Class may seem like one of those issues that has been consigned to the dustbin of history, yet its presence continues to undermine fairness and social mobility.  For instance, research from the American Psychological Association highlights that people of higher social class tend to have an exaggerated belief in their abilities, especially compared to their lower-class peers.  What’s more, this over-confidence often allows them to bluff their way into positions of power.

“Advantages beget advantages. Those who are born in upper-class echelons are likely to remain in the upper class, and high-earning entrepreneurs disproportionately originate from highly educated, well-to-do families,” the researchers explain. “Our research suggests that social class shapes the attitudes that people hold about their abilities and that, in turn, has important implications for how class hierarchies perpetuate from one generation to the next.”

Different kinds of degrees

A new study from University College London even suggests that we benefit differently from the same degree depending on our socio-economic class.  Not only are elite universities not as accessible to disadvantaged students as they might be, but there is also often insufficient support offered to such students as they transition into graduate jobs.

The research explores the career trajectories of degree holders throughout their life and examines how these differ depending on the social origins of each student.  The researchers gathered data from the 1970 British Cohort Study, and the results show that graduates from lower social classes tend to have more diverse and less stable career paths than their peers.

What’s more, graduates from these backgrounds were also less likely to enter the most prestigious jobs in their 20s, with graduates more likely to remain in the lower social classes throughout their careers.

“Employment inequalities among graduates show that not only does the final destination matter, but also the timing and sequencing of different activities within the career paths,” the researchers say.

Later start

The researchers believe that the relatively late age at which less advantaged students begin their career is perhaps a contributory factor, with these older graduates more likely to enter the workforce in non-graduate jobs.

It”s a finding the researchers believe highlights the importance of helping students from poorer backgrounds enter university at an earlier age, especially if they can be helped to attend research-intensive universities.

“There are clear social inequalities in labor market outcomes among graduates and this already uneven playing field is likely to get worse because of growing job uncertainty,” the researchers say.

Class diversity matters

This matters for employers, as research from the University of Virginia Darden School of Business highlights the impact of class diversity on the workplace.

The study focused particular attention on what the authors refer to as ‘social class transitioners’, who are people that have managed to progress between socioeconomic classes during their life, and it emerged that those who were able to do that brought particular value to the workplace.

“People who transition between classes can learn to relate to people in a more skilled way, and they are incredibly helpful in groups, as they can understand people from all walks of life,” the researchers say. “However, it can also be an exhausting and even isolating experience for that person.”

The authors argue that people who move into a different social class acquire new skills and tools to enable them to adapt to their new environments, whilst also developing the ability to relate to people from various classes and backgrounds.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, this is especially pronounced among those who have made the largest transitions.  When analyzing the data, these individuals were found to be most culturally savvy having acquired numerous invaluable tools as they moved through the social classes.

Whilst the scale of movement was important, so too was the direction.  For instance, those who moved up the social classes were found to be much more likely to expand their cultural toolkit, whereas those who went the other way were found to be much less likely to do so.

Being such an individual is far from easy however, and the authors urge managers to give them support.  They believe that being able to understand people from various walks of life can be hugely important, yet also hugely exhausting.  What’s more, it can even isolate them socially.

When combined, these negative outcomes can prompt many transitioners to hold back from exercising their unique skills.  The researchers hope that by drawing attention to the attributes of the people who have managed to climb the social ladder, it will prompt companies to appreciate and support these individuals more.

“Elite companies tend to hire people from privileged backgrounds, whether they mean to or not, and I hope this might shed light on how that could negatively affect performance,” they conclude.