The competitive race for talent has reached a seminal point in the U.S. No longer is the promise of a good starting salary with benefits and opportunities for advancement enough to satisfy a growing number of job-seekers. Even the expectations of the gainfully employed are higher than ever, causing many businesses to reconsider well-established talent management practices.

While the COVID-19 pandemic forever changed the future of work, employee needs and wants, fueled by a sense of purpose in their lives and careers, have changed dramatically as well. Today’s workforce places a premium on when, where, and how they work; the diversity and inclusiveness of a business; and how it improves lives, local communities, and the world all around.

The fundamental shift in workforce mentality has had a direct impact on the marketing and advertising industry’s ability to attract and retain top-end, diverse talent. And with talent challenges increasing, companies are left scrambling for answers and a way forward.

In this episode of Beyond Profit, a podcast of the ANA Center for Brand Purpose, host Ken Beaulieu discusses the critical talent issues at hand with Ashley Miles, founder and CEO of Franklyn West, and Marisa Thalberg, one of only 19 people to be inducted into the Forbes CMO Hall of Fame.