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

Episode 57 of The Diversity Career Podcast examines how one mid-sized tech firm, DataNova, implemented blind auditions for all internal promotions above the individual contributor level. Lucas and Luna walk through the process: candidates submit a work sample and recorded presentation, stripped of names, tenure, and demographic markers, then scored by a rotating panel. Early results show a 34% inc...

Episode 56 of The Diversity Career Podcast explores how one large retailer removed the four-year degree requirement for all management positions, opening career paths for underrepresented professionals. Lucas and Luna discuss the company's decision in 2024 to drop degree filters for over 50,000 roles, the skills-based assessment they replaced it with, and early data showing that 45% of new manager...

In this episode of The Diversity Career Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore how one company, a mid-sized logistics firm called TransCorp Solutions, created a structured career pathway for formerly incarcerated individuals. Starting from a pilot program in 2023, TransCorp partnered with a nonprofit, the Second Chance Institute, to hire and train people leaving the justice system. The program includes m...

Episode 54 of The Diversity Career Podcast examines how a top-tier consulting firm created a structured fellowship program that translates military experience into corporate career pathways. Lucas and Luna break down the specific design elements: a 12-week paid rotation instead of a traditional interview, mentorship pairings with senior partners, and a transparent skills-mapping framework that map...

In this episode of The Diversity Career Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore how a major professional services firm — Deloitte — built a structured career development program specifically for first-generation college graduates. They unpack the data behind the initiative: employees from first-generation backgrounds are 30 percent more likely to leave within the first two years than peers with college-ed...

Episode 52 of The Diversity Career Podcast explores how a mid-sized tech company in Austin, Texas, eliminated unpaid internships by paying all interns a living wage of $25 per hour. Hosts Lucas and Luna break down the company's decision, the financial impact, and the long-term benefits for diversity and retention. They discuss the specific numbers: the $1.2 million annual cost, the 40% increase in...

Episode 51 of The Diversity Career Podcast explores how a large tech firm overhauled its performance review system using AI to reduce bias. Lucas and Luna discuss the specific case of a company that implemented natural language processing to flag biased language like 'aggressive' vs 'assertive' and 'bossy' vs 'confident' in manager feedback. They share data on how this led to more equitable rating...

In Episode 50 of The Diversity Career Podcast, Lucas and Luna examine how grocery chain Giant Eagle partnered with the nonprofit Operation Better Start to create a structured career pathway for formerly incarcerated individuals. They discuss the specifics of the program, which starts with a 12-week paid transitional role and leads to full-time employment with benefits, training, and promotion oppo...

Episode 49 of The Diversity Career Podcast examines how the law firm Hogan Lovells designed a maternity return-to-work coaching program to support women after parental leave. Lucas and Luna break down the specifics: the firm partnered with an external coach for each returning attorney, provided 10 sessions over six months, and focused on rebuilding confidence and strategic visibility. They discuss...

Episode 48 of The Diversity Career Podcast explores how one large consumer goods company—let's call it 'Vertex Goods'—eliminated the four-year degree requirement for all roles in its supply chain division, a move that opened opportunities for thousands of underrepresented candidates. Lucas and Luna break down the specific steps Vertex took: rewiring the applicant tracking system, training recruite...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how a mid-sized engineering firm, Apex Engineering, created a structured career progression path specifically for neurodivergent employees. The company partnered with a nonprofit to redesign performance reviews, job ladders, and mentorship programs to accommodate different cognitive styles. Lucas breaks down the key elements: a 'skills matrix' that values ou...

On this episode of The Diversity Career Podcast, Lucas and Luna dive into how one company—SAP—built a structured career ladder for neurodivergent talent through its Autism at Work program. Launched in 2013, the program has hired over 200 people on the autism spectrum across 13 countries, with a retention rate above 90 percent. Lucas explains how SAP redesigned interview processes, provided ongoing...

Episode 45 of The Diversity Career Podcast with Fexingo. Most diversity hiring programs focus on getting people in the door — but what happens after that? Lucas and Luna examine how one midsize tech firm, CyberDrain Systems, created a structured career progression framework specifically for neurodivergent employees. The company partnered with a nonprofit to map technical roles into clear, sensory-...

Ep 44 of The Diversity Career Podcast with Fexingo. Lucas and Luna dive into a single law firm's move to make flexible work a permanent option for every employee, not just senior associates. They break down how Husch Blackwell's 2022 policy shift went from pandemic stopgap to structural change: the five core flexibility models, the data on retention and promotions, and why the biggest barrier was...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how one company—a mid-sized tech firm called PivotWorks—redesigned its parental leave policy to be fully gender neutral. Instead of separate maternity and paternity leave, they created a single 20-week paid leave for all new parents, regardless of gender or how they became parents. The hosts dig into the specific design choices: why the company avoided the t...

Episode 42 of The Diversity Career Podcast: Lucas and Luna examine how a mid-sized tech company called EquiPay Solutions used radical salary transparency to shrink its gender and race pay gap from 12% to under 2% in 18 months. They break down the three-part system: public pay bands for every role, a no-negotiation starting salary based on experience tier, and annual pay equity audits shared with a...

Episode 41 of The Diversity Career Podcast explores how a mid-sized tech firm, CloudBridge Systems, implemented a paid caregiver support program — covering elder care, child care for sick kids, and backup care — to stem the disproportionate turnover of women and underrepresented employees. Lucas and Luna dive into the specific costs ($200 per employee per year), the 30% reduction in unplanned abse...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore a mid-sized financial services firm, Meridian Capital, that launched a structured return-to-work program specifically for employees who had taken extended career breaks for caregiving. The program offers a 12-week phased return with reduced hours, full benefits, and a dedicated mentor. We discuss the program's design, its impact on retaining experienced wome...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how a major tech firm redesigned its internship program to be genuinely inclusive of neurodivergent candidates. They break down the specific changes the company made — from replacing the unstructured group interview with a skills-based assessment to providing a mentor trained in neurodiversity support from day one. The result: a 40% increase in neurodivergen...

Episode 38 of The Diversity Career Podcast: Lucas and Luna examine Vanguard's decision to include gender-affirming surgery and transition-related care in its health plans since 2015. They break down the specific coverage (hormone therapy, mental health support, surgery), the business case Vanguard used internally (talent retention, reduced turnover costs), and the ripple effect on other large empl...

Lucas and Luna explore how one mid-size accounting firm—Bennett Advisors—funded a child care subsidy program that cut turnover among working mothers by 40 percent in two years. They break down the program's structure: a flat $500 monthly subsidy per child under age six, funded by reallocating 5 percent of the partner bonus pool. Lucas cites the firm's retention data: before the program, annual tur...

In this episode of The Diversity Career Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore how a mid-sized tech firm called WorkBetter designed a job-sharing program that allowed two part-time employees to split one full-time role—and kept both on track for promotion. We dig into the specific mechanics: how they split responsibilities, handled performance reviews, and avoided the 'two half-employees' trap. The progr...

Episode 35 of The Diversity Career Podcast explores how one large professional services firm turned its return-to-work program into a genuine second-chance pipeline for professionals who took extended career breaks — especially women and underrepresented groups re-entering after caregiving, health issues, or layoffs. Lucas and Luna unpack the specific design choices that made the program successfu...

Episode 34 of The Diversity Career Podcast explores how a global professional services firm eliminated names from resumes during initial screening, cutting interview-stage gender bias by 32% and ethnic minority callback disparities by 16% within 18 months. Lucas and Luna discuss the behavioral economics behind name bias, how the firm designed the program, the surprising resistance from hiring mana...

Episode 33 of The Diversity Career Podcast explores how a mid-sized software company, AccessAbility Solutions, built a sustained disability hiring program that didn't fizzle out after the first year. Lucas and Luna break down the specific steps: partnering with local vocational rehab agencies, redesigning the interview process to remove hidden barriers, and creating a mentorship track for new hire...