Compass & SMRSTransforming the candidate journey

The partnership• Insight led, partnership approach• Worked with Compass for 4 years• Provided a range of media and creative services• Big challenge = lack of brand awareness • Project led approach to IDeA

Intro to Compass Group UK & Ireland• The worlds leading provider of food and support services• We have many brands – Chartwells, Eurest, Restaurant associates, ESS, Levy restaurants, Medirest etc.

• FTSE 100, 29th at present• 11th biggest employer in the world with c500,000 staff• Operate in over 50 countries• UK has 60,000 perm employees and 20,000 temps • Across 7000 sites • UK serves 3 million people per day

Starting point• 2011, commissioned SMRS to carry out Insight research on internal population

• Interviewed employees• Insight completed by mid 2011 - project was shelved• Concern vs excitement / opportunity• On arrival

• No social media activity• Manual processes – lack of information for the candidate• Careers website was old and lacked investment• ATS wasn’t used resulting in wasted time and effort

Targets• Attraction across multiple sectors, job families & regions• Development of the employer brand as Compass UK & I• Smoother candidate journey = higher applications• New ATS as well as a Careers site• Removal of duplication • Control and compliance from a candidate perspective • MI from a management and team perspective• Reduction in cost per hire• Reduction in time to hire• Increase in quality of candidates

What we’ve done• Reviewed the candidate journey from a number of perspectives

• Candidate survey on the journey = interesting results• Filmed people trying to find the ATS and then applying• Implemented a new ATS (Tribepad) in March• Several team meetings to discuss look feel and content of the careers site

• Now utilise Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter to promote jobs

The IDeA framework - Insight

Brand SessionMeeting to understand the essence behind the new brand

Employee PerceptionFocus groups with a broad range of current employees

Candidate PerceptionOnline survey with those recently into the process

Competition AuditUnderstanding your competitors across various audiences and the territory they occupy with their people comms

Leadership EngagementDepth interviews with key people within leadership positions across the business

The IDeA framework - Definition

Validation• Tracking and measuring

effectiveness with the help of technology, surveys and workshops

Locating the Employee Value Proposition• Developing core idea,

the tone of voice and the visual identity

• Testing and refining internally

Touch Points• Identifying the attraction

and employee touch points to enable the delivery of an overarching branded communications plan

The IDeA framework - Activation

External Second!• Attraction toolkit• Careers Site• Graduate attraction• Social Media Strategy

Internal First!• Launch events / meetings to

cascade the new Employer Brand across the business

Insight - What we did

“ I think the group that surprised me the most was the frontline workers at Medirest. Their compassion and genuine concern for patients was actually quite humbling.”

“ I think few people wouldn’t be impressed by Roman Abramovich’s private nightclub at Chelsea FC. A fascinating insight into the toys of the Super-rich.”

“ The business has not only a very dynamic leadership team, but a uniquely personable one too. Everyone made us feel welcome and gave us a lot of access and time. It was also very clear that people in the EMT had no illusions about the challenges on the frontline. That was impressive – and pretty rare in a business of this size.”

Quotes from the SMRS Insight team:

16

13

days of insight across the Group

site visits at different locations

focus groups involving senior and middle management and front line employees

leadership interviews

33

27

Insight - What we set out to learnIn order to ensure we had a clear framework for our research, we were very clear about what we were setting out to uncover.• What does each sector do• Individual career stories• Individual career aspirations• Individual career motivations• Internal sector perceptions• External sector perceptions• Levels of engagement with philosophy, purpose and task –

by sector, function and role• Communication desires of the workforce

Compass is like an onion.

You peel off one layer only to find twenty more underneath.

“The desire to serve is in the blood.”

Insight - The challangesIn relation to business and employee performance, the following themes occurred again and again:• Central control vs Empowerment• Doers vs Thinkers• Reactivity vs Proactivity• Client identity vs Compass Identity• Client demand vs business demand• Compass People vs Compass Machine

Insight - Key messages• The nature of SERVICE• The future of FOOD• Little signs of APPRECIATION• What does the FUTURE look like?• The INSIGHT-LED distinction• The beauty of the BUNDLE

Activation• Internal• External – toolkit, website, security etc.• Refinement

Activation - Internal• Internal communications have always been tricky in Compass due to disparate workforce

• New intranet introduced as of 1 May - Compass Connect• All of the various HR related teams have been given a new logo

• Future plans to review all internal touch points to align to the candidate journey

Activation - External• Assessment of audiences and development of toolkit, including;• TOV• Multiple advertising formats• Optimised copy for online usage

• Main point of activation: website

Activation - Website• IDeA project in its own right• Insight

• Analytics• User testing• Sessions with key stakeholders to understand objectives

• Scoping• Audiences• Journeys• Site Map• Technical requirements specification

Activation - Website• Definition

• Seeing beyond the pictures• User journeys for both new visitors and repeat visitors• Five key audiences: operations, head office, Sports, leisure,

events and hospitality, apprentices & school age children, graduates• Eight operating sectors• 15 different brands

• Photo and video shoots• Circa 40 models across two days

Activation - Website• Activation

• Bringing it all together• UX designs• Copy• Existing photography, original photography• Existing video, original video

Refinement• Tracking and reporting

• Front end - analysis of user journeys and goals• ATS linked• AB testing• Enhancements of content in the future – more people videos

What successes so far• ATS is 40 days old and has 8,000 candidates already• Candidates are already more engaged• The new “brand” is keenly anticipated and eager for launch• We have developed the employer brand into HR • We trialed the brand at Hotelympia and received strong praise • Our early careers section is nearly as big as the rest of the site!• Removed duplication via the ATS• Able to track advertising efficiency

Takeaways• Plan, plan, plan, plan• Get everyone on board internally (use the directors)• Be brave and bold• Embed yourself in the agency• Ensure the brand crosses the threshold• Be honest • Push them• Trust them

Any questions?

@SmrsLtd@YnotNotlaw