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Tag: employer advice

Revolutionizing Careers: Insights from a Trailblazing Career Coach

Daisy Wright is the Chief Encouragement Officer at The Wright Career Solution, where she helps professionals and emerging leaders find fulfilling career paths. She is dedicated to guiding individuals toward career transformation and is a visionary leader behind the Let’s GROW Project and the Aspire to GROW Leadership Academy. These initiatives empower women to own their ambitions and strive for leadership roles and equity in the workplace.

A personal transformation sparked Wright’s journey into career coaching. “I decided to pursue career coaching because of the transformation I witnessed in my own life/career. When I became frustrated in my job, I hired a career coach to help me identify my skills and explore career options.”

This particular experience sparked a passion in her to take on dual roles as a part-time resume writer and a part-time professor in the Faculty of Business at Sheridan College. Over time, this evolved into a full-fledged career coaching endeavour aimed at helping individuals achieve career clarity.

Empowering Others: Effective Strategies for Career Transformation

Transformative stories mark her career to date, “One of the greatest achievements in my work, generally, was to hear a client, who is now a DEI Director, exclaim, ‘I came in with a 180° perspective, and am leaving with a 360°.’ A tangible case study further illustrates the success of a recent graduate, shedding light on the impactful transformations possible.”

Wright believes in empowering students to successfully transition from school to work by utilizing university career centers. She also encourages career educators and employers to not only stay up-to-date with the latest trends but also to immerse themselves in them. “I am an early adapter to any technology that will enhance the work that I do.” says Daisy, “Long before the Pandemic, I was a frequent Zoom platform user, allowing me to work beyond borders. Currently, I am immersing myself into artificial intelligence and have been educating clients about its benefits and limitations.”

Strategies for Enhancing Mental Health and DEI Initiatives

Daisy believes it’s important to address mental health issues in the workplace. She highlights the significant costs that mental health challenges can have for employers and advocates for a workplace culture that prioritizes mental well-being. She suggests employers should provide resources to create supportive environments that enhance productivity and satisfaction. “As a career coach, my role is not limited to the career development of my clients but to their overall well-being. If any mental health issue arises during our work together, it becomes the priority. If the situation is outside the scope of my training, a referral is made.”

Daisy’s work is driven by the core pillars of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). She believes that diversity is crucial for driving innovation and performance. Drawing from her lived experiences and collaborations, she emphasizes the importance of diversity in the workplace. According to Wright, employers need to understand that diversity sparks innovation, which ultimately positively impacts the bottom line.

A Note to Career Educators and Employers

Employers can use digital recruitment tools such as job fairs and university partnerships to support and engage emerging talent. They can also establish virtual mentorship programs and foster clear communication channels. Daisy emphasizes, “Employers should expand their hiring pool to include platforms and resources that cater to historically underserved and underrepresented populations.”

In today’s competitive job market, it is recommended that employers use a variety of recruitment methods to attract top talent. It is essential to showcase the company culture and also offer growth opportunities to potential candidates.

For other career educators, Daisy suggests embracing continuous learning, adapting to emerging trends, and fostering mentorship. These practices are crucial in a rapidly evolving field.


Daisy Wright is the Chief Encouragement Officer at The Wright Career Solution. She partners with mid-career professionals, emerging leaders, and executives to help them discover fulfilling career opportunities. Daisy is also the Chief Architect of the Let’s GROW Project, an initiative to empower women and promote leadership.

 

Growing and Advancing Careers at Chick-fil-A

Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A, Inc. is a restaurant company known for the Original Chick-fil-A® Chicken Sandwich and their signature hospitality. In 2022, Chick-fil-A was recognized for its leadership and growth opportunities and named the Best Employer in America by Forbes and the Employee’s Choice by Glassdoor, honouring top CEOs.

We spoke with Whitney Perrett, Lead Recruiter, Talent Acquisition – International, to learn more about Chick-fil-A’s award-winning leadership and growth opportunities and how schools and career centres can involve their students and new grads.

Initiatives for Students and New Graduates Looking to Kickstart Their Careers 

Chick-fil-A, Inc. has internships available to undergraduate students and a unique Leadership Development Program designed to accelerate business acumen and leadership skills in a fast-paced restaurant environment. Whether at their corporate headquarters which is referred to as the Support Center or in the field at restaurants, Chick-fil-A offers an environment where individuals can grow personally and professionally. Having the ability to work and learn from an industry-leading brand sets students and new grads up for success as they prepare to launch into their future careers. During their time with Chick-fil-A, Inc., they’ll be exposed to the company’s inner workings and have access to a vast network of industry leaders, mentors, and professional development opportunities.

The talent acquisition lead recruiter, Whitney Perrett, recommends students and new grads visit their website to learn more about the Chick-fil-A brand, Chick-fil-A, Inc. and the company’s operations. Internship opportunities are posted annually, and the company hires for its Leadership Development Program on a rolling basis, so checking their website or following the company on job boards is also valuable. For those interested in applying, she recommends attending one of their info sessions and visiting a nearby Chick-fil-A brand restaurant to experience the brand.

Exclusive Insights into Chick-fil-A, Inc.’s Leadership Development Program

Success within the Leadership Development Program (LDP) starts even before employees are hired. Whitney mentions their team works to understand an individual’s long-term aspirations during the recruiting and interview process to help the applicant decide if the LDP will help them work towards future goals. During the program, they help each participant design a customized development plan in addition to their business and leadership experiences to support their individual career paths and development needs.

Whitney notes, “I’ve had the opportunity to work for a handful of organizations in my career, and Chick-fil-A, Inc. has an unmatched company culture. I personally believe that working for Chick-fil-A, Inc. as part of an internship or our Leadership Development Program (LDP) will set a high bar for what company culture and work can look like. Students and new grads will experience an authentic workplace environment that cares about the employee and the customers we serve in a distinct way in the industry – and the workforce.”

Additionally, Chick-fil-A, Inc. has a door-open policy for connecting with business leaders. While working with them, interns and LDP Participants will have the opportunity to sit down with senior leaders, executives, and professionals who have been in the industry for decades.

Measuring  Success while Working with Chick-fil-A

Within the quick service restaurant (QSR) industry, success is measured by the speed of service, profitability, and loyalty of customers. For Chick-fil-A, success is measured by the quality of food, providing signature hospitality, and the level of care shown for their employees, guests, and the communities they serve. Students and new graduates have a unique opportunity to learn invaluable lessons from Chick-fil-A’s exemplary approach. Chick-fil-A’s principles can shape their career trajectories and inspire them to prioritize excellence, compassion, and community impact in their professional journeys.

Career-Changing Benefits of Joining the Chick-fil-A Team

Whitney shared with us her valuable experience, “working with Chick-fil-A, Inc. as a Lead Recruiter has been very rewarding. Being a new brand to Canada, I have had the privilege to share new employment opportunities with individuals that may not have considered Chick-fil-A in their careers previously. It’s fun to share my personal love for the company as well as inspire others with our shared vision “to become the world’s most caring company.”

She adds, “I love seeing eyes light up as people connect that Chick-fil-A, Inc. is a workplace that combines business with a positive influence on the people and communities around them. Having the ability to introduce someone to a career where they can grow and flourish while positively influencing those around them is truly a remarkable experience.”

Chick-fil-A presents an exceptional launchpad for students and recent graduates to embark on their professional journey. The organization prioritizes facilitating meaningful career paths, fostering a robust and positive company culture, and staying current with the most significant industry trends to maintain their reputation as a market-leading brand.


To learn more about Chick-fil-A and its career initiatives, check out their employer profile on TalentEgg!

Meet Our New Director of Partnerships and Operations: Rachel Evans

We are delighted to welcome Rachel Evans to the TalentEgg team. As the Director of Partnerships and Operations, she brings a wealth of experience in talent acquisition, recruitment marketing and employer branding. We interviewed Rachel to learn more about her experience and how it can support emRachel Evans At TalentEggployers and career educators.

Q: Why did you decide to join TalentEgg?

What attracted me most was the critical role TalentEgg plays in connecting tomorrow’s workforce with great employers and the support TalentEgg offers employers to extend brand awareness, reach, and connection with students and those early in their careers.

I was also a previous client of TalentEgg, working as a recruitment marketing advisor with Shell Canada, where I led talent attraction for students and new graduates nationwide. My experience with the TalentEgg team was exceptional, and the company’s growth has been impressive. While TalentEgg started many years ago as a job board with digital advertising, the company has grown to offer comprehensive employer branding and talent attraction services, enabling employees to use TalentEgg as an extension of their campus recruitment teams.

Q: Can you tell us more about your background in employer branding, recruitment marketing and talent acquisition?

As mentioned, I led recruitment marketing for Shell Canada, and I have had the opportunity to participate in employer branding and talent acquisition throughout my career as a marketing professional. I recently came from the talent acquisition industry, where I led marketing and communications for a technology company that enabled talent pools. In that role, I was a speaker on employer branding best practices. I consider recruitment marketing no different than traditional B2C marketing, with the product being the career within the organization and the consumer being the student/new graduate. Applying tried and tested marketing principles to talent attraction is quantifiably better than not adopting these best practices.

Q: Why is employer branding important now more than ever?

Employer branding is essential as businesses recover from the pandemic. Many employers stopped or scaled down their employer brand and talent attraction spend, which has resulted in reduced brand awareness among students and new graduates. With Boomers leaving the workforce in unprecedented numbers, organizations have a significant gap to fill. In a hyper-competitive talent attraction landscape, the only way to differentiate your organization is with a strong employer brand and presence in the market, intersecting young people with where they are physically and digitally.  

Q: What are your plans to support TalentEgg’s partners?

I am excited to support employers with their talent attraction strategies and employer brand to help connect them with great students and new graduates. I see a significant opportunity to partner collaboratively to extend existing services, including co-marketing and branding initiatives during campus events that show institutions are committed to connecting their students and new grads with employment opportunities.

TalentEgg also has a suite of e-learning courses that may be of interest to all of our partners. These professionally produced courses teach soft skills needed in the workplace that are often lacking in young people. These courses are incredibly cost-effective and could be an excellent addition to the services already offered by post-secondary institutions and employers struggling to close this gap within their workplace.

Q: How can TalentEgg’s partners (employers, career centers, career educators) get in touch with you?

Reach out anytime by email at: rachel@talentegg.ca connect with me on LinkedIn! I look forward to working together!