Latest / The Diversity Career Podcast with Fexingo: Inclusion, Equity, and Underrepresented Professionals / How One Company Built a Career Ladder for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Talent
Transcript
- Lucas: So last month, I came across a stat that just stopped me. The unemployment rate for deaf and hard of hearing adults in the U.S. is roughly two to three times that of hearing adults. And for those who are employed, the vast majority are in roles well below their skill level. Luna: That's a huge gap. And it's not about ability — it's about access. Lucas: Exactly. So today I want to talk about a company that took a very intentional approach to closing that gap. Sentinel Mutual — a national property and casualty insurer with about twelve thousand employees. They set up a structured career ladder specifically for deaf and hard of hearing talent. And the results are pretty striking. Luna: Okay, I'm curious how they even started. Was this a top-down initiative or did it come from an employee resource group? Lucas: It came from a combination. The chief diversity officer had been tracking engagement survey results and noticed that deaf employees consistently reported feeling stuck — no clear path to promotion, limited access to informal networking. So she reached out to the National Association of the Deaf, and they co-designed a program. The first step was something simple but rarely done: they audited every job description to remove unnecessary hearing requirements. Luna: Right, like requiring a driver's license for a desk job. I've seen similar things with physical requirements. Lucas: Exactly. They found that about thirty percent of job postings for roles that were fundamentally desk-based included phrases like 'must be able to communicate verbally on the phone' or 'must be able to hear alarms.' In many cases, those were cribbed from older templates and had no bearing on the actual work. They replaced those with functional requirements — 'must be able to communicate effectively in writing or via video relay service.' Simple fix, huge impact. Luna: Were there any roles where they actually needed to modify how work got done? Lucas: Yes, especially in claims adjustment. That role involves a lot of phone calls with policyholders. So Sentinel Mutual invested in video relay interpretation and also created a chat-based claims triage system. Instead of a deaf adjuster having to make every call, the first touch point goes through a chat or email, and the adjuster can escalate to a video call with an interpreter if needed. They didn't remove the phone from the workflow — they just offered an alternative path. Luna: That's practical. But the real challenge is usually career progression, not just getting in the door. How did they build the ladder? Lucas: They created what they call the 'Deaf Talent Pipeline Program.' It has three tiers. Tier one is an eighteen-month rotational assignment in underwriting, claims, and IT. Tier two is a mentorship pairing with a senior leader — and here's the key — the mentor is required to have ASL training, paid for by the company. Tier three is a sponsorship commitment: the executive committee reviews the pipeline every quarter and assigns a sponsor to each participant whose job is to advocate for them in promotion discussions. Luna: Sponsorship, not just mentorship. That's where a lot of programs fall short. And the ASL training for mentors — that's a real investment. How many people have gone through the pipeline so far? Lucas: Since they launched in early 2024, thirty-eight employees have entered the program. Twenty-two have been promoted at least one level. And the retention rate for deaf employees company-wide went from fifty-two percent to eighty-nine percent in two years. That's not just a program effect — they also changed the performance review system. Luna: How so? Lucas: They realized that deaf employees were being penalized on 'communication' and 'collaboration' metrics. Ratings were subjective — a manager might say someone 'doesn't speak up in meetings' without accounting for the fact that the meeting had no interpreter. So they rewrote the competencies. Now 'communication' includes written and signed communication. And 'collaboration' includes using available tools effectively. They also added a question for managers: 'What accommodations did you provide to enable this employee's performance?' Luna: That flips the accountability. Instead of the employee having to prove they deserve a promotion, the manager has to show they created the conditions for success. Lucas: Right. And the results have been significant. Promotions of deaf employees into management roles increased by forty percent year-over-year. They now have three deaf managers in claims, two in IT, and one in underwriting. Before the program, they had zero. Luna: I want to talk about the cost for a second. ASL interpreters can run seventy to a hundred dollars an hour. That adds up. Lucas: It does. Sentinel Mutual spent about four hundred thousand dollars in the first year on interpreter services and ASL training. But their CFO calculated that the productivity gains from reduced turnover alone saved them about one point two million. Turnover for a claims adjuster can cost thirty to fifty percent of annual salary. So the ROI was positive within twelve months. Luna: That's the kind of data that gets executive buy-in. And it's not just about money — it's about culture. If deaf employees see a path to leadership, it changes the whole dynamic. Lucas: Absolutely. And that brings me to something I wanted to mention. This show — we try to bring you stories like this every week, stories that are practical and actionable. And we deliberately don't run ads on these episodes. If you've found value in hearing about real programs like this, and you want to support that choice, the link is buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Luna: Yeah, it's a small way to keep the show independent and focused on what works — not what sells. Lucas: Okay, back to the ladder. One of the most interesting parts of the program is how they handle performance feedback. Standard practice is quarterly reviews, but for deaf employees, they added a monthly check-in with a dedicated HR business partner who is fluent in ASL. That way, small issues get caught before they become big problems. Luna: That makes sense. In a lot of companies, deaf employees report feeling isolated from informal feedback loops — the hallway conversations, the quick chats after meetings. Monthly check-ins formalize that access. Lucas: Exactly. And they also created a digital platform where employees can request accommodations directly — things like captioning for training videos, or a sign language interpreter for a project meeting. It's tracked, and managers get a notification if they approve or deny. That transparency is huge. Luna: Are there any challenges they're still grappling with? Lucas: Definitely. One is remote work. During the pandemic, a lot of deaf employees said they felt more included because everyone was on video and using chat. But as companies push for return to office, the communication barriers come back. Sentinel Mutual is piloting a hybrid model where deaf employees can choose to work remotely up to four days a week if they feel the office environment is less accessible. Luna: That's interesting. So flexibility becomes an accommodation itself. Lucas: Right. And they're also working on a technical fix — real-time captioning for all-hands meetings, not just for deaf employees, but as a default. They found that hearing employees also use the captions when they're in noisy environments or when the speaker has a strong accent. So it's a universal design win. Luna: That's the philosophy underneath all of this: when you design for the most excluded, everyone benefits. Lucas: Exactly. And I think the broader lesson here is that a career ladder for deaf talent isn't just about hiring a few people and checking a box. It requires rethinking job design, performance metrics, communication norms, and leadership accountability. Sentinel Mutual didn't do everything at once — they started with the job description audit, then built the pipeline, then fixed the review system. It was iterative. Luna: Do you see this model being replicated across industries? Lucas: I think it can be, especially in sectors that already have large desk-based workforces — insurance, banking, tech, government. The key is the partnership with a community organization. Sentinel Mutual worked with the National Association of the Deaf, but there are similar groups for other disabilities. And the upfront investment is real, but the turnover savings and the talent gains are tangible. Luna: And it's not just about retention. It's about innovation. A diverse team brings different perspectives. I'd love to see more companies publish their deaf employee retention rates and promotion numbers. That kind of transparency would push the whole field forward. Lucas: I agree. And Sentinel Mutual has committed to publishing an annual report on their disability inclusion metrics starting this year. That's a step a lot of companies talk about but don't actually take. Luna: So we'll be watching. I know I'm curious to see if the pipeline grows and whether those deaf managers start moving into senior leadership. Lucas: That's the real test — not just retention, but representation at the top. For now, though, it's one of the most concrete career ladder programs I've seen for deaf talent. And it's a reminder that inclusion isn't abstract. It's about rewriting job descriptions, training mentors, and measuring what matters. Luna: Well said. And with that, I think we've covered a lot of ground. Thanks for listening, and we'll be back next week with another story. Lucas: Take care, everyone.