RBKC was building a new Sovereign DD&T Service (Digital, Data and Technology Service) with the objective to fundamentally change the way the Council operates and help positively impact on the lives of all residents.

Osborne Thomas were appointed as the retained consultants to manage the attraction and initial applications – and they in turn chose to partner with WDAD for EVP and employer branding expertise. Together we were tasked with finding and recruiting a host of IT specialists.

Designing a compelling employer brand message and suite of branded assets was vital to the success of this project. And given the nature of the roles, is was also essential to have a dedicated microsite to better inform candidates and provide a destination on which tracking pixels could be used for retargeting when using programmatic attraction methods.

The resulting attraction assets and microsite encompassed elements of the Borough’s existing branding ‘We Are Kensington and Chelsea’, adapted to suit the target market, enhanced by the use of a suite of headline statements, bold colour combinations and imagery.

We also devised a geo-targeted media plan incorporating generic messaging on traditional job boards via MPU / banner targeting and email campaigns. This was supported with a two month social media and Google paid-for advertising campaign.

The results

The first three tranches of jobs generated a response rate of more than 2,000 application clicks, with a significantly higher CTR than the industry benchmark. After four months, over 60% of the positions were filled – great return in a very difficult sector. Additionally, over 50% of Osborne Thomas’s candidate pools came from minority groups.

The success of the campaign garnered recognition at the 2023 PPMA awards, with nominations for Best Candidate Experience and Best Employer Brand.