Guest Blog: Addressing Social Class Diversity in the Workplace

By Noreen Quadir

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is a business imperative for all organizations that want to remain relevant, viable, and competitive in the modern market. Yet when we think about diversity and inclusion, what often springs to mind is people of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, gender identities, or sexualities. What’s often overlooked, especially in America, is social class or socioeconomic origin.

Certainly, social class can be an uncomfortable subject, but effective DEI work requires that we get comfortable with uncomfortable topics and seek to understand the ways that social class can and does impact the workplace. What’s clear from research is that employees from lower social class origins tend to carry certain traits and strengths that are of great value in leadership.

Unfortunately, many of these employees are excluded from advancements and promotions or face discrimination in hiring and recruitment, seemingly because of unconscious bias triggered by cultural differences. In other common cases, these employees report feeling treated unfairly or underappreciated compared to their colleagues and, therefore, decide to leave their jobs and find new ones. This turnover can be costly and frustrating and robs your organization of the diversity of thought that comes along with social class diversity.

In fact, workers from lower social class origins are more likely to be humble, empathetic, growth-minded, and open to change. Research also shows that a lack of privilege — often correlated with lower social class origins — leads people to be less self-centered and more willing to acknowledge and learn from mistakes. These characteristics provide tremendous value and effectiveness as a leader.