How we create the whole recruitment experience…Internal comms

{ 07/05/2010 @ 7:29 am } · { Awards, Branding, Creativity, HR, Internal Comms, Recruitment }
{ Tags: Awards, CIPD, Marketing, Recruitment }

The first in our week of blogs about all aspects of recruitment as demonstrated by our nominations at the CIPD Recruitment Marketing Awards 2010:

Paul UK, for those not in the know, are a French bakery and patisserie brand selling premium, quality bread, sandwiches and cakes from stores across London. The produce is all hand-made and the majority is produced fresh in each store every day. (The rest is produced in their own private bakery.) The customer service (and values of the business) revolves around the traditional, personal service that used to be the norm in your local shops.

As you can imagine, the recession slowed their planned expansion – especially with their prominence in Square Mile locations. The business wanted to keep their people highly motivated and involved in the business ready for when their plans could go full ahead again. That time being now.

Together with the management and HR of Paul, after some research and feedback from employees, we helped to create an internal comms strategy – Quality takes Time – to encompass the overall philosophy and culture of the company.

Using, what these days most would recommend without thinking, social media was discussed but discounted as most Paul People are obviously shop/kitchen based without any need for using on-line during working hours. And as the key requirement was that communications created discussion/interest amongst their working peers – not on their own at home on a laptop, for instance – this meant utilising something more ‘traditional’.

So to bring the strategy to life, the first piece produced was the Paul Rubiks. It was a real representation of all six sides of the six Paul values with a real, hands-on demonstration of how Quality takes Time – literally. (Do you realise how long it can take to complete a Rubik cube?) It also portrayed/reminded everyone of the Paul culture – one that is slightly eccentric, kooky and playful.

What did it achieve? Naturally, it generated discussion. The hands-on activity of trying to fit the values together to make a ‘whole’ – exactly the skills and attributes Paul want from their people – created the expected interest. The memorable way excited new recruits and established employees to think more about what Paul was all about and why its plans were worth waiting for.

And that’s why we’ve got our fingers crossed for the Best Internal Recruitment Communications on Wednesday night.