First Group: Recruiting overseas

Rare use of a home page to alert a targeted group of job seekers.

The Site

First Group, a UK rail and bus network operator, has a direct appeal for job candidates from Poland on the home page of its main website. Among a set of six lower-page banner links to group sites is one captioned ‘Rekrutacja Kandydatow z Polski’ and with an image of the red-and-white national flag of Poland. The set reloads periodically, but the Polish link is systematically included in the initial set which appears when the page is launched.

The banner leads to a Polish-language careers mini-site which has detailed information about, for example, pay and working conditions in the UK, current vacancies there (with an online initial application form), FAQs, an education programme and telephone contact in Poland.

The Takeaway

Most organisations choose one of two routes to job vacancies on their websites: either they direct jobseekers to local opportunities only or they have a central comprehensive listing that everyone can browse. While the latter leaves the door ajar for qualified candidates anywhere, First Group flings it open and strings up a welcome sign by using a prime piece of web real estate to appeal directly to potential recruits overseas.

The fact that it has chosen to make such bold use of its website illustrates both the difficulties the company must be having finding enough suitable workers in the UK and a recognition of how powerful the medium can be as a means of widening the pool of qualified applicants. First Group has also constructed an impressive-looking Polish-language resource for potential candidates in terms of varied content and creating the impression of itself as a supportive employer. It is surprising how many companies struggle to sell themselves this well even to native speakers.

First published on 18 January, 2007