Our Top 5 Recruitment Projects of 2020

Over the last 12 months, we've worked alongside some fantastic recruitment brands, supporting them through their digital transformation journey. Each new client comes to us with unique challenges that need a digital response. Using our tried and tested process, we take on these challenges offering a three-phase approach; Consult, Build and Optimise.

Throughout this turbulent year, there's been no better high than the moment we push a new site live and watch a brands vision come to life. Each project is unique, and for some, the build goes beyond the website. We combine brand development and marketing strategy to help take businesses to the next level.

All of our recruitment websites combine recruitment functionality with beautiful design and powerful backend platforms. This provides each brand with a digital asset that optimises user experience, creating a unique space for both clients and candidates.

Whilst we can't name all the incredible brands we've worked with this year, we'd like to say a huge thank you to everyone that joined Venn in 2020. To celebrate the hard work of our team and our clients, we're taking a look back at our top five Recruitment projects of 2020.

Montreal Associates

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Services Included: Web Design & Brand Development.

Standout Features:

• Optimised market place pages
• Vertical & regional site structure
• Multi-language country folders
• Bespoke design showcasing client success

Montreal Associates came to us back in 2019 in need of a new website suitable for their growing brand. What started as a web development project, soon evolved into a full rebrand, discovery workshop and new recruitment website. Together, Venn and Montreal Associates took a deep dive into the existing brand. Working with the wider team, we created a brand strategy and website that will continue to grow with the business.

The Challenges

MA are a diverse brand with a vibrant culture across Europe, and yet the old website reflected none of their unique values. With offices in both London and Barcelona, MA wanted to reassess their brand values across their various locations in preparation for future growth.

The task was to realign the internal culture with the external brand image and improve user experience. MA wanted to improve lead generation, realign their employer brand and create a website that had the flexibility to grow.

The Solution

With plans to expand, MA needed a memorable modern brand & website to reflect their personality. This project included a functional, bespoke, SEO optimised recruitment website and brand development. With the goals being to improve user experience and lead generation, design and creativity were vital. 

The old website was complicated and not receiving the right traffic. A focus on technical SEO, ensured that the new MA site would rank for keywords and convert. By adding new location market pages we made sure MA were visible and SEO optimised in all there locations. Using tailored content we were able to display the brand's knowledge of these locations and the tech industry, thereby improving reputation and ranking

The old branding was predictable, dull, and didn't reflect the drive of the people that work at MA. From an employer brand perspective, that was a huge issue. By using the 0101 of the binary code, we were able to bring the brand into the modern-day tech sector. Creating an image that resonates with the people that MA want to attract.

"I think we've created a fantastic website and a brand that truly resonates with us. It's all to do with the effort from the Venn team, always being willing to hear what we have to say. Being me on my own was daunting, but Venn was so supportive and the organisation was outstanding."

Kate Harding/ Marketing Manager - Montreal Associates

Learn more about the Montreal Associates project in our showcase.

SF Recruitment

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Services Included: Web Design

Standout Features:

• Candidate journey focus
• Career tools
• Seamless integration of tools with CMS and external CRM.

SF are one of the biggest recruiters in the Midlands and are partnered with the chamber of commerce in Birmingham. They have a passion for sustainability and put emphasis on using bamboo as part of their branding and work as a sustainable source.

The Challenges

SF came to us needing a new website that would allow them to move some of their business processes online, thereby making them run more smoothly. Consultants were struggling with the amount of admin work that was required. To tackle this we wanted to provide smart tools for the website. Not only would these tools assist consultants when dealing with candidates, but also improve the user experience on the site.

The Solution

The project brought an exciting challenge for our team internally. We had to consider the functionality of the tools, how they would interact with the website and how we would handle the data on the backend. Working closely with the client's development team, we were able to link all the systems up as the website fully integrates with their CRM. All the tools on the new SF website, go towards creating an interactive experience for the candidate. Some of the recruitment tools include the commute comparison and salary calculator.

The complexity of this build was unique and took time to plan and implement. The result was a website that gained more CVs for the client than ever before. So much so that they've had to reassess their internal processes to cope with the large increase of inbound CV's.

SF continues to work on improving the website, looking for ways to evolve the user experience in a changing world. For their internal processes, SF has been able to utilise our CMS and recruitment platform to streamline activities. 

"The project was a challenging one for the team with lots of elements to consider but we were able to deliver a product that has improved CV submissions and internal processes drastically, by working closely with the SF Recruitment team."

