Most of us, at some point in our careers, may feel that we are taking part in the workplace equivalent of Squid Game. In the global smash-hit Korean television drama, hundreds of economically desperate contestants struggle to compete in a deadly game in which their chances of winning are virtually zero. The theme, that these poor people have no other possibilities in life, has resonated widely.

Often, it can seem that the entire Game of Life is rigged, with the dice loaded against us and the card deck stacked in favour of others. That sense of the odds always favouring ‘the house’ is particularly true for those of us who come from less privileged backgrounds.

If we’re Black, if we grew up in poverty, if we’re from single parent families or have a disability, then our chances of being dealt a winning hand are greatly reduced. Even the fact of being female makes us less likely to be holding the cards that we need.

Of course, your chances in the Game of Life – of achieving your potential – should be about your skill, your talent, and your hard work. It shouldn’t come down to a matter of luck about whether life dealt you aces or twos. However, the harsh truth is that the Game of Life isn’t fair, and some will find it harder to win than others.

According to the Social Mobility Foundation, to give just one example of unfairness among many, a low ability child from a high-income family is 35% more likely to be a high earner than a high ability child from a low-income family.

The questions that arise then, are: do we just accept this unfairness? And, if not, what do we do about it?

These are the questions that we at Phoenix spend a lot of time thinking about. As the largest long-term savings and retirement business in the UK, with 13 million customers, our purpose is "enabling people to enjoy a life of possibilities”. So our answers matter – a great deal.

We’ve looked hard at how we can positively influence the outcome of the Game of Life for the benefit of our customers, our colleagues and our communities. That’s not cheating. It’s a case of helping everyone make the most of the cards they’ve been dealt.

Thinking about these three 'C's – customers, colleagues and communities – has prompted us to fundamentally re-examine not just what we do, but how, where, and with whom we do it. Our over-arching aim in all this is to ensure that everyone gets every possible advantage in the Game of Life.

In the case of our customers, that means we focus on those in vulnerable situations, on those who may struggle to understand or access their investments, who may need support in making the best choices and who may be more vulnerable to scams. We seek to improve their odds by investing in financial education, promoting financial inclusion and focusing on their broad financial wellbeing - to help all our customers enjoy a life of possibilities.

Our community work starts early with support for pupils in primary schools and extends to championing volunteering in our local areas and work with charities at a national level. All of this aims to help make that positive difference. Currently we work with the Samaritans who give vital help and comfort to people who are struggling to see their own life of possibilities. Meanwhile, our investments in social housing and sustainable finance projects are designed to help build a future that people can look forward to.

Finally, for our colleagues, it means creating an empowering environment where everyone can do their best work. It doesn't stop at your induction or your first promotion: we invest continually in our people at all points in their careers.

We know that in the Game of Life, there are occasions when you have to decide whether to stick or twist. It’s not always a case of trying to claim the pot. Some parents, for example, experience their career trajectory as a series of peaks and plateaus. An early peak may be followed by a plateau as parenting demands take precedence for a while; this doesn’t denote a lack of ambition of potential, just a choice of prioritisation. As an employer, we are committed to investing in, and unlocking potential, by continuously recruiting, retaining and training. That way everyone has the chance to receive a strong hand of cards at work.

Our focus on colleagues is as much about those who want to work with us as those who already do. Close relationships with job centres allow us to seek out people with potential who may want a little more polish. Our work with the Kickstarter programme has enabled us to offer young people opportunities and roles with us that would not otherwise exist.

Phoenix Group’s graduate programme has a particular focus on talent across universities that are often outside the prestigious 24 members of the Russell Group. Our commitment as a disability confident employer underlies our desire to enable people, currently excluded by social barriers, to succeed in the workplace.

This is complemented by our returners programme, which is open to all who want to re-enter the workplace. Our apprenticeships are utilised by both new recruits and people seeking to expand their skills whilst at work. At Phoenix, we ensure that our people have equal opportunities to progress wherever they are in their careers.

Despite all this activity, we do not pretend that we are perfect: far from it. But our actions reflect our keen awareness of the impact of the luck of the draw in the Game of Life and our attempts to level the odds for all the players.

Early in 2021 we were delighted to be part the Advisory Board set up by Baroness Ruby McGregor Smith for her 'In Work Career Progression Commission'. Andy Briggs, our Group CEO – and the Government Business Champion for Older Workers – has a passionate interest in, and deep insight into, enabling people to progress based on attitude not age.

As longevity increases and the retirement age gets later, it is inevitable that people will be able to access, and benefit from, good work for longer.  A war for talent is currently raging in the UK which is generating an increasing desire to improve diversity equality and inclusion in the workplace. It is an ideal time for businesses to focus on improving in-work career progression to help retain and develop talent that may be latent in the organisation.

At Phoenix we believe we have an ace up our sleeve: our desire to recruit, retain and train people with potential and passion, who share our belief in helping people to enjoy a life of possibilities.

It makes sense to enable anyone, and everyone, to progress and achieve their potential. That's not the case at the moment; we know it's not. And it's not good enough.

It's not good enough for the economy, it's not good enough for business and it's not good enough for the people we live alongside.

When businesses get better at shuffling the deck and dealing a fairer hand of cards to everyone, we will all win – as a nation, as a society and as individuals.

So, with all due respect to Squid Game, it is possible to change the rules so that in the Game of Life, everyone can be a winner. We just need to work together; that way everyone can achieve a life of possibilities.