Creators Find Inspiration in Unlikely Places
“Look at all these runners – they could be potential candidates for our vacancies!” And so, a creative recruitment concept was born.
There we were, Massiel and Cedric, two recruiters and amateur runners in what seemed to be an unreasonable challenge. With a positive attitude and legs powered by big hopes, we were ready to make (personal) history by running up to 100 kilometers on a hot summer day in Munich.
The vibe was amazing and the strangers around us didn’t seem like strangers at all. We saw people racing through, others carrying music devices, spectators cheering, some giving up. The sound of the drums was in rhythm with the beat of our hearts as we occasionally tried to smile for the camera.
You see, we as recruiters connect people with a passion for sport. Our minds are geared for compulsively thinking about who could fit which position. At parties, bus stations, even on top of Mount Kenya you might see us exchanging contact details with future talent.
“Nice Job! Want An Even Better One?”
Simple ideas can turn into huge concepts when you have the right supporters. We returned from Munich and shared our idea with the team: to connect with runners who are our potential job candidates.
How would we do it? For our next race, a half marathon in Luxembourg, we produced 100 wristbands with the adidas Group logo and address of the career website as well as T-shirts that identified us as adidas recruiters.
It was a success! We were making connections both at the starting line and during the run by giving wristbands to people and inviting them to apply to adidas. We got positive and curious reactions from runners working for big international companies.
“Hey, stay away from him, I’m his boss!” was one of the comments we got, followed by a laugh. These were exactly the reactions we were looking for. We also gave a band to the ‘boss’. That provoked another reaction: “And stay away from her, I’m her boss!”
Calling All Runners
We came back from Luxembourg with sore legs and key takeaways:
- The concept works. The immediate feedback was fantastic.
- We can target the creators we want to approach, because a lot of them run with their colleagues and make a team event out of it.
- People are the most powerful asset of a company, so when employees promote a company’s initiative and message, brand aspirations turn into reality.
We were hungry for more and wanted to involve more people. We set up a running series in different cities in Germany where we could promote our employer brand while doing what we love: sports! Every race had the same impact: positive reactions from people who welcomed the chance to connect with us.
“Oh, thank you! What is this?!” a runner replied after receiving the wristband. One reaction really hit the spot: “I love sports, I love adidas, and I’m interested in joining your company – this is a great initiative!”
Sport Changes Lives – And It Can Change Your Career
More than active candidates, we want to position our company as an employer of choice. There’s no better place than a running event to bring our brand – and lifestyle – to life in order to attract the best talent: ‘creators and entrepreneurial minds with an athlete’s heart’.
We will continue convincing all runners we meet that there is no better place to work than the adidas Group. We will also continue our running journey.
Next stop: Lisbon on October 2nd and later Berlin. Join us and make some noise!
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But, this is good..!
Brilliant idea - gives the brand even more street cred with our potential candidates when they see you the recruiter living the sport right beside them. And you are all having a lot of fun in the process! Love it.
You are the best, "there is no better pleace to work than the adidas" yeap ;)
Please come İstanbul Marathon, http://www.istanbulmarathon.org/en.
Thanks so much, it is great to read for adidas lover.
cheer them up when you catch them!