AO.com, and its charismatic founder John Roberts, are committed to doing what they can to promote social mobility and get young people into an area where businesses are still hiring: digital

Social mobility is a topic close to the heart of retail entrepreneur John Roberts, so it is no surprise that AO.com, the electricals etailer he founded, is committed to helping young people from disadvantaged backgrounds find employment.

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Roberts, who also chairs OnSide Youth Zone – a charity providing young people with safe, affordable and inspiring places to go in their leisure time, believes all retailers have a responsibility to do the same.

“Talent is very evenly distributed and opportunity is not – that’s something I say a lot – and those people who have opportunity are often unaware of how unfair society is and how a lot of people just don’t have that opportunity. I find that simply talking about these things and creating awareness is a great first step,” he says.

Roberts’ commitment goes beyond simply hiring from within disadvantaged communities.

As an online retailer that is benefiting from the surge in digital demand during the pandemic – UK sales surged 54% in the six months to September 30 – not only is AO still hiring but it is well placed to help young people get on the first rung of the digital jobs ladder, an area where the market is likely to remain resilient.

AO is one of the founding partners of Fast Futures, a mentoring programme designed to increase employability for 18-22-year-olds and promote social mobility at this critical time when many young people may be struggling to find their feet in a jobs market impacted by Covid-19.

Mentors from across AO help equip young people with the skills they need to secure jobs in the digital sector. They give mentees virtual site visits and conduct mock interviews to prepare them for their first job.

Roberts says engaging AO’s people has been pivotal to its efforts to promote social mobility.

“I have a philosophy that everybody has something that they can give, whether that is time, experience,  skills, money – how can you create an opportunity for somebody and help to level that playing field? Who have you taken under your wing? Who could you inspire?

John Roberts AO 2020

AO founder John Roberts

“We try and inspire as many of our people as we can to get involved in things like mentoring programmes. Our people give thousands of hours of their time to do that kind of thing. 

“I always say that the mentor gets at least as much as the mentee out of those processes. Giving of yourself and giving of your time is the most wonderful gift. A lot of people often don’t realise what they have and the experiences they have. You don’t have to be the chief executive to share those things.”

As Roberts says, giving back goes beyond the mentor scheme. AO has its own charity, The Smile Foundation, which aims to improve the lives of children and young people. Hundreds of its staff donate a portion of their salary to local charities and the foundation also offers fundraising boosts to employees raising money for causes close to their hearts. 

The commitment of not just AO but its workers to make a difference and give time and money to disadvantaged communities is no surprise. It is embedded into the company culture, what it calls ‘the AO Way’. This phrase is meant to encapsulate that people are what makes the business special and they are committed to caring more and going further to help people, be that fixing customer problems or helping young people from disadvantaged backgrounds progress and develop careers.

The etailer is a shining example to the rest of retail and the AO Way may be the path to follow.

Get involved in No Limits

If you are a senior retail leader and want to get involved in the No Limits campaign, or if you are a retail employee with an inspirational story of how the sector has changed your life for the better, contact Retail Week editor Luke Tugby on luke.tugby@retail-week.com

Join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #RWNoLimits.