22 M C K I N S EY Q UA RT E R LY - - - - I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y O R I A N A F E N W I C K R e : think : The Business Case for Social Mobility B Y F E R R Y G R I J P I N K From the earliest moments of my con sulting career, I experienced firsthand the significant role that subtle class markers and unspoken cultural codes can play in determin ing professional success. At one of my first work dinners, a senior member of the team asked me about my tastes in wine and poetry. As the work ing-class son of two hairdressers—and the first in my family to attend college—my knowledge of fine vintages and literature was sparse, to say the least. My best attempts to deflect the unwanted attention with humor by citing a Dutch nursery rhyme went over well enough. But there was no denying that I stood out: I came from an entirely different social and economic background than most of my new colleagues. With the help of many mentors and peers, I was able to overcome such hurdles (which are often invisible to those who don’t face them). But millions more aren’t nearly as fortunate. This is increasingly the case in Europe, where long-standing progress in expanding socioeco nomic mobility has stalled in recent years. Our research shows that more than a third of the continent’s population now fares significantly worse on academic achievement, employment, and career progress than their counterparts from higher socioeconomic backgrounds (SEBs). The differences in outcomes are stark: Individuals from low SEBs are almost three times as likely to Outlook M C K I N S EY Q UA RT E R LY