How you could be too middle class to work at a top firm

ALMOST half of top firms ask workers if they attended private school in a bid to boost social mobility, a study found.

Data from 100 companies revealed many also asked about parents’ jobs and the area in which staff grew up.

The information is collected from employees anonymously after they have started their jobs.

The Social Mobility Foundation (SMF), which gathered the data, said a low proportion of workers from state schools or deprived backgrounds could indicate class bias in the recruitment process.

Factors such as accent and whether a candidate has travelled widely can sometimes cause unconscious prejudice, it said. The study ranked employers on their efforts to give opportuni- ties to those from poorer backgrounds. It comes after Theresa May vowed to make bright, disadvantaged youngsters a priority.

Research shows those from affluent backgrounds take a disproportionate number of the best jobs – though some parents of private-school pupils have voiced disquiet at ‘social engineering’ that could disadvantage their children.

Education Secretary Justine Greening said: ‘No one should be held back because of their background or where they come from. ’

The study found 41 per cent of firms ask the type of school employees attended, and 7 per cent ask about parents’ jobs. Some 11 per cent ask the postcode in which workers grew up – an indicator of whether their area was impoverished.

The top ten included supermarket chain Morrisons and accountants PwC.

‘No one should be held back’