By 2026, fashion retailer Primark will have 530 stores in 17 different markets. To deliver on its plans, it needs to recruit tens of thousands of new colleagues across different roles, whether working in store or digital gurus to grow its online presence, or people who can ensure its supply chain operates ethically. Social media is a core part of the company’s employer brand, bringing working at Primark to life, changing perceptions through storytelling, and conveying the unique culture of the business.

Working with Radancy, it established five storytelling pillars: Every day is an opportunity; Growing around the world; Caring makes a difference; Working with Passion and Open to everyone. To zero in on the right talent, it researched international teams on their competitive landscape, the skills they needed and their candidate preferences. A social media campaign would amplify brand awareness, ignite audience engagement, attract top talent and drive candidates to consider Primark as an employer of choice. Every follower was delivered a tailored, platform-specific experience showing life at Primark, including user-generated content, interactive stories and polls. On LinkedIn, for example, the spotlighted roles were in real management, featuring colleague profiles and day-in-the-life videos.

Primark held company-wide personal brand and social profile sessions to upskill employees and demonstrate the importance of advocacy in achieving goals. Leaders were also involved in social strategy, attending ‘rock your profile’ sessions on how they could improve their LinkedIn presence. A Global Leadership Connect event and one-to-one sessions empowered leaders to share the EVP through their own social networks, incorporating 360-camera content. A competition to recruit early-career influences offered a prize of a trip to a new store opening in Budapest. Engagement across socials has soared 57% above the company’s engagement rate benchmark and is 139% up year-on-year. There has been a boost in applications from social media of more than 200%.