Emily Sharples/ Project Manager - Venn Digital

Armstrong Craven

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Services Included: Web Design, Content Marketing Strategy, SEO, PPC

Standout Features:

• An optimised site structure for search ranking
• Content led approach
• Organic search strategy focussing on core services

Armstrong Craven are a global talent research business. Established in 1990, they provide global market insights on talent to support HR leaders and inform strategic business decisions. Many of their clients come to them at times of transformational change or growth. Their goal is to help businesses identify & recruit scarce, senior and specialised talent.

The Challenges

Initially, AC came to Venn for performance marketing support. After looking closely, we could see that the site wasn't optimised for conversion and the CMS was restrictive. This was resulting in low search visibility. In order for our marketing strategy to gain the desired results, they needed a website that reflected the expertise and experience of the business but also had the functionality to support lead generation.

The Solution

We proposed a new site architecture that was optimised for search. Venn gave Armstrong Craven a new website optimised for search and conversion. We created a design that provided flexibility for managing content and creating new pages without the required input of technical specialists. Using our unique blog editor, we created dedicated areas for White Papers, Case Studies and Opinion pieces. We showcased relevant content on specific pages to showcase the expertise Armstrong Craven has to offer and support lead generation.

So far we've seen incredible improvement for Armstrong Craven. With 20% reduction in bounce rate and 40% increase in Pages Per Session. By focussing on content strategy and SEO, we were able to increase session duration by 133% and keyword visibility by 101%!

Sacco Mann

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Services Included: Web Design, Brand Development.

Standout Features:

• Strong imagery/ theme to match brand values
• Tech SEO plan & implementation
• Intuitive job search

Sacco Mann is a legal recruitment company based in Manchester with a long-established set up across the country, placing candidates all throughout the North and in London. They came to us looking to support a new website and brand.

The Challenges

The old Sacco Mann site was vast, so a clear plan was needed to ensure SEO was not neglected during migration. This involved advising the client on how to manage the landing pages that existed on the current site. Carefully planning the process of bringing them over to the new site structure.

The challenge we faced when delivering this project was the transition from face-to-face meetings to remote working. This is a situation that all businesses have had to adapt to during 2020, ensuring that communication between the two parties continued allowing the project to run smoothly.

The Solution

Sacco Mann needed a website that reflected their professionalism. A space that shows users that they are an established business with skilled and adaptable consultants.

To reflect the hard-working, flexible team at Sacco Mann, we used the theme of gymnasts or acrobats to develop the branding and imagery style. The new website allowed Sacco Mann to show their business's personality and portray themselves as a more mature and accomplished brand.

Post-go live we have continued to tweak and amend the website based off feedback from clients and candidates. In the five months since launch, we've been able to make even more positive changes to improve the user experience.

"Overall the project ran smoothly throughout the changing environment in the world and we were able to deliver a product that can help Sacco Mann as a business and is something they can continue to build on in the future."

Emily Sharples/ Project Manager - Venn Digital

Pareto

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Services Included: Website Reskin, Brand Development

Standout Features:

• Engaging and modern new design for a heritage brand
• Upgraded HTML framework
• Refined brand messaging, tone and image

Pareto is a market-leading Assessment, Placement & Training company. With over 25 years' experience and offices in Manchester, London & New York, they are dedicated to solving hiring limitations of all shapes and sizes, empowering employees to release their sales potential.

The Challenges

Pareto are a heritage brand with a wealth of experience and are well respected in their industry. However, their brand identity was dated and didn't reflect the passion and drive within the business. Over the years the site had become monolithic and the brand diluted, with mixed messaging and tone. The age of the site meant the HTML framework was outdated and the mobile experience needed improving. It was time to pull the brand back to it's core and reskin the website with a clear identity, look and feel.

The Solution

The reskin of the Pareto website required considerable planning to ensure we protected the search visibility and domain authority. Through market research and conversations with key stakeholders, we refined the messaging to uncover the core of the brand. Our brand specialists worked closely with the design team to ensure it was engaging and modern, reflecting the heritage of the brand. The upgraded HTML framework meant the site is optimised across all devices and browsers with significant improvement to the user experience.

"Pareto has always had the makings of a great brand, we just needed to get back to the roots and bring its purpose back to the forefront. Working with the team we honed, styled and aligned Pareto’s core messaging and took it across all touch points. It’s been a great project to be a part of."

Rhiannon Barnes-Powell/ Brand Strategist - Venn Digital

It's been a busy year here at Venn, and we are incredibly thankful for all the brands that have decided to partner with us!

From marketing strategies to recruitment platforms, we provide an end-to-end digital solution for recruitment the industry. If you would like to learