Latest / The Diversity Career Podcast with Fexingo: Inclusion, Equity, and Underrepresented Professionals / How One Firm Made First-Gen College Grads a Career Accelerator
Transcript
- Lucas: Luna, here's a number that stopped me this week: fifty-six percent of college students in the U.S. are first-generation—meaning neither parent has a four-year degree. Luna: That's a huge share. But I bet that number drops way off once you get into leadership at most companies. Lucas: It does. At one major professional services firm—let's call it a top-tier consultancy—first-gen employees represent about twenty-two percent of new hires but only twelve percent of partners. So there's a clear leaky pipeline. Luna: And that's actually better than many industries. So what did this firm do about it? Lucas: They launched something called the 'FirstGen Success' program. It's not a generic diversity training. It's a targeted combination of mentorship, a career navigation toolkit, and leadership exposure specifically designed for first-gen professionals. Luna: Okay, break down the toolkit first—that sounds very concrete. Lucas: It's a digital resource with modules on things like how to network internally, how to ask for a raise, how to interpret feedback in performance reviews—things that are often assumed knowledge. For first-gen grads, those unwritten rules can be invisible. Luna: Right. Because if your parents didn't work in a corporate environment, you don't have that osmosis. Lucas: Exactly. And the firm paired each first-gen employee with a mentor who was also first-gen—someone who had already made it to partner or senior partner. That match is critical. Luna: So it's not just any mentor—it's someone who shares that identity and can speak to specific challenges. Lucas: Yes. And they didn't just stop at one-on-one. They also created a leadership summit specifically for first-gen employees. About eighty participants fly in twice a year to meet executives, practice case interviews, and get visibility. Luna: Visibility in a consulting firm is huge. It's often about who sees your work, not just the quality of the work. Lucas: That's exactly right. And the results after two years: the promotion rate for first-gen employees in the program increased by eighteen percent compared to those not in it. Retention among first-gen staff went up by twenty-two percent. Luna: Those are big numbers. What about the business case—did they measure any impact on client work? Lucas: They did an internal survey. Teams with first-gen partners on them scored higher on client satisfaction in diverse client scenarios. The firm's argument is that first-gen professionals often bring a broader perspective on economic class and customer segments. Luna: That makes sense. A lot of clients are serving markets that include first-gen consumers, so having that insight in the room adds value. Lucas: Precisely. And interestingly, the program didn't just help first-gen employees—it also gave their mentors a sense of purpose. Mentor satisfaction scores went up too. Luna: So it's a retention driver for both sides. What was the biggest obstacle the firm faced when rolling this out? Lucas: They told me the hardest part was identifying who is first-gen. A lot of employees don't volunteer that information because they don't want to be seen as needing extra help. The firm had to build trust by making the program opt-in and emphasizing that it's about accelerating already strong performers, not remediating weakness. Luna: That's a delicate framing. How did they get the message across? Lucas: They used senior first-gen leaders to tell their own stories. In town halls, partners shared that they didn't know how to navigate early careers either—they learned through trial and error. It destigmatized the label and made it a badge of resilience. Luna: That's smart. Turn a potential liability into a signal of grit. Lucas: Exactly. And now four other firms in the same industry are looking at launching similar programs. The model is spreading. Luna: So for listeners who might be first-gen themselves, what's one actionable takeaway? Lucas: Find a mentor or sponsor who shares that background—if possible. But also, explicitly ask for the unwritten rules. Say, 'Can you walk me through how you prepare for a performance review?' or 'How do you decide which projects to raise your hand for?' Luna: And for companies, the lesson seems to be: don't assume everyone starts on the same footing. Explicitly teach the hidden curriculum. Lucas: Yeah. And the ROI is there—both in talent retention and in business outcomes. It's not charity. Luna: Honestly, if today's episode helped you think through a career move or how to build a more inclusive team, that's exactly the kind of value we aim for here. Lucas: And if it was worth a coffee to you, we have a buy me a coffee link: buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It's how we stay ad-free and focused on content like this. Luna: No pressure. Just if you find value and want to support the show. Every bit helps. Lucas: Exactly. So to wrap up—I think the key insight is that first-gen identity, when properly supported, isn't a disadvantage to overcome. It's a different lens that enriches decision-making. Luna: And it's a lens companies can intentionally cultivate. The firm in our story proved it works. Lucas: That's it for today. We'll be back tomorrow with another episode—same time.