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Diversity and Inclusion Survey Questions: Academic Achievement

Exploring the Impact of Academic Achievement on Diversity, Inclusion, Equity, Bias, Belonging, and Representation

3 October 2024 by Mark Holt

From a very naive perspective, asking about an individual's educational attainment might seem unrelated to diversity and inclusion. However, education level is a significant factor in the broader conversation around DEIB because it intersects with numerous social and structural inequalities. Understanding the educational backgrounds of employees allows organisations to gain deeper insight into the social dynamics that can influence workplace equity, belonging, and representation. This article explores why Divrsity includes educational attainment in its D&I surveys, the role it plays in shaping equitable workplaces, and how these insights drive impactful change within organisations.

Real World Example

For example, we've seen multiple surveys where individuals with lower academic achievement disproportionatelly feel that their strengths and contributions are unknown by people more senior than their manager.

The Role of Education in Shaping Workplace Outcomes

In the UK, educational attainment is often seen as a key determinant of professional success and social mobility. According to the Department for Education, higher levels of education are correlated with increased earning potential, greater job stability, and more opportunities for career advancement. However, access to education is not equally distributed across all segments of society. Socioeconomic background, race, ethnicity, gender, and geographic location all influence educational opportunities, and these disparities in access can translate into significant workforce inequalities.

By including educational attainment as a key demographic question, Divrsity helps companies understand the diverse academic backgrounds of their employees. For example, companies can assess whether individuals with different levels of education feel equally included and supported in the workplace. This data is invaluable when identifying hidden inequities that may otherwise be overlooked in a superficial analysis of D&I.

Educational Attainment and Social Class: A UK-Specific Lens

In the UK, social class remains a pervasive issue that influences access to education and employment opportunities. The Sutton Trust’s reports on social mobility have long highlighted the gap between students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and their more affluent peers. Those who attend private schools or prestigious universities are more likely to secure high-paying jobs and enter leadership positions, while others, often from disadvantaged backgrounds, may struggle to access higher education and, by extension, better career prospects.

For HR professionals and DEI strategists, understanding the educational make-up of their workforce is crucial. Education often functions as a proxy for social class, and it allows organisations to consider how class disparities might manifest in the workplace. If a company finds that its senior leadership team predominantly holds degrees from $$$ Russell Group universities, for instance, this could suggest a lack of diversity in terms of social and educational backgrounds.

By asking participants about their highest academic qualification, Divrsity helps organisations shine a light on potential class-based inequities that may be influencing career progression, hiring practices, and workplace culture. This awareness is crucial in a country where, according to the Social Mobility Commission, class-based inequalities remain entrenched across industries.

Representation and Educational Attainment: Breaking the Bias

In addition to class, educational attainment intersects with race, ethnicity, and gender in ways that can affect workplace representation. In the UK, studies have shown that ethnic minority (also known by the outdated acroynm BAME - Black, Asian, and minority ethnic) students are more likely to face barriers in accessing higher education. The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) reports indicate that while participation rates among ethnic minority students have increased, disparities in degree outcomes persist, particularly in terms of the types of institutions attended and final degree classifications. Women, too, face unique challenges when balancing educational aspirations with societal expectations, particularly around caregiving and family responsibilities.

By capturing data on the educational qualifications of employees from different demographic backgrounds, Divrsity enables companies to explore how education might be contributing to—or mitigating—issues around representation. Are ethnic minority employees with postgraduate degrees as likely to hold senior leadership roles as their white counterparts? Are women with degrees from less prestigious universities equally considered for promotions? These are the kinds of questions that Divrsity’s surveys can help answer.

Educational attainment also relates directly to unconscious bias. For instance, if hiring managers hold unconscious preferences for candidates from certain universities, this could disproportionately disadvantage individuals from underrepresented backgrounds who may not have had access to elite institutions. By analysing the survey data, Divrsity can help organisations identify potential biases in recruitment, promotion, and performance management processes, ensuring that educational qualifications do not become a gatekeeping mechanism for workplace inclusion.

Equity, Opportunity, and the Skills Gap

Education is not solely about degrees and diplomas; it is also about the acquisition of skills. In a rapidly changing economic landscape, the skills gap has become a pressing issue for UK employers. According to the CBI’s Education and Skills Survey, businesses are increasingly concerned about a mismatch between the skills of graduates and the needs of the labour market.

Divrsity’s inclusion of educational attainment questions goes beyond simply identifying employees’ qualifications; it also opens up discussions around skills development and equitable access to training opportunities. For employees without higher education degrees, the workplace should be an environment where they can continue to develop their skills and advance their careers. However, if organisations focus too heavily on academic qualifications as indicators of capability, they may overlook employees who have developed valuable skills through alternative routes such as apprenticeships, vocational training, or on-the-job experience.

By integrating this data with other aspects of diversity, Divrsity’s AI-driven analysis helps organisations ensure that their development programmes are truly inclusive, fostering an environment where all employees, regardless of educational background, can thrive. In this way, Divrsity supports companies in creating equity, ensuring that everyone has equal access to opportunities for growth and progression.

Belonging and Educational Diversity

A sense of belonging is central to Divrsity’s mission of fostering inclusive workplaces, and educational diversity plays a critical role in this. Employees from different educational backgrounds can bring a range of perspectives and experiences to the workplace, enriching discussions and leading to more innovative solutions. However, employees who feel that their educational background is undervalued or marginalised may struggle to feel a true sense of belonging.

In the UK, where an individual’s educational history is often a marker of social identity, ensuring that employees from all educational backgrounds feel respected and included is vital. Divrsity’s surveys allow organisations to gauge whether employees with non-traditional educational paths feel that they belong within the company culture. For instance, are employees without university degrees as likely to participate in key decision-making processes? Do they feel that their voices are heard and valued?

The Divrsity platform's ability to analyse these dynamics through both quantitative data and verbatim responses ensures that organisations are equipped with a nuanced understanding of their workforce’s experiences. By identifying gaps in belonging related to educational background, Divrsity enables businesses to craft targeted interventions that address the specific needs of their employees.

Conclusion: Driving Change through Data-Driven Insights

The inclusion of educational attainment in Divrsity’s Diversity and Inclusion surveys is not a superficial exercise. It reflects the broader social and structural inequalities that influence workplace dynamics in the UK. By gathering and analysing this data, Divrsity empowers organisations to better understand how education intersects with other aspects of diversity, such as race, gender, and class, and how these intersections impact equity, belonging, and representation within the workforce.

Divrsity’s AI-driven analysis can go beyond the surface level to provide deep insights into how educational background affects career progression, workplace inclusion, and organisational culture. Armed with this knowledge, companies can take meaningful steps towards creating more diverse and inclusive workplaces—where all employees, regardless of their educational background, can succeed and feel a sense of belonging.

In the end, it is this holistic and data-driven approach to D&I that sets Divrsity apart, enabling organisations to move beyond performative diversity initiatives and towards genuine, lasting change. By understanding the nuanced role that education plays in shaping the employee experience, businesses can foster environments where diversity thrives, equity is upheld, and every individual is empowered to contribute their best.

References

Department for Education (DfE) (2022). Education and Employment in the UK. This report highlights the correlation between educational attainment and employment outcomes, noting the economic advantages of higher education and the disparities that exist between different socioeconomic groups in the UK.

Available at: gov.uk
The Sutton Trust (2022). Social Mobility in the UK: The Class Divide. This research details how educational access and attainment are heavily influenced by social class, with privately educated students outperforming their state-educated counterparts in career progression.
Social Mobility Commission (2021). State of the Nation: Social Mobility and the Pandemic. This report examines how the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated class-based inequalities in education and the workplace, impacting access to opportunities for lower-income families.
Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) (2022). Higher Education Student Statistics: UK 2022/23. HESA provides detailed statistics on the participation rates of minority ethnic students in higher education and their subsequent employment outcomes, shedding light on the systemic barriers these groups face in the UK educational system.
CBI (Confederation of British Industry) (2023). Education and Skills Survey 2023. This report discusses the skills gap in the UK and the mismatch between education systems and labour market needs. It highlights the importance of non-degree qualifications and lifelong learning opportunities for workplace equity.
Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) (2022). Unconscious Bias Training: no such thing as a quick fix. This guide discusses how unconscious biases, particularly around educational qualifications and institutions, can influence recruitment, promotion, and representation within UK organisations.
The Resolution Foundation (2021). Low Pay Britain. This report explores the intersection of educational attainment, social class, and wage disparity in the UK labour market, providing insight into how educational background impacts long-term financial outcomes.
Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) (2022). Inequalities in Education and Access to Higher Education. This report outlines the persistent gaps in educational outcomes across different demographic groups, including the impact of socioeconomic status on access to elite institutions.
The Guardian (2023). Class Pay Gap: How Education and Social Background Affect Career Trajectories. This article reviews recent findings on how social background and education continue to influence pay and career progression in UK industries, particularly within professional sectors.