After polling 2,000 UK respondents, researchers for Zurich UK found that half (53%) agree that workplaces are filled with “unspoken social rules” while one in five (21%) admit to not feeling like they belonged.
Among those who reported having experienced discrimination, 24% reported being told that they were not the right “culture fit”, and 23% indicated that they were judged on their communication style.
Similarly, one in seven reported being told that they were not “polished enough” for a role.
This research lays bare invisible barriers that many from lower socioeconomic backgrounds will recognise, Victoria Howard, senior social mobility inclusion manager at law firm Browne Jacobson, told HR magazine.
Howard said: “‘Unspoken social rules’ governing how to act and communicate, identified by more than half of those surveyed, signal to those whose background doesn't match the dominant culture that the space wasn’t designed to include them.”
Rachel Baker, head of people strategy at Zurich UK, explained to HR magazine: “The unwritten rules identified in the research can be invisible codes that many people learn by osmosis: how to behave in an assessment centre, what to wear, how to speak in meetings, how to network, even understanding what a corporate job actually involves.
“If no one in your family has ever worked in an office, you’re starting at a disadvantage before you even apply. For some candidates, not knowing these rules is misread as a lack of ‘fit’ or professionalism, when in reality it’s about exposure and opportunity. That is where class bias creeps in.”
Speaking to HR magazine, Carl Cullinane, director of research and policy at social mobility charity the Sutton Trust, advised HR leaders that preventing class bias in recruiting begins with gathering data on the socioeconomic background of an organisation’s workforce.
Cullinane said: “We’ve called for employers to make a number of changes to prevent class bias in recruiting, including looking at a wider pool of universities and qualifications, ensuring recruitment is open and transparent, and using contextual recruitment tools when considering an applicant’s achievements.
“It’s also really important for companies to measure the socioeconomic background of their workforce so that they can see gaps in applications, hires, progression and retention, and set targets to improve.”
Mentoring programmes are key in creating a more inclusive culture, Natasha Khan, COO of social mobility charity Creative Mentor Network, told HR magazine.
"To address class bias, HR teams need to shift their thinking from simply avoiding bias to actively promoting class diversity, and understand the value that hiring for culture, rather than culture fit, brings to their teams,” Khan said.
“[Mentoring programmes] train staff not only to build a more inclusive culture and support diverse employees, but to recognise the value that inclusion brings and see candidates’ potential first-hand outside of the traditional interview process.”
Howard added: “HR teams play a key role in embedding measures that level the playing field through structured interviewing, diverse hiring panels and bias training that goes beyond tick-box exercises.”
Zurich UK commissioned OnePoll to survey 2,000 nationally representative UK working adults between 2 and 9 December 2025.
To read original article click here