empowers colleagues from less-privileged backgrounds to achieve their development goals, collectively share their experiences and support one another to make a difference and build a stronger culture at KPMG.
We're also training all of our colleagues on socio-economic background and the invisible barriers that exist, to help raise awareness of unconscious bias and things all colleagues need to be mindful of.
By improving our data insight through new tools and technology and working with a diverse range of suppliers, we’re able to take a more holistic approach to IDE and better consider the impact and access for those from lower socio-economic backgrounds through the intersections of gender, ethnicity and disability. And through pioneering programmes such as New Futures and the opening of the “Redemption Roasters” café in our London office – which provide opportunities to prison leavers – we are supporting some of the hardest to reach and least socially mobile communities.
We're also training all of our colleagues on socio-economic background and the invisible barriers that exist, to help raise awareness of unconscious bias and things all colleagues need to be mindful of.
By improving our data insight through new tools and technology and working with a diverse range of suppliers, we’re able to take a more holistic approach to IDE and better consider the impact and access for those from lower socio-economic backgrounds through the intersections of gender, ethnicity and disability. And through pioneering programmes such as New Futures and the opening of the “Redemption Roasters” café in our London office – which provide opportunities to prison leavers – we are supporting some of the hardest to reach and least socially mobile communities.
Equitable experiences
In 2021, we reported our socio-economic background pay gaps for the first time and were one of the first organisations to do so. We've worked with experts in the field of social equality, the Bridge Group, to advise us on the most robust and reliable indicator of social mobility (parental occupation groups), the definition of socio-economic background and the terminology used.
In 2022 we went a step further and published extensive analysis of the progression rates at our firm, which marked another important step in our social mobility journey. Socio-economic background was found to have the strongest effect on progression, compared to any other characteristic. As part of the research, we shared detail on the action we’re taking to tackle this, as well as a toolkit designed to help other businesses do the same.
In response to the findings, we launched a targeted promotion readiness programme ‘Reach’, to help support lower and intermediate socio-economic background colleagues to develop and progress at a comparable rate.
Across our recruitment processes, we’ve made a number of changes, for example, we use contextual recruitment methods for our graduate and apprentice hiring. This approach places greater focus on an individual’s overall potential and considers academic results in the context in which they were achieved, looking at both socio-economic background as well as any extenuating circumstances. As part of this, we’ve broadened entry requirements for specific programmes, such as our Technology graduate programmes and are working with a broader range of universities, schools and colleges to widen access.
Our Discovery work experience programme, in support of Access Accountancy, is dedicated to supporting young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds, with many going on to apply for, and join, our apprenticeship programmes. While our One+1 programme, in collaboration with the Social Mobility Foundation and UpTree, matches placements provided for KPMG employees contacts with students without such connections. In 2024 the Discovery programme provided places to over 170 candidates and the One+1 programme provided placements to 164 individuals.
In 2022 we went a step further and published extensive analysis of the progression rates at our firm, which marked another important step in our social mobility journey. Socio-economic background was found to have the strongest effect on progression, compared to any other characteristic. As part of the research, we shared detail on the action we’re taking to tackle this, as well as a toolkit designed to help other businesses do the same.
In response to the findings, we launched a targeted promotion readiness programme ‘Reach’, to help support lower and intermediate socio-economic background colleagues to develop and progress at a comparable rate.
Across our recruitment processes, we’ve made a number of changes, for example, we use contextual recruitment methods for our graduate and apprentice hiring. This approach places greater focus on an individual’s overall potential and considers academic results in the context in which they were achieved, looking at both socio-economic background as well as any extenuating circumstances. As part of this, we’ve broadened entry requirements for specific programmes, such as our Technology graduate programmes and are working with a broader range of universities, schools and colleges to widen access.
Our Discovery work experience programme, in support of Access Accountancy, is dedicated to supporting young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds, with many going on to apply for, and join, our apprenticeship programmes. While our One+1 programme, in collaboration with the Social Mobility Foundation and UpTree, matches placements provided for KPMG employees contacts with students without such connections. In 2024 the Discovery programme provided places to over 170 candidates and the One+1 programme provided placements to 164 individuals.