JCB needed to build a reputation that would help to attract young talent. However, one challenge was JCB’s reputation as a producer of diesel-consuming machinery, as many Gen Z candidates are committed to sustainability. To appeal to this audience, it needed to tweak its employer brand and ensure it was highly visible online. At the same time, it did not want to be accused of ‘greenwashing’ by simply saying it was committed to sustainability – it needed to showcase its green reputation within the industry, including its pioneering work in creating a new hydrogen-powered engine.

JCB used videos of current early careers employees talking about their experiences with the hydrogen project, alongside a strapline of ‘Shaping a new world from the ground up’. Accepting that many candidates would not know which career path suited them at this stage, it created a ‘Find your fit’ interactive quiz to match them with appropriate programmes. Once on the careers site, every aspect is designed to keep visitors on the page, boosting JCB’s search engine optimisation because content is so relevant and making it more visible to potential employees.

The 2023 campaign generated an impressive response, enabling JCB to pipeline talent for the future. The number of pages visitors viewed increased, as did internal link clicks, and there was a significant reduction in bounce rate.