E68 Brennan Decker: From Retail To Corporate

Nov 25 2020 • 14 mins

With Thanksgiving being tomorrow, we would like to say thanks to all our wonderful guests who engage with us in meaningful conversations and our listeners that tune in every show. It’s been an… interesting year (to say the least), but I think the majority of us still have plenty to give thanks for.

Brennan believes finding diverse talent is as hard as you make it. In order to be successful, a company must make a priority to build diversity into their organization and create opportunities for their employees to grow. When scouting for talent, he believes that companies should be focused on hiring good people who are energetic and passionate about the business, not necessarily someone who has a specific educational background. Once a candidate is identified with the right soft skills, that individual can be trained and allowed to grow into the right roles. Brennan likes the idea of using the apprenticeship pattern for tech positions because it gives both the apprentice and the employer an opportunity to determine if they are a good fit for one another. It's a low risk way to test drive from both parties. In regards to retaining diverse talent, Brennan thinks it is critical for companies to talk about the career opportunities that are open to employees from day one.

Brennan Decker is the Loyalty Program Manager and Product Owner at Finish Line where he has worked for over 17 years starting in retail and working his way up to a corporate position. He also serves as the Chairman of the Board for Hav A Sole, a 501c3 non profit who provides the homeless and at risk youth with quality footwear to encourage healthier lifestyles and prevent disease. Brennan is in the process of launching ProductLeader.tech, an online resource dedicated to current and aspiring product leaders.