Power User Spotlight with Nicola Thistlewaite

In the dynamic world of talent acquisition, staying ahead of the curve is paramount to attracting and retaining the right talent. 

I recently sat down with Nicola Thistlewaite, Compass Group Australia's National Manager of Recruitment, Sourcing, and Partnerships. Compass Group is a global contract food and support services company operating in over 50 countries with 600,000 employees.

As a guest on our Super User Pod, Nicola sheds some light on how they've leveraged VideoMyJob and the power of storytelling to enhance their employer brand, improve candidate experience, and achieve better hiring outcomes.

The Status Quo: An Archaic Approach

Before implementing VideoMyJob around 14 months ago, Compass Group relied on employees voluntarily submitting photos, videos, and other collateral that could be repurposed for employer branding. This meant a disjointed process of chasing down assets, confirming permissions, editing content, and distributing it.

As Nicola noted, in hindsight this approach seemed "really archaic." However, it's an unfortunate reality that even large, sophisticated employers often have fragmented employer branding and candidate experience processes. 

The Objectives: Elevate EVP and Increase Awareness

In partnering with VideoMyJob, Compass Group had two main objectives:

1. Communicate the employee value proposition (EVP) internally so that current employees fully understand career growth opportunities. As Nicola stated, "If we can't show our employees that already feel that, then how are additional employees gonna feel and understand what's available to them?"

2. Elevate the brand externally to increase candidate quality With over 800,000 visitors and 20,000 applicants per month through their careers site, the goal was to attract the right people for the right roles, first time, every time. 

The Execution: Authentic Stories, Powerful Content

To achieve these goals, Compass Group focused on collecting authentic employee stories that brought their EVP pillars to life:

• Chart your own career path
• Do good, feel good
• Create a workplace for everyone

For example, by showcasing career progression from entry-level roles to management, they reinforced the message that employees can chart their careers.

Internally, these genuine stories resonate emotionally with employees and inform them of opportunities. Externally, they convey what it's actually like to work at Compass Group's many brands.

As Nicola noted, "It's unmatched potential, it's unmatched advertising potential." And I couldn't agree more!

The Impact: Improved Metrics and Experiences

Since adopting VideoMyJob, Compass Group has seen impressive improvements across employer brand and recruitment metrics:

• 5.2% decrease in website bounce rates
• Increased click-through and conversion rates
• Higher quality applications and conversion from applicants to hires
• Reduced turnover due to better job fit

Additionally, they've been able to eliminate paid search campaigns because of increased organic traffic and conversions from their content.

Most meaningfully, Nicola views success as employees across every level feeling that the EVP represents their actual career experiences at Compass. This emotional engagement leads to an energized, and aligned workforce.

Key Takeaways

Compass Group's journey with VideoMyJob underscores several best practices:

• Start with a clear employer brand strategy and objectives
• Motivate involvement by connecting to individual needs
• Collect diverse stories spanning roles, locations, statuses
• Distribute across channels and touchpoints
• Measure behavioral, perceptual, and business metrics

I found Nicola to be an exemplary leader in employer brand management. By leveraging employee perspectives, she's nurturing an employer brand and candidate experience that authentically conveys Compass Group's vision and energizes its talent community.

What questions or insights emerge for you from Nicola's story? I welcome your comments below!

Watch the full episode here.