Time for difference
in local government
EVP & Employer Brand Case Study
Willoughby City Council
Reinventing recruitment for the next generation
With an ageing workforce and an average tenure of 10 years, Willoughby City Council wanted to attract fresh talent: the right people with the right expectations. They already had a robust strategy and vision in place, but they needed the EVP and employer brand to match.
The thinking
Every local council looks and sounds the same, despite their inherent differences. Willoughby City Council wanted to shake things up when it came to talent attraction.
Our research told us that candidates were considering working in local government in general, not WCC in particular. We uncovered that major life events — like graduation, a career change or starting a family — were common triggers for our target audiences. We therefore knew that positioning WCC as an emotionally relevant solution to fulfil career and lifestyle needs would pack more of a punch than the rational differentiation relied on by other local government employers.
We created an agile EVP, segmenting our messaging for audiences based on career and life stage, rather than role type. We also created supporting tools, like personas, to help the wider team understand who roles were being marketed to. As the final touch, our employer brand showcased emotional relevance for our audiences: highlighting what a career at WCC can do for them.
Services
Audience segmentation
Persona development
Messaging framework
EVP | Employer branding
“It’s pretty scary for regular people when we show up with all the camera gear. But we take our time, we relax people into it and make sure everyone has a great day as we capture their authentic story.“
Ben Da Costa
Head of Agency
