Recruiting, the IKEA way!
More often than not, the best ways to get eyeballs is to break the script or format. be it with your customers or your talent pool. IKEA Australia did just that!
They mimicked their classic and famous assembly instructions to, well create a set of ‘career instructions’. Inside every package they sold, they hid these instructions, just waiting to be discovered when customers got home. The campaign hit the bull’s eye and got them a whopping 4,285 applicants which eventually converted into 280 new hires. IKEA was surely spoilt for choice.
Defying the traditional methods of recruitment, this campaign was a total winner, with virtually no spends at all. Instead, it created an instant buzz when customers organically started talking about the campaign within their social circle.
So, how did they make it happen?
Let us get back to IKEA’s origins to understand this better. IKEA, a Swedish multinational, designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture with a philosophy – ‘To create a better everyday life for the many people.’
Driven with this philosophy, IKEA managed to execute this flawlessly and a detailed study reveals some interesting insights:
Need: There was a need to hire a lot of staff for the new store in Australia, but there was no time at all. So, what did they do differently?
- A new channel: They made the best use of their best asset. They leveraged their existing customer base, a bunch who were loyal and positively predisposed to the brand. People who themselves might want to work for the brand they love or encourage folks in their network to
- Simplicity: No postage, no advertisements, no media spend… No frills! A simple idea and clear messaging
- The localization card: They wanted locals to come on board. So, they reached out to customers purchasing furniture or getting it delivered to their IKEA’s way of saying that we want to work with the community in generating gainful employment and thus benefiting the constituents
- Media Attention: A campaign as simple, yet unreal, got all the attention it deserved. Media being on the constant lookout for delicious stories scooped it up!
IKEA is a testament to a brand that hasn’t taken its popularity and followership for granted. Innovation is core to everything they do, be it with their business, products or then building a legacy of being a revered employer.
Check it out for yourself –