Professor of Human Resource Management
Professor Mark Williams has worked with various government departments and has been cited in policy documents and House of Commons debates.
For his DPhil (PhD), Mark researched the changing structure of earnings in the UK, particularly delving into pay inequality and why it has escalated significantly. His research examined the types of jobs people engage in to better understand the reasons behind pay inequality; he found that a person’s socio-economic class is increasingly becoming a strong predictor of earnings over time.
Mark has leveraged these findings into various policy engagement activities, which are outlined below.
Project 1 – Census 2021 Mark became involved with the Office of National Statistics (ONS) through his research on socio-economic class and its inclusion in the 2021 Census. He contributed to the Steering Group developing and updating the socio-economic classification to be used in the Census. This classification is widely-used to collect data to monitor socio-economic diversity (though parental class) within the public and private sectors and by the UK government to track social mobility. Project 2 – Social Mobility Commission, Cabinet Office Mark recently became an Expert Advisor to the Social Mobility Commission within the Cabinet Office. His advisory duties involve addressing issues related to surveys research, including measurement and data collection methodologies. He emphasises the importance of clearly defined concepts and valid measurement approaches, particularly in assessing socio-economic background. Project 3 – Government Statistical Service and Statistician Group Organisations collecting socio-economic data require a more streamlined approach to understanding job applicants' backgrounds, but it can be difficult to efficiently capture and code individuals' occupations. In addition to the Census work with the ONS, Mark also worked with the Government Statistical Service and Statistician Group to harmonise and devise simplified methods for measuring socio-economic background.
Many of Mark’s connections arose through a blend of direct outreach and institutional initiatives, particularly around the Census, where the government reached out to academic experts. The partnership with the Social Mobility Commission, however, materialised through his Faculty’s Senior Research Partnerships Manager contacting him about openings for advisory positions with the Social Mobility Commission.
Aligning his research to potential impact opportunities and policy needs led Mark to have better outcomes than if he had conducted his research in isolation. It was extremely satisfying when his engagement efforts perfectly aligned with his research objectives.
Mark received funding from various sources throughout the years. His project partners have included the ONS, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), and the Department for Business and Trade.
Mark encountered several challenges in his policy engagement work. One significant issue was the frequent turnover of Civil Servants within departments. People often moved to other positions or departments, disrupting ongoing projects and collaborations. This dynamic required him to consistently be the driving force behind initiatives, which could be exhausting. Additionally, he faced the challenge of knowing when to draw the line between genuine engagement and avoiding exploitation, as he did not want to provide free labour for projects with unclear or limited impact.
This case study was supported by Audrey Tan (Policy Partnerships Manager, Mile End Institute) and Maja Wawrzynowicz (Policy Associate, Mile End Institute). If you’re interested in learning more about how you can build policy engagement into your own work, check out the Queen Mary Policy Hub’s Learning Resources and Policy Engagement How-To Guides.