Memos by Daggerfinn | The #1 Employer Branding Podcast

Welcome to another episode of Daggerfinn Q+As! Today, we have the privilege of speaking with Dennis Theodorou, Managing Director of JMJ Phillip Holdings. Leading a global team across sales, strategy, service innovation, and client service, Dennis has been instrumental in steering the firm's aggressive growth and diversification strategies. With an academic background from Michigan State University in Logistics, Materials, and Supply Chain Management, coupled with certifications in Strategic Management and Service Design/Operations from Harvard Extension School, and Six Sigma Black Belt Training, Dennis brings a multidimensional perspective to the business world. In this enlightening conversation, Dennis delves into the nuances of leadership, strategy, and building great teams. He sheds light on the challenges and strategies inherent in driving growth and maintaining top-tier client service in the competitive landscape of today. Don't miss this chance to gain invaluable knowledge from an industry leader. Whether you're an aspiring business professional, a management enthusiast, or simply eager to grasp the inner workings of successful corporate leadership, this episode promises to be an enlightening experience. Subscribe to our channel for more enlightening Q+As with experts like Dennis and journey with us as we unravel the complexities of today's business world.

Welcome to another insightful episode of Daggerfinn Q+As! In this candid conversation, we sit down with David LaMore, a seasoned professional with a wealth of experience in culture, leadership, and entrepreneurship through acquisition. Throughout the discussion, David shares his unique perspectives on the intricate relationship between culture and effective leadership within the realm of entrepreneurship. With a focus on acquisition, he sheds light on the challenges, strategies, and lessons he's learned along his journey. Tune in for an engaging exploration of how culture shapes the way businesses operate, how leadership practices can impact growth and innovation, and how the path of entrepreneurship through acquisition offers both opportunities and hurdles. Whether you're a budding entrepreneur, a business enthusiast, or simply curious about the dynamics behind successful ventures, this conversation will surely broaden your understanding. Subscribe to our channel to stay updated on thought-provoking Q+As with industry experts like David LaMore, and join us in deciphering the intricate tapestry of culture, leadership, and entrepreneurship in today's ever-evolving business landscape.

In this Q+A session, we are joined by Ralph Dunning, the visionary founder behind Foreign Rider, a sportswear company built for athletes with diverse interests.Prior to this venture, Ralph revolutionized the golf apparel industry for nearly two decades with his renowned brand, Dunning Golf, offering technical clothing adored by golfers worldwide.In this conversation, Ralph shares his entrepreneurial journey, what inspired him to build brands, and his approach to brand building that focuses on ethical performance and sustainability.Discover his insights on creating great brands, nurturing company culture, and attracting exceptional talent. With his expertise in building enduring brands, Ralph also sheds light on his brand-building framework through his other successful venture, the Brand Unification Co., a leading design, creative, and strategy firm.Don't miss this opportunity to learn from a true industry leader and gain valuable insights into the world of brand building.

Join our conversation with Tom Granado, CEO and founder of Atomic Talent (https://www.atomictalent.io/), as he explores the intriguing role of psychometric assessments in driving organizational effectiveness. Gain valuable insights into the significance of these assessments and how they contribute to enhancing overall performance within companies. Discover the powerful connection between individual traits and team dynamics, as Tom sheds light on the fascinating interplay between personality traits, skills, and organizational success. Whether you're an HR professional, a business leader, or simply curious about unlocking the true potential of teams, our conversation offers a compelling perspective on the value of psychometric assessments in optimizing organizational effectiveness. 

In this video, we delve into Vornado's bold move as they bet big on the Return to Office (RTO) trend by investing in Penn Station. Join us as we analyze Vornado's strategic decision and its potential impact on the future of office spaces. Discover the driving factors behind this investment and gain insights into the broader RTO landscape. As the business world adjusts to the evolving workplace dynamics, Vornado's move serves as a noteworthy case study in navigating the changing landscape of office real estate. Tune in to explore the implications and considerations surrounding this significant investment.  

According to a recent article in Business Insider, Midwestern downtowns are failing - why? Discover valuable lessons that companies can glean from failing downtowns in this thought-provoking video. Uncover intriguing parallels between the challenges faced by struggling urban centers and the importance of employer branding. Through real-world examples, we delve into how the decline of downtown areas reflects the significance of employer branding. Explore the impact of community engagement, revitalization efforts, and fostering a positive environment on the success and reputation of both downtowns and companies. Gain a deeper understanding of the role of employer branding in talent acquisition, employee engagement, and retention. We analyze the impact of effective communication and transparent leadership on shaping the perception of both downtowns and companies. Discover strategies to attract and retain top talent by creating an authentic and compelling employer brand narrative. Enhance your organization's reputation, attract the right talent, and foster a thriving work environment.

In this video, we delve into the intricacies of company-wide layoffs, examining the factors that play a crucial role in determining who gets laid off. Explore the key considerations employers take into account during these challenging times and gain a comprehensive understanding of the layoff decision-making process. We start by exploring the impact of job performance on an employee's vulnerability to layoffs. From productivity and quality of work to meeting job expectations, we discuss how performance evaluations shape layoff decisions. Seniority and length of service are also significant factors in determining who stays and who goes. Discover the implications of the "last in, first out" approach and its influence on the layoff process. Job skills and qualifications play a pivotal role as well. We analyze how companies assess the value of employees' skill sets and make decisions based on their relevance to current and future business needs. Cost reduction strategies and financial considerations are vital aspects of layoffs. Learn how companies balance the need to cut costs with the potential long-term impacts on their workforce and employer brand. Diversity and inclusion also come into play during layoffs. Explore how organizations strive to maintain fairness and avoid biases, ensuring that layoffs do not disproportionately impact any particular group or violate anti-discrimination laws. Understanding these dynamics is crucial in today's era of change and uncertainty. Gain valuable insights into the layoff decision-making process and how it affects employees and job seekers. Enhance your understanding of employer branding and equip yourself with the knowledge to navigate layoffs and make informed career decisions.

Are you working remotely and wondering about the impact it might have on your career? In today's video, we dive deep into the research conducted by the New York Federal Reserve, revealing a startling 4% decline in productivity among remote workers. As the global workforce tussles with a transition to remote work setups, it is crucial to understand the potential drawbacks that come with this popular trend. Throughout this video, we explore the factors contributing to the decline in productivity and discuss the implications it may have on your professional growth. From the challenges of maintaining work-life balance to the lack of face-to-face interactions, we examine the various obstacles that remote workers face and offer practical strategies to overcome them. Moreover, we analyze the long-term consequences of reduced productivity on your career trajectory, highlighting the potential impact on promotions, salary growth, and overall job satisfaction. By delving into the NY Fed's research, we aim to equip you with the knowledge necessary to make informed decisions about your remote work arrangements and maximize your career potential.

Kim Kardashian has been fined by the SEC $1.26 million to settle a probe into her publicity of Emax crypto coin as a pump-and-dump scheme. Is this right? Is this just a tap on the wrist? To learn more about Daggerfinn's employer branding and growth strategies practice, visit us at https://daggerfinn.com.

Should TikTok be banned? That was a question posed to NYU Stern Professor Scott Galloway on his recent appearance on Bill Maher's show. He raised interesting points around data and privacy, but the more interesting point is the market gap that would open up if TikTok were banned. TikTok's market penetration to 1 billion monthly active users took half the time that it took Instagram. Would a US-based TikTok-equivalent startup be able to grab share even faster? To learn more about Daggerfinn's employer branding and growth strategies practice, visit us at https://daggerfinn.com.

With talks of trying to drive greater efficiency and productivity at Google, CEO Sundar Pichai is hinting at impending cuts at the technology behemoth. And Google is really just another tech giant in a line of tech giants that is taking on the trend of workforce productivity decline in spite of higher wage growth. Is enough enough when it comes to the business environment? To learn more about Daggerfinn's employer branding and growth strategies practice, visit us at https://daggerfinn.com.

Television star and social media influencer Kim Kardashian and former Carlyle Group Partner Jay Sammons have launched a new private equity firm, SKKY, that will focus on media and consumer businesses. The firm will leverage Kardashian's influence and Sammons' investing pedigree to make investments in a diverse catalog of companies. Is this a good idea? All signs point to it being a no brainer. To learn more about Daggerfinn's employer branding and growth strategies practice, visit us at https://daggerfinn.com.

New data from Gallup indicates that 50% of the US workforce is made up of Quiet Quitters. What does this mean for the workforce over the long term? And what does this mean for employers looking to hire in this day and age? To learn more about Daggerfinn's employer branding and growth strategies practice, visit us at https://daggerfinn.com.

Job market data keeps confounding economists and practitioners in the field of talent acquisition and operations as it becomes more unclear whether the economy is in a good place or not. Are we just in a place where the labor markets are trying to find equilibrium? Are companies adjusting their human capital infrastructure to pre-COVID levels? Or are these layoffs really a sign that a downturn is here - or coming? To learn more about Daggerfinn's employer branding and growth strategies practice, visit us at https://daggerfinn.com.

There never has been a better time to be the company that invests in a honest, authentic employer brand - one that doesn't lie or mislead job candidates about the employee experience.To learn more about Daggerfinn's employer branding and growth strategies practice, visit us at https://daggerfinn.com.

There is a video being shared on Twitter and TikTok of a worker at a large tech company sharing her day at work that is getting a lot of views and catalyzing a lot of conversation around office perks and what it means to be productive at work. In the video, the worker appears to get very little actual work done while taking advantage of all the perks the company office space has to offer. But is this becoming the norm in a world where workers have so much leverage?To learn more about Daggerfinn's employer branding and growth strategies practice, visit us at https://daggerfinn.com.

US labor productivity fell for a 2nd straight quarter while US labor unit costs went up. This is a bad mix when we are staring at the wall that is inflation. As companies pay more and more for less productivity, it is inevitable that the price of goods and services goes up. To learn more about Daggerfinn's employer branding and growth strategies practice, visit us at https://daggerfinn.com.

Between the low unemployment numbers reported last week and the number of open jobs, the idea that the US economy is in a recession is a difficult one to see. But, could there be another reason why the economy is slowing and we've seen two-quarters of back-to-back falling GDP? To learn more about Daggerfinn's employer branding and growth strategies practice, visit us at https://daggerfinn.com.

After just recently announcing it would be purchasing One Medical, Amazon today has announced that it is planning on purchasing Roomba maker iRobot for $1.7 billion. To learn more about Daggerfinn's employer branding and growth strategies practice, visit us at https://daggerfinn.com.

Walmart announced that it will be laying off 200 workers at headquarters in what is a continuation of a trend we're seeing at large companies of layoffs affecting white-collar workers. To learn more about Daggerfinn's employer branding and growth strategies practice, visit us at https://daggerfinn.com.

For the last year, the number of open jobs in the US economy has increased to ridiculous heights - while the number of US workers seeking employment has fallen. This has resulted in a low unemployment rate and sky high job openings, and the pendulum of power in the employment markets swinging heavily in favor of the worker. The result? High churn in the labor markets as millions upon millions of workers quit and start new jobs each month. But things are about the change. To learn more about Daggerfinn's employer branding and growth strategies practice, visit us at https://daggerfinn.com.

Pinterest is the latest social media platform that makes its money via advertising to show slowing revenue growth. In fact, Pinterest reported the lowest revenue growth in two years - indicating another example of how companies are pulling back on their spending to prepare for a downturn. To learn more about Daggerfinn's employer branding and growth strategies practice, visit us at https://daggerfinn.com.

YouTube revenue growth came in under Wall Street estimates recently, and paired with Google's slowing revenue growth, are we staring at the first signs of what is a two-pronged signal of a real slowdown? When times get tough, companies often resort to two cost-cutting measures: reducing marketing and advertising expenditures and laying off workers. We've seen a lot of both in the technology sector especially lately - so what does this mean for the greater economy? To learn more about Daggerfinn's employer branding and growth strategies practice, visit us at https://daggerfinn.com.

Netflix is planning on launching an ad-supported tier for users in early 2023. The idea is that the platform can offer a lower-priced option that makes up the revenue shortfall with ads sprinkled throughout the user experience. While this business model is already in use with platforms like Hulu, does this indicate that Netflix is chasing growth targets at the expense of its original value proposition? Or is this just smart business? To learn more about Daggerfinn's employer branding and growth strategies practice, visit us at https://daggerfinn.com.

One of the most important responsibilities for marketing practitioners is to protect the brand - whether that's in-house or client brands. The value of a brand lives and breathes, in today's digital age, by its online reputation. Some hackers know this - and are leveraging this knowledge to force restaurants into paying money to avoid absorbing 1 star reviews. To learn more about Daggerfinn's employer branding and growth strategies practice, visit us at https://daggerfinn.com

The job market is cooling and opportunities for remote work are beginning to plateau - despite high demand for these kinds of jobs amongst a certain cohort of the US working population. But what does this mean in the context of the greater US economy? To learn more about Daggerfinn's employer branding and growth strategies practice, visit us at https://daggerfinn.com

Inflated job titles are beginning to appear in larger swaths of the workforce as companies use any mechanism available to them to try to attract and retain the talent that they need. But are inflated job titles a risk to the economy? Inflated job titles are surely a risk to the individual workers, right? We explore. To learn more about Daggerfinn's employer branding and growth strategies practice, visit us at https://daggerfinn.com

The June jobs report (JOLT) was released this morning and the data indicated some interesting dynamics in the labor market. Layoffs are up slightly, despite being at near historic lows, and the unemployment rate remained steady at 3.6%. But underneath all these numbers is the labor participation rate - a look at the number of people who are working or actively looking for work. This is a number that often gets overlooked, but is an important gauge on the mindset of the worker. Is the labor participation rate - and its slow uptick over the last few months - indicating something about the health of the economy? To learn more about Daggerfinn's employer branding and growth strategies practice, visit us at https://daggerfinn.com

The virtues of a recurring revenue stream into your business cannot be understated. The predictability of recurring revenue allows you, as a business operator, to make better decisions around all aspects of your operations. Recurring revenue establishes a one-to-one relationship with a customer that significantly brings down customer acquisition costs, which also bumps up multiples when its time to sell. To learn more about Daggerfinn's employer branding and growth strategies practice, visit us at https://daggerfinn.com

Are we, as marketers, wasting our time in today's digital world if we focus all our attention on brand building? Is brand marketing dead as a concept? Are we better off using data to drive conversion and leveraging a more performance marketing aptitude when it comes to helping our companies and organizations? To learn more about Daggerfinn's employer branding and growth strategies practice, visit us at https://daggerfinn.com

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has bought Twitter for $44 Billion - in a deal that has surprised many and also not surprised many as well. The deal, which has been in the works for a couple of weeks, sets up stark changes across the political and social landscape. What is going to happen next? To learn more about Daggerfinn's employer branding and growth strategies practice, visit us at https://daggerfinn.com

Tesla is facing several headwinds to its financial performance, including price increases for raw materials, production constraints with the shutdown of its Shanghai factory, and the distraction of Elon Musk's Twitter takeover bid. With so much going on at the moment what is going to happen after Tesla's earnings call? To learn more about Daggerfinn's employer branding and growth strategies practice, visit us at https://daggerfinn.com

Taco Bell has re-released its popular Mexican Pizza product to much fanfare and excitment. First brought to market in 1985, the Mexican Pizza has been on and off the Taco Bell menu for decades. The pandemic supply chain issues meant that the product had to be removed again, but Taco Bell has brought it back, understanding demand, and cloaked its return with brand codes that a certain demographic is sure to love. To learn more about Daggerfinn's employer branding and growth strategies practice, visit us at https://daggerfinn.com

Peloton has just announced that starting June 1 it will be raising subscription fee pricing for its streaming content while lowering the price of bikes and other workout equipment. All this is in response to the new CEO's strategy for achieving scale and delivering more valuable content. But this raises a question: what happens to existing customers? Are they grandfathered in and locked into their old pricing structure? Or is Peloton neglecting its old customer base in pursuit of a new one? To learn more about Daggerfinn's employer branding and growth strategies practice, visit us at https://daggerfinn.com

Etsy, the popular retail platform, has announced it wants to raise seller transaction fees from 5% to 6%, angering sellers on the platform. Now, more than 14,000 sellers are striking in response to the move. Has Etsy shot itself in the foot? Has it made the right call by imposing its new fees on sellers? What is Etsy doing for sellers on the platform in exchange for the higher fees? To learn more about Daggerfinn's employer branding and growth strategies practice, visit us at https://daggerfinn.com.

Walmart has announced that it will be bumping up salaries for truck drivers to $110,000 per year - and is incentivizing staff from other departments to take a 12-week course to learn to become a certified truck driver and join its in-house fleet. While this is great news for the staff members getting more money for an important job, it is important to think about the incidence of this tactic - who does this cost fall on? Walmart? The consumer?To learn more about Daggerfinn's employer branding and growth strategies practice, visit us at https://daggerfinn.com.

Is Farfetch positioning itself to become the Amazon of the luxury sector with its investment in Neiman Marcus? How significant is a $200 million injection into the struggling brick-and-mortar luxury retailer? Having IPO'd in 2018, Farfetch is showing great financials and incredible levels of profit in its most recent financial disclosures - which speaks to how much demand for luxury products there is in an e-commerce setting. But buying luxury online is still not a frictionless experience. Can Farfetch continue to work to fix this perception?To learn more about Daggerfinn's employer branding and growth strategies practice, visit us at https://daggerfinn.com.

Using power and money to influence society and business outcomes is nearly a textbook definition for what an Oligarch is and does - so, is Elon Musk displaying Oligarch-like behavior? After the news that Elon Musk has taken a nearly 10% stake in Twitter, questions are coming up around his intentions with such a significant stake in the social media platform - and whether he'll use his newfound position as a force for good, or something else.To learn more about Daggerfinn's employer branding and growth strategies practice, visit us at https://daggerfinn.com.

Starbucks, with returning CEO Howard Schultz at the helm, has announced that it will be stopping its share buyback program and intends to reinvest that excess cash back into workers and stores. The question is whether this is just a PR tactic or whether there is real intent to address some of the labor and operational issues the company is facing. Even without the suspension, doesn't Starbucks have enough free cash to reinvest?To learn more about Daggerfinn's employer branding and growth strategies practice, visit us at https://daggerfinn.com.

Amazon workers at the company's JFK8 facility in Staten Island have voted to form the company's first U.S. union in a decision that disrupts Amazon's traditional way of doing business and hiring infrastructure. What are the benefits of unionization and how does this decision change Amazon's desirability as a hiring organization in the region? New York City is one of the largest economies in the world, and this decision to form a union by the workers of Amazon will be interesting to watch over the next few years - and also to watch how Amazon treats this facility compared to other facilities that have not unionized.To learn more about Daggerfinn's employer branding and growth strategies practice, visit us at https://daggerfinn.com.

Shelves at retail stores are bare again, and probably barer than they were at the start of the pandemic when there was a rush to buy everything in anticipation of the unknown. Surprisingly, more than 2 years into the pandemic, we are still seeing supply chain issues that show no signs of resolving. As a result, consumers are having to switch brands in order to make sure they can still get what they want to get. But is that the only reason why consumers are switching brands?To learn more about Daggerfinn's employer branding and growth strategies practice, visit us at https://daggerfinn.com.

Companies vie all year to be named to the Great Companies To Work For lists, and for good reason, historical stock market data indicates that there could be a talent premium or alpha to be captured - the best companies to work for typically outperform the greater S&P 500 index. But is this all there is to the story? Do great companies outperform because they are great places to work, or do the best talent make the difference? And the best talent, inherently, goes to where their talent is appreciated most. To learn more about Daggerfinn's employer branding and growth strategies practice, visit us at https://daggerfinn.com.

According to a recent CNBC article, 20% of respondents would take a 10% pay cut to work for themselves or have better hours. 56% of respondents would trade higher pay for a company with more stability.These two statistics catalyzed a few thoughts on the state of the labor markets and long-term thinking about careers that we explore in this episode.To learn more about Daggerfinn's employer branding and growth strategies practice, visit us at https://daggerfinn.com.

Workers between the ages of 16 and 24 have seen their wages increase 10.6% when comparing January of 2022 against January of 2021. The average wage gain across all workers is 4% over the same time period. So why are younger workers raking in such a large wage gain? There are a few reasons: 1) an aggregate response from the workforce to bring younger workers back, 2) increases from a lower base, and 3) inflationary effects.To learn more about Daggerfinn's employer branding and growth strategies practice, visit us at https://daggerfinn.com.

Stolichnaya, the popular vodka brand, has decided to rebrand as Stoli. This comes off the back of immense public pressure on Russian brands as a result of the Ukrainian invasion that started just a few weeks ago. In the media, we've seen videos and images of boycotts of Russian products - with scenes of bars in New York City, for example, pouring Stoli down the drain as a show of solidarity with Ukraine. It's difficult to manage a brand in the best of times - and near impossible during difficult periods, especially those imposed by global tensions. So what should brands do? Is rebranding as Stoli the right play?  To learn more about Daggerfinn's employer branding and growth strategies practice, visit us at https://daggerfinn.com.

Data gathered from a recent study we conducted for a client on the jobs market highlighted that worker optimism regarding the state of employment is extremely high - not many people were worried about losing their jobs in 2022. With looming interest rate hikes, the cost of capital inevitably rising, geo-political tensions, and much uncertainty, this optimism could be short-lived, especially if the labor markets tighten up significantly over the next 12 months. To learn more about Daggerfinn's employer branding and growth strategies practice, visit us at https://daggerfinn.com.

A recent survey that we conducted across a diverse set of workers in the US highlighted that there has been a shift in worker mentality around preferences. Where at the start of the pandemic workers wanted more protections around remote work, today the preferences are leaning towards compensation. Looking very specifically at knowledge workers, who on average have higher base compensation than the median US worker, this trend of preference shifting is apparent too. Workers care more about flexible hours than remote work.To learn more about Daggerfinn's employer branding and growth strategies practice, visit us at https://daggerfinn.com.

Ryan Miller, Career Services Executive at Employment BOOST (https://employmentboost.com), joins us for a conversation on the value of employee support during and after layoffs, how outplacement services fit into a severance agreement, and how outplacement services could have helped with the Better.com round of layoffs a few weeks ago. To learn more about Daggerfinn's employer branding and growth strategies practice, visit us at https://daggerfinn.com.

New York City, a top 20 global economy by GDP when comparing cities and countries, is about to introduce a mandate that makes employers present salary information on job descriptions. Is this a good idea? The verdict is varied depending on which side of the equation you ask. On the one hand, candidates will appreciate the transparency. On the other hand, employers will have to deal with different aspects of employer branding and organizational infrastructure and planning they may not have had to deal with before. Only time will tell.To learn more about Daggerfinn's employer branding and growth strategies practice, visit us at https://daggerfinn.com.

Hiring in 2022 as it relates to candidates' preferences for benefits and flexibility could look different to the last two years, according to new survey data we collected for a client. What this means for organizations facing a labor shortage is very interesting. How should you navigate the job market in 2022? The options could be to lean into compensation, growth and/or industry perception.To learn more about Daggerfinn's employer branding and growth strategies practice, visit us at https://daggerfinn.com.

70% of US households now have a pet - catalyzed by an uptick in demand as we transitioned to more work-from-home and flexible work arrangements over the last 24 months. As a result, demand for digital veterinarian services have risen too, especially as the risk from the coronavirus refuses to wane. So do digital vet startups have the staying power to stick around long after the end of the pandemic? Or are these companies just a fad in response to the artificial uptick in demand triggered by stimulus? We've seen popular companies like Peloton and Zoom take huge hits to their market caps as they have been forced to adjust their forecasts to the downside. Can digital vet startups survive?To learn more about Daggerfinn's employer branding and growth strategies practice, visit us at https://daggerfinn.com.