Recruitment Campaign for a Leading Police Force
Background
A prominent police force in the UK, serving over 1.5 million residents and covering a vast geographical area, sought to improve the diversity of its applicant pool. With a commitment to reflecting the communities they serve, the force aimed to increase recruitment from underrepresented groups, including women, BAME individuals, and candidates from rural areas. In order to achieve this, they partnered with Mediaworks to design and execute a targeted recruitment campaign that would engage these specific demographics.
Challenge
Despite being one of the top-performing police forces in the UK, the organisation faced the challenge of attracting a more diverse range of applicants. The primary goal was to reach and engage underrepresented groups, with a focus on encouraging more women, BAME candidates, and residents from rural areas to apply for positions. The campaign needed to be broad-reaching yet highly targeted, using digital channels that could effectively engage each demographic group.
Solution
Mediaworks implemented a full-funnel approach, guiding potential applicants through the stages of awareness, consideration, and decision-making, using a combination of tailored messaging and strategic digital channels.
Awareness Stage
The first step in the campaign was to raise awareness and generate initial interest in the roles, especially among underrepresented groups.
LinkedIn & Google Display Network:
Sponsored ads on LinkedIn and the Google Display Network were used to build brand awareness and drive engagement. These ads were designed to appeal to a broad audience, ensuring high visibility for the recruitment drive across key demographic segments.
Consideration Stage
Once awareness was raised, the campaign moved to a more targeted phase, focusing on engaging individuals and encouraging them to consider applying.
Facebook & Instagram:
Using Facebook and Instagram, Mediaworks hyper-targeted specific audiences – female, BAME, and rural candidates. Tailored messaging was developed for each segment, ensuring that the content resonated with their unique characteristics, motivations, and interests. This helped increase relevance and engagement with the target groups.
Decision Stage
The final stage of the funnel focused on prompting action from potential candidates by ensuring the messaging reached them in an environment where they were likely to make a decision.
Spotify:
Spotify was leveraged to reach the BAME community with audio ads tailored to the music preferences of the target audience. This approach allowed the force to build brand awareness in a context that felt relevant and authentic to the target demographic, increasing the likelihood of engagement.
Google Ads:
By identifying key search terms related to recruitment and policing, Google Ads were used to capture candidates at the moment they expressed interest in a career with the police. Ads directed users to a dedicated landing page, designed to drive applications.
Results
The recruitment campaign far exceeded its expectations. Originally set with a target of 600 applicants, the campaign surpassed this figure within just two weeks, prompting the force to revise the target to meet the overwhelming demand. Over the course of the two-month campaign, the initiative generated 2,989 applications.
Key outcomes included:
A total of 2,989 applications received within the two-month period.
The initial goal of 600 applicants was reached within the first two weeks, prompting an increase in the recruitment target.
A diverse applicant pool was successfully generated, focusing on increasing representation from female, BAME, and rural candidates.
Multi-channel engagement was achieved, with tailored messaging across LinkedIn, Google, Facebook, Instagram, and Spotify, driving significant interest and applications.
Conclusion
This recruitment campaign demonstrates the effectiveness of a full-funnel digital strategy in attracting diverse applicants. By utilising a combination of targeted digital advertising and tailored messaging, the police force was able to significantly increase the number of applications and attract a more diverse talent pool. Mediaworks successfully engaged a variety of audiences through platforms that were relevant to each group, helping the force meet and exceed its recruitment goals.
Looking to boost your organisation’s recruitment efforts? Contact Mediaworks today to learn how we can help you implement a tailored, data-driven recruitment strategy that delivers results.
