23 Q UA RT E R _ 0 2 _ 2 0 2 6 - - - - - - - - » work in low-skill positions as similarly educated individuals from high SEBs. As damaging as it is for individuals on the los ing end of the socioeconomic lottery, this lack of social mobility is an equally critical challenge for Europe’s future. Economic growth is lagging, the population is aging, and industries can’t find suf ficiently skilled talent. Turning the tide on social mobility could fuel much-needed productivity growth, helping to boost consumer spending, improve skills matching and workforce participa tion, and lower healthcare costs and disparities. In the process, we estimate it could increase Europe’s GDP by as much as 9 percent. Our research suggests that “first-generation professionals” from lower SEBs make great employees. They tend to be very motivated and loyal, they’ve frequently been underutilized, and they’re often ambitious. Our survey shows that employees from disadvantaged backgrounds are 20 percent more likely to aspire to leadership posi tions than their higher-SEB peers. Previous research has also shown that diversity helps senior-leadership teams make better decisions. But socioeconomic diversity has been lacking in parts of corporate Europe. In France, half of the CEOs atop the 12O largest public companies are alumni of just four exclusive edu cational institutions. In the United Kingdom, a similar share of FTSE 350 CEOs attended prestigious “independent” schools. If fixing this issue could improve outcomes on three fronts—for individuals, society, and employers—why hasn’t more progress been made on it? For starters, social mobility is difficult to measure. There is no single, perfect metric, and employers rarely collect varied socioeconomic data about their workers. Socioeconomic sta tus can also be highly relative, at times invisible, and often a delicate or even taboo subject that most managers would rather not explore. Most companies’ current efforts to address social mobility tend to focus more on recruitment than on retention and advancement. Expanding the use of paid internship programs and data analytics tools can help businesses connect with the vast reservoir of untapped, lower-SEB talent. And initiatives such as carefully crafted mentorship, sponsorship, and training programs, as well as inclusive, targeted career progression, can make an even greater difference in seizing the social-mobility opportunity. ‘Turning the tide on social mobility could fuel much-needed productivity growth, helping to boost consumer spending, improve workforce participation, and lower healthcare costs.’ Roughly half of lower-SEB employees say they would consider leaving their jobs for a workplace that is more socioeconomically inclusive. Organi zations could benefit from bringing in employees with varied, valuable perspectives born of their more challenging backgrounds. Given my upbringing, for instance, I feel that I do have a slightly greater appreciation and empathy for those who encounter obstacles, and a heightened ability to connect with outsiders or those from groups with lower representation. What’s more, I have a sense of the on-the-ground realities of businesses and employees—instilled in me from an early age by my blue-collar parents—that can augment the view from the top that many exec utives are more accustomed to. Those kinds of skills, regardless of upbringing or education, can be hugely valuable additions to any workplace. Ferry Grijpink is a partner in McKinsey’s Amsterdam office.