Memos by Daggerfinn | The #1 Employer Branding Podcast

In an exciting brand move, CVS has announced that it will be closing 900 stores over the next three years and transitioning many locations into Health Hubs and Doctor's Offices.  The move, which we posit is great for the CVS brand, helps the company differentiate from its closest competitors, Rite-Aid and Walgreens. It also moves the company away from the one-stop-shop image it currently has posit...

We're coming into the end of year shopping season and with that retailers across the country are facing increasing pressure to find seasonal and part-time workers to fulfill customer demand. The problem this year is the growing labor shortage. While retailers face unparalleled demand for goods, they're struggling to find workers to service their customers. And its forcing retailers to come up with...

For the last few weeks we've been discussing how compensation and money isn't the first priority for workers as the workforce pulls and pushes towards some level of equilibrium.  And while more and more reports come out indicating that employers are rolling out the red carpet for workers, the current environment presents a great opportunity for organizations that can think creatively about their c...

The country of Portugal has implemented a new rule that states that employers are not allowed to contact employees outside of contracted work hours - but the new law goes further than just putting limits on communication and timing.  The new rule also dictates that companies need to pay a portion of the worker's electricity and internet bills, as well as giving more freedoms to young parents who n...

We're seeing record quits offset by an increasing number of open jobs in the US, which really doesn't bode well for the long-term sustainability of the economy. But with 4.4 million workers quitting their jobs in the month of September 2021, what are the reasons why companies are struggling to keep hold of their workers? One reason could be around mandates that companies are imposing around vaccin...

In an excellent piece on Bloomberg Wealth, the many dimensions and factors that go into hiring, HR, employer brand, and compensation are explored in the banking industry - where even 8 figure compensation packages aren't enough, sometimes, to attract the talent that those organizations need to thrive. To learn more about Daggerfinn's employer branding and growth strategies practice, visit us at ht...

Electric Pickup Truck Maker Rivian went public today in a spectacular IPO that values the company at a much higher market cap than some of its much-hyped competitors, including Lucid Group and NIO. Interestingly, Rivian's IPO has motivated an uptick in interest in jobs at the company, which is a testament to how attractive it is to work in the EV space today. To learn more about Daggerfinn's emplo...

New York Governor Katie Hochul has unveiled a new spending proposal designed to bring tourism workers back to work in New York state. Tourism makes up 10% of the workers in the state and is the state's 3rd largest industry, rendering it imperative to get the industry back moving again for a full recovery. But is this government intervention something we'll see across the country with different ind...

The number of seasonal workers that the retail industry is forecasting will be required to service demand is enormous. If the past 18 months are any indication, retailers could struggle to hire as many seasonal workers as necessary this year. What will this mean for the shopping experience if retailers cannot hire enough workers? What will this mean for inventory and shelf stocking? The best emplo...

Taking an overly simplistic look at the labor shortage can often lead to conclusions that don't quite sum up exactly what is going in the labor markets. The truth is that the labor shortage is a function of many different factors that won't be easy to untangle quickly. To learn more about Daggerfinn's employer branding and growth strategies practice, visit us at https://daggerfinn.com .

West Hollywood City Council has passed a wage hike for workers in that city, bumping up minimum wage to $17.64 an hour, with plans to reach $18.77 an hour by July of 2023. What are the implications of such a move for employers? What are the implications of such a wage hike to employees? We discuss. To learn more about Daggerfinn's employer branding and growth strategies practice, visit us at https...

The October 2021 jobs report is out and reported that employers added 571,000 jobs. Broken out, however, this number highlights a growing trend that may not signal great signs for the market - most of the jobs were gained in big companies and the services sector. What does this mean for other important sectors of the economy? Where is manufacturing? How are supply chain roles doing? There are impo...

Leading real estate marketplace Zillow has announced that it will be closing its iBuying unit, Zillow Offers, and laying off 25% of its workforce over the coming years. This announcement triggers a crucial time for the company as many will look to see how and whether it delivers on its promise to look after employees affected. To learn more about Daggerfinn's employer branding and growth strategie...

Solving the labor shortage is a huge task and one that cannot be fixed with incremental tactics that only move the needle a tiny amount. In fact, small gestures don't move the needle at all when it comes to enticing workers to come back to the labor force. To learn more about Daggerfinn's employer branding and growth strategies practice, visit us at https://daggerfinn.com .

Labor participation rates across most age groups is starting to tick positively again after the lows of 2020 due to the pandemic. One age cohort, however, that isn't coming back? The 55+.  A great unlock for organizations looking for talent could be to figure out how to access this group of workers - who have ample experience, and just need a little nudging to be enticed back, perhaps? To learn mo...

Whether your organization chooses to manage promotions and raises based on inputs or outputs, there's no denying that management has had to change as a result of the pandemic. But for as much talk of management techniques and methodologies, there are, what is the best way to factor in the contributions of those individuals in an organization who contribute most to culture? To learn more about Dagg...

There is no denying that companies everywhere are struggling to find the talent to fill important roles. However, it is important to distinguish between roles are that are truly crucial to business operations, and others that are more nice-to-haves. After all, the best companies are always dipping their toes into the talent market to see if they can upgrade or add to their talent roster. Wage data...

Every few years we get inundated with new ideas and ways to manage the next generation of employees based on trends that seem relevant for that moment in time. While there is merit in understanding what management techniques are 'in', developing a proper mindset with which to lead your department or organization is a more effective way to manage teams. We explore four concepts in this video that m...

Between the labor shortage, supply and demand dynamics with talent, and the increasingly fierce competition between companies across compensation and benefits, recruiting is hard right now. Highlighting insights from conversations with executive search leaders at JMJ Phillip (https://jmjphillip.com) and Clarke Caniff (https://clarkecaniff.com), these are the three key recruiting frictions talent a...

Is Facebook about to rebrand under a new name? Interesting news has dropped regarding the social media company and its rumored plans to switch up names as it pursues the 'metaverse'. Is that all this is though? Or are there other underlying factors at play? Also, strategically, what does this mean for the Facebook portfolio of companies?

Call it the Great Resignation, the Great Reassessment, or any other name, it's hard to pinpoint the underlying reasons as to why so many employees are quitting their jobs at the moment. Companies left and right are struggling to hire enough workers to stay afloat, yet where are all the people that use to fill these jobs?

Three reasons that aren't often talked about when it comes to mass exodus from an industry. The ad and creative industries are seeing high turnover in the current labor market because of many reasons - burnout being one - but there are also other factors at work that need to be understood.

USAA has announced its plans to move its minimum wage up to $21 per hour as it looks to fill some 1,500 jobs in the San Antonio, Texas market. More interestingly, however, is its approach to benefits and incentives. A thoughtful employer brand is relevant to market dynamics, and its latest offering has the inkling of being informed by current labor shortage dynamics indeed.

Italian alt-rock / glam-rock band Maneskin has become a global sensation with its song 'Beggin', which can be heard nearly everyone on the internet. But what has driven this band to become so popular in the last few years? What is the equation for become a global sensation? We break down a few elements from a marketing and branding perspective.

Like many retailers, Nordstrom is ramping up its hiring for the end-of-year holiday shopping rush. The question this year, amidst an intense labor shortage, is can the company fill the 28,000 job openings for seasonal workers it needs to? While incentives and signing bonuses are great tactics in this choppy market, is Nordstrom's employer brand strong enough to attract workers from a limited pool...