#LoveThyLabor: Dare to diversify
#LoveThyLabor: Dare to diversify
While the advertising and marketing industry still has a long way to go, companies are prioritizing diversity more than ever before. This is to tackle historical social injustices and underrepresentation, and to enhance the quality of their marketing and strengthen connections with their consumers.
Also, platforms like Instagram and TikTok are creating a supply of, and a demand for, all voices, backgrounds and perspectives.
Though it’s become more difficult to identify and retain better talent overall, Freeman+Leonard offers a range of options to access more diverse talent, with significant advantages over solely going it alone.
- Thousands of qualified candidates, of every background
- Representation across all fields, disciplines
- Access to talent from new markets
- Ability to tap the right talent for the right jobs
At Freeman+Leonard, we believe that diversified teams create stronger businesses. Talk to any of our employees about how we can help you elevate and diversify your talent base.
? Suggestion on how YOU can Love Thy Labor:
Develop an employee referral program that rewards your current employees for identifying and helping recruit from a larger network of talent. Friends can vouch for their friends, and current employees will more actively promote your company and its open positions. This may allow you to tap into a wider pool of talent than you would have otherwise.
For more ideas on how to show your workers the love, head to freemanleonard.com/lovethylabor.
We look forward to your feedback and your own suggestions on how we all can extend our recognition and dedication beyond a single day each year.
With gratitude,
Kathy Leonard
President & CMO
Freeman+Leonard
#LoveThyLabor: Elevating the temporary workforce
#LoveThyLabor: Elevating the temporary workforce
As the pandemic has taken its toll on businesses of all types, many companies have had to restructure both departments and resources to react to changing profitability realities. Accordingly, many agencies and marketing departments have shifted to a higher utilization of seasonal or temporary staffing resources.
As convenient as temporary employees may be, there can be disadvantages. For the worker, benefits are almost unheard of. Meanwhile, it can be difficult for companies to find top-tier talent on a temporary basis.
At Freeman+Leonard, we’re working to create better engagements for both the employer and the employee.
We offer benefits to many eligible temporary workers (a rarity in the staffing world), including medical, paid holidays and even vacation. And our clients enjoy access to seasoned temporary workers with specialized talent in a variety of marketing and advertising roles.
The “gig economy” is changing the way many companies work, and the models they’re moving towards. Whether this is a direction your company has moved in, or something you’re considering, it’s imperative to support these teammates in ways that keep them viable and content. Don't hesitate to reach out to me or my team directly for strategies to strengthen and elevate your temporary workforce.
? Suggestion on how YOU can Love Thy Labor:
One way to provide non-traditional benefits to both temporary and full-time employees is by negotiating corporate discounts at local retailers, restaurants and services to offer to your teammates. Explore companies like 24 Hour Fitness, 20% Meals or Meal Plans. For more ideas and inspiration, visit corporateoffers.com.
For more ideas on how to show your workers the love, head to freemanleonard.com/lovethylabor.
We look forward to your feedback and your own suggestions on how we all can extend our recognition and dedication beyond a single day each year.
With gratitude,
Kathy Leonard
President & CMO
Freeman+Leonard
#LoveThyLabor: Embracing the realities of a remote workforce
#LoveThyLabor: Embracing the realities of a remote workforce
As we continue to try to forecast what a return to normalcy looks like for companies and agencies, one thing is for sure: increasingly, the future workforce will work from many different places.
Freeman+Leonard has always been at the forefront of redefining traditional office work spaces, as we ourselves have been an early adopter and promoter of marketing and advertising talent whose engagements haven’t necessarily allowed or required an in-office presence. (Our own team also permanently made the shift to a fully-remote workplace.)
Forbes has released a new study documenting the expectations and realities of this new generation of labor:
- 74% of professionals expect work-from-home to become standard
- 97% of employees don’t want to return to the office full-time
- 61% of employees prefer being fully remote
If you’re reimagining how to structure and motivate an increasingly remote team, feel free to give me or anyone at Freeman+Leonard a call. We’ve been staffing and structuring remote resources and teams for years, and have picked up a few tips and tricks along the way.
We also recommend checking out Remote Work Revolution by Tsedal Neely. This book discusses how to build trust and connection with employees who work from afar. It contains some truly great advice and blueprints on how to structure and engage with your teams when fewer are in the same space as you are.
? Suggestion on how YOU can Love Thy Labor:
As employees spend more and more time working from their homes, many find that they lack certain amenities that they previously had in traditional office settings. Whether they’re now skipping lunches, engaging in fewer conversations, navigating new technologies required for communications, or simply finding comfort in a makeshift office, employees today are looking for ways to reimagine their own home offices.
One way you might help your teams design better ways to work from home is to provide small comforts that enhance the feng shui of their new spaces. The House Plant Box is a plant subscription service that allows recipients to experience different natural touches to any home office, providing calming and relaxing stimuli to those transitioning their work realities.
For more ideas on how to show your workers the love, head to freemanleonard.com/lovethylabor.
We look forward to your feedback and your own suggestions on how we all can extend our recognition and dedication beyond a single day each year.
#LoveThyLabor: Celebrating women in the workforce
#LoveThyLabor: Celebrating women in the workforce
Certainly, Labor Day is a celebration of all workers’ rights and progress, but it’s also a timely reminder of the continued struggle for women to achieve workplace equality. It should be a commitment to the inclusion of women in the workplace, at all levels; to recognize and remedy income disparity based on gender; and to acknowledge that the fight for women’s workplace equality is not just a women’s issue.
As a 100% women-owned business, Freeman+Leonard invites you to take time during Labor Day Week to consider how far women have come, and also how far we still have to go.
As a gift for many of our friends and clients, we will be sharing one of our favorite reads at the moment, Lead: How Women In Charge Claim Their Authority, by Ellen M. Snee.
We're also encouraging our community to follow these 50 amazing women leading the charge in our industry. From entrepreneurs to executives, these pioneers regularly share inspiring words and wisdom on the contributions we make every day.
? Suggestion on how YOU can Love Thy Labor:
Today’s workers are more anxiety-ridden than ever before. The balance of work and life in an environment that seems to change every day has taken its toll on workers across the country. The mobile app Calm offers programs and sessions designed to relieve stress, and to help you find balance through daily exercises. Calm offers group rates as low as $10 per employee for a year’s subscription. Consider signing up your team for more moments of solace.
For more ideas on how to show your workers the love, head to freemanleonard.com/lovethylabor.
We look forward to your feedback and your own suggestions on how we all can extend our recognition and dedication beyond a single day each year.
With gratitude,
Kathy Leonard
President & CMO
Freeman+Leonard
#LoveThyLabor: Show some love to your workers this Labor Day week
Introducing #LoveThyLabor: A Freeman+Leonard week-long celebration
At Freeman+Leonard, we see Labor Day as a pretty important holiday.
On this day, the entire nation recognizes and honors workers’ contributions to the strength, prosperity and well-being of our country. Since President Grover Cleveland proclaimed the first Monday of every September a national holiday, our country has rallied together, in good times and bad, to celebrate the fundamental backbone of our society and culture.
As marketing talent matchmakers, we work with smart, talented professionals to fulfill the marketing and advertising needs of our clients in new and innovative ways.
On Labor Day, we honor them and all those working Americans whose energy and tireless efforts create so much of the nation’s strength, freedom and leadership.
The past 18 months have presented a tremendous challenge to our workforce and our employers, locally and nationally. The pandemic and its evolving effect on our communities has certainly strengthened our collective resolve, but it’s also battered employees, business norms and the future of labor as we know it.
To show our appreciation (or more apropos, our Love) of labor, all week long we’re going to share our perspectives on how to better #LoveThyLabor.
That includes thoughts on the different facets of today’s labor force, recommendations on ways you can learn more about the many ways we can improve, and suggestions on little things you and your organization can do to show your teams more love and support during these chaotic times.
For the full scoop, head to freemanleonard.com/lovethylabor
We invite you to join in our celebration of labor. We look forward to your feedback and your own suggestions on how we all can extend our recognition and dedication beyond a single day each year.
With gratitude,
Kathy Leonard
President & CMO
Freeman+Leonard