How One Company Built a Career Ladder for First-Gen Professionals

Episode 18 dives into a case study from the professional services firm PwC, which redesigned its career progression framework specifically to support first-generation college graduates. We look at the concrete data—how they identified the gap, what they changed in their promotion criteria, and the 17 percent increase in first-gen manager retention over two years. Lucas and Luna discuss what 'sponsorship transparency' really means and why a formal career lattice, not just a ladder, made the difference. This isn't about generic mentorship advice; it's about structural changes that level the playing field for professionals who lack family networks in white-collar industries. Specific takeaways include the role of skills-based assessments over pedigree proxies and how managers were trained to evaluate potential differently. No fluff, just a replicable model from a firm that employed over 50,000 people at the time of the redesign. #FirstGenerationProfessionals #CareerLadder #PwC #DiversityAndInclusion #UnderrepresentedTalent #Sponsorship #SkillsBasedHiring #Retention #PromotionEquity #Careers #Inclusion #Equity #ProfessionalServices #ManagerTraining #StructuralChange #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #DiversityCareerPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo