The Diversity Career Podcast with Fexingo: Inclusion, Equity, and Underrepresented Professionals

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how a midwestern electric utility, Northern Plains Power, created a career pathway for Native American employees through a partnership with tribal colleges. The program, launched in 2023, offers paid internships, mentorship, and tuition reimbursement to students from the Standing Rock and Cheyenne River Sioux tribes. Over three years, the utility has hired 2...

Lucas and Luna explore how one manufacturing company in the Midwest created a structured career ladder for refugee employees, pairing English-language learning with on-the-job skills training. They examine the specific program design, the role of a local nonprofit, and the retention outcomes that followed. The hosts also discuss why this model could work in other industries facing labor shortages,...

In this episode of The Diversity Career Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore how a major food processing company, Fresh Harvest Foods, created a career ladder for its immigrant workforce. By partnering with a local nonprofit to offer English language classes on-site and a mentorship program pairing entry-level workers with supervisors, the company saw a 40% increase in internal promotions among immigra...

Episode 79 of The Diversity Career Podcast explores how a mid-sized logistics company created a structured career pathway for military veterans. Lucas and Luna break down the specific program design, including a 12-week onboarding that translates military skills into civilian job classifications, mentorship pairing with veteran employees, and a guaranteed interview for veterans who complete an int...

Episode 78 of The Diversity Career Podcast explores how one law firm created a part-time partner track to retain high-performing attorneys who needed reduced hours as parents or caregivers. Lucas and Luna break down the policy's specifics: how the firm calculated billable hour requirements proportionally, kept attorneys on the equity partnership track, and avoided the 'mommy track' stigma. They di...

Lucas and Luna explore how a mid-sized professional services firm introduced a fertility benefit that became an unexpected retention lever. They dive into the numbers: a 22% reduction in turnover among women aged 30-40 within two years, and a 3-to-1 return on investment through reduced recruiting costs. The episode examines the program's design—covering IVF, egg freezing, and adoption—and why the...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how a midsize retailer, GreenLeaf Market, built a structured career path for its part-time workforce. With 70% of its employees working part-time, GreenLeaf faced high turnover and low engagement. Instead of treating part-time roles as dead ends, the company introduced a 'Career Ladder' program: clear milestones, paid training hours, and promotion pathways t...

Episode 75 of The Diversity Career Podcast. Lucas and Luna explore how one consulting firm — a mid-tier strategy consultancy with about 2,000 employees — tackled the persistent attrition of Black women by launching a formal sponsorship program. Unlike mentorship, sponsorship involves senior leaders actively advocating for promotions, high-visibility assignments, and pay equity. The firm paired eve...

Episode 74 of The Diversity Career Podcast explores an innovative approach to retaining working parents: a bridge program that keeps lawyers connected to the firm during parental leave. Lucas and Luna examine how one mid-sized law firm in Chicago piloted a system where employees on leave receive monthly check-ins, optional project updates, and a dedicated mentor to ease the transition back. They d...

Episode 73 of The Diversity Career Podcast explores how a major logistics company—UniGlobal—built a career ladder for its gig workers, turning temporary delivery drivers and warehouse staff into full-time employees with benefits and advancement paths. Lucas and Luna break down the specific program: after 500 deliveries or 1,000 hours worked, gig workers qualify for a review; those who meet perform...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how a mid-sized tech company called PivotPath uses an AI-driven hiring platform to strip out demographic identifiers from resumes and assess candidates based solely on skills. They dive into the specifics: the company saw a 40% increase in diverse hires within 18 months, but also faced pushback from hiring managers who felt the algorithm overlooked 'cultural...

Millions of restaurant workers have transferable skills—customer service, speed under pressure, cash handling—but rarely get a look from corporate employers. Lucas and Luna examine how one regional bank, Commerce Bancshares, designed a two-year paid apprenticeship for former restaurant staff, converting them into tellers, loan processors, and branch managers. The program includes paid classroom tr...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how one major hotel chain, Marriott International, implemented a language access program for its frontline housekeeping and maintenance staff. Through partnerships with language-learning apps and on-site classes, the company helped over 2,000 employees improve their English proficiency, leading to promotions, higher wages, and a more inclusive workplace. The...

Episode 69 of The Diversity Career Podcast explores how a mid-sized tech company redesigned its workplace to support neurodivergent employees. Lucas and Luna examine a specific program that offered flexible work hours, noise-canceling headphones, and written communication options instead of impromptu meetings. The hosts discuss the company's partnership with a neurodiversity consulting firm, the t...

Episode 68 explores how one Fortune 500 company turned caregiver leave from a retention risk into a promotion pipeline. Lucas and Luna break down the specific policy changes — 16 weeks paid leave for any caregiving need, a return-to-work coaching program, and a sponsorship guarantee — and the data that followed: a 40 percent increase in women promoted to management within two years of taking leave...

Episode 67 of The Diversity Career Podcast explores how one multinational professional services firm, Ernst & Young (EY), partnered with disability advocacy organizations to create an apprenticeship program specifically for candidates on the autism spectrum. Launched in 2016 in the US and expanded globally, the program has hired over 200 neurodivergent professionals into technology, data analytics...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how a UK-based professional services firm created a comprehensive menopause policy that includes flexible work arrangements, temperature-controlled spaces, and paid leave for symptoms. They discuss the business case for such policies, the surprising lack of coverage in most employee benefits, and how this move is attracting and retaining experienced women in...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how a midsize logistics company called Pivot Logistics created a structured career ladder for formerly incarcerated individuals. They dive into the specifics: the company partnered with a nonprofit called Second Chance Works to design a 12-week onboarding program, paired each new hire with a peer mentor, and built clear advancement paths from warehouse assoc...

In this episode of The Diversity Career Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore reverse mentoring, a practice where junior employees mentor senior leaders on topics like culture and inclusion. They examine a real case: a global consulting firm that paired every managing director with an early-career mentor from an underrepresented background. The hosts discuss how the program shifted perspectives, sparked...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how one regional bank designed a career ladder specifically for employees with caregiving responsibilities. They look at the concrete policies behind the program, including flexible scheduling, a 'caregiver leave bank,' and a mentorship track that keeps part-time workers on the promotion path. The hosts discuss why caregiving disproportionately affects women...

Episode 62 of The Diversity Career Podcast with Fexingo: Lucas and Luna examine how one U.S. hospital system created a paid on-the-job training bridge program for internationally trained nurses who lacked U.S. licensure. They walk through the specific barriers these nurses faced — from credential evaluation fees to clinical hours requirements — and how the hospital partnered with a local community...

In this episode of The Diversity Career Podcast with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna explore how one German tech company, SAP, partnered with the Tent Foundation to launch a skills passport program for refugees. The program identifies transferable skills from refugees' home-country experience and matches them to open roles without requiring German-language fluency or credential evaluation. Lucas breaks do...

In this episode of The Diversity Career Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore how one major employer — the global consumer goods company Unilever — eliminated salary history questions from its hiring process and instead set compensation based on role, market data, and demonstrated skills. They walk through the policy change Unilever announced in 2021, how it affected offer negotiations, and the early da...

Episode 59 of The Diversity Career Podcast with Fexingo looks at how one midsize utility company, Midwest Power & Light, tackled a stubborn problem: women make up less than 3% of its lineworker and technician workforce. Instead of waiting for applicants, the company partnered with a community college to create a pre-apprenticeship program that pays participants a stipend while they train. Lucas an...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how one media company partnered with a nonprofit to hire blind and visually impaired candidates for audio production and podcast editing roles. They discuss the specific accommodations made, the impact on the team's culture, and the surprising productivity gains the company reported. Lucas shares how the program started with a single internship and expanded...