Increasing job applicants by 50% & graduates/apprentices by 48%

  • What we did:
  • Employer Brand & Internal Communications
A photo of Adrian from Colas Rail UK in his orange rail uniform.

Client:
A subsidiary of the global Colas Group, which is active across 50 countries and 5 continents, Colas Rail is a leading provider of railway infrastructure services. They provide design, engineering, project management, construction and maintenance solutions for the light rail, metro, mainline and high-speed markets.

Challenge:
Colas Rail UK’s recruitment campaigns and processes weren’t getting the traction they needed. Subsequently, attracting a diverse range of right calibre of talent, from enthusiastic apprentices to seasoned project managers, was proving problematic.

Solution:
Following initial discussions with stakeholders, we were convinced there was a compelling story waiting to be told. Through more in-depth conversations with Colas Rail employees across the UK, we discovered the true heartbeat of the company: a shared passion for building a sustainable future. This wasn’t just a job, it was a mission that fuelled every person we spoke to.

And this passion became the cornerstone of our campaign. Crafting a narrative that celebrated the individuality of Colas Rail’s workforce, we completely changed their approach to job ads. We focused heavily on employees’ lives outside the office – their hobbies, their interests, the things that make them unique. These were deployed across a mix of channels, from established platforms to TikTok and Instagram.

Results:
Stronger employer brand visibility as evidenced by a 50% uplift in applications. Colas Rail experienced higher engagement from target audiences, particularly younger talent (48% increase in graduates/apprentices.)

“This will help generate a consistent pipeline of talent with candidates from different backgrounds and expertise”

Katie Petroskey, Head of HR – Central Services, Colas Rail UK

 

Image of brand guideline pages
Image of pages from a recruitment brochure
An image showing Colas Rail workers doing track work.
An image of three Colas Rail employees from different areas of work, turned to the right, the middle one wearing Colas Rail track uniform.
Image of two people looking to the right on a billboard.
An image showing how an employer brand recruitment campaign newspaper ad can look.
An image to show how the Colas Rail branding can look on different coloured wristbands.
Image of Colas Rail worker facing forwards.