Latest / The Diversity Career Podcast with Fexingo: Inclusion, Equity, and Underrepresented Professionals / How a Grocery Chain Made Disability a Career Accelerator
Transcript
- Lucas: So there's this regional grocery chain in the Pacific Northwest, and a few years ago they realized something kind of uncomfortable. They were proudly posting about their diversity numbers, but if you actually looked at their workforce, people with disabilities were almost entirely stuck in entry-level roles. Luna: That's a familiar story, unfortunately. Accommodations get you in the door, but the ladder stops at the first rung. Lucas: Exactly. And what's interesting is how they flipped it. Instead of treating accommodations as a cost or a compliance thing, they decided to treat disability as a talent pool. They called it 'inclusion by design.' Luna: Okay, that sounds like a buzzword. What did they actually do? Lucas: They started with the application process. It was this dense, text-heavy form — the kind that takes forty minutes and assumes you can read small print and type quickly. So they redesigned it. Shorter, with plain language, and they added the option to do a video interview instead of typing answers. Luna: That's a small change, but it probably opened the door for a lot of people who just couldn't get through the old system. Lucas: Right. And they didn't stop there. They created a mentorship program, pairing every new hire with a disability — and a fair number of existing employees who disclosed one — with a senior leader. Not for 'fixing' anything, but for career guidance. Luna: So the senior leaders actually had to engage. That's where the real shift happens, I think. Lucas: Absolutely. And the numbers bear it out. Within two years, time to hire for disabled applicants dropped by forty percent. Internal promotion rates for that group went up twenty-five percent. And here's the kicker — overall team retention in stores with higher disability representation rose measurably. Luna: That's the kind of data that makes CFOs sit up. It's not just a feel-good story. Lucas: And it wasn't a huge investment, either. They didn't build new facilities or anything fancy. Mostly it was about changing processes and expectations. Luna: You know, this reminds me of something I read about how universal design benefits everyone. Those video interviews? They probably also helped introverts and people with anxiety, not just those with diagnosed disabilities. Lucas: Exactly. They saw that too. The application completion rate went up across the board — not just for disabled applicants. That's the kind of win-win that gets buy-in. Luna: Before we go deeper, I want to pause here. If you're listening and you've gotten something out of this show — a new idea for your own career path, or just a better way to think about inclusion at work — a couple of dollars a month is genuinely what keeps these episodes going. It's buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Small amounts really do add up. Lucas: Yeah, it's listener support that keeps us ad-free and independent. No pressure, but if you've found value, that's where you can help. Luna: Okay, back to the grocery chain. So they had the mentorship program and the redesigned applications — but what about the actual day-to-day work? Did they change anything about how jobs were structured? Lucas: They did. They looked at every role, from cashier to department manager, and asked: what are the essential functions, and what's just custom? For instance, a cashier job description said 'must stand for long periods.' But with a stool, someone with a mobility impairment can absolutely handle the checkout. So they added 'or sit' to the description. Luna: Such a simple fix. And it probably made the job more comfortable for everyone — pregnant employees, people with bad knees, anyone. Lucas: Right, universal design again. And that's what got managers on board. They saw that accommodations weren't just for a few people; they often made the whole team more productive. Luna: I want to ask about the harder part. Did they face any resistance? I imagine some managers thought it was extra work. Lucas: Oh, sure. The first year, they had a few store managers who were skeptical. They worried about productivity or safety. But the company did something smart: they didn't mandate from the top. They worked with the managers who were open to it, got results, and then let those managers tell their peers. Luna: So it spread organically. That's a much better approach than forcing it. Lucas: Exactly. And the data helped. The stores that embraced it early had lower turnover and higher customer satisfaction scores. That got attention. Luna: What about the promotion piece? You mentioned a twenty-five percent increase. Was that just in lower-level roles, or did they actually move into management? Lucas: Good question. Some moved into department head roles. A few became assistant store managers. One person who's deaf is now a regional trainer, teaching food safety — and they have an interpreter in the classroom. That's a real career track, not just a job. Luna: That's inspiring. But I have to ask — why did it take a labor shortage for this to become a priority? They started this around 2022, right? Lucas: Yeah, it was during that tight labor market. They couldn't find enough workers, so they started looking at populations they'd previously overlooked. It's a pragmatic motivation, but the results are what matter. Luna: And the lessons are transferable. You don't need to be a huge company to do this. Lucas: Not at all. Start with one job description, one interview process. Ask your current employees with disabilities what gets in the way. You'll find low-cost fixes that make a big difference. Luna: What about the mentorship program? How did they make it work, practically? Because I know a lot of mentorship programs fizzle out. Lucas: They made it a formal part of the manager's goals, with quarterly check-ins. And they matched mentors and mentees based on skills and interests, not just disability. So it was about career development, not a 'special' program. Luna: That makes sense. If it's just a checkbox, it fails. If it's integrated into how the company develops all talent, it sticks. Lucas: Right. And they've actually extended it to other underrepresented groups — veterans, people returning from family leave. The principle is the same: find hidden talent, remove unnecessary barriers, and you get loyal, capable employees. Luna: I love that this isn't just about disability — it's a broader mindset. But for today, what's the one takeaway you'd want a listener to remember? Lucas: That accommodations aren't a cost — they're an investment in a workforce that's often more engaged and more loyal. This grocery chain saw turnover drop, promotions rise, and teams get stronger. And they did it with relatively simple changes. Luna: And there's a human story behind every number. Someone who thought they'd never get past the bakery counter is now running a department. Lucas: Exactly. So if you're in HR or management, start by asking one person with a disability what makes their job harder than it needs to be. You might be surprised at how simple the fix is. Luna: And if you're a listener with a disability, you might find that the most valuable thing you can do is ask for that accommodation — because it might be the first step on a longer path. Lucas: Yeah. And that's the kind of conversation we like to leave you with. Until next time.