My D&I Journey: Social Mobility at Fidelity

I grew up in a low-income family on a housing estate in West Yorkshire. I was massively unaware of the roles that existed outside of my bubble. University was never an aspiration for me and, given my surroundings, was never discussed properly with me. I haven’t always found it easy to navigate the business world and sometimes felt that I wasn’t part of the in-crowd, or that I didn’t know the secret codes and handshakes that open certain doors.

Having made steady progress in my career, I am passionate about helping others from lower socio-economic backgrounds access the same opportunities that I have had. It’s important to me is that people feel included and celebrated because of who they are, and that they can bring their truest self to work. This enables us to include the widest range of views and experiences in our output, which is more representative of the communities we serve and operate in, which will bring us stronger results.

My biggest surprise about working at Fidelity was how openly diversity and inclusion is spoken about, and the level of support it has throughout the organisation. It was incredibly encouraging to be able to share my story almost immediately after joining the business. Fidelity supports its people by raising awareness of diversity in the workplace, educating people on different experiences to their own, developing networks to advocate for under-represented groups, and making services available that can support our wellbeing.

I am working hard on our social mobility strategy, to ensure people, like me, are identified in our talent search and they have access to mentors and sponsors who can help them make the most of their talent. Having key people believe in me has always been present whenever I have had the confidence to take steps forward in my career. Whilst at times I have felt ambitious with what I want to achieve, it has only been with the right mentors that I have been confident enough to act, to seek out challenges or apply for promotions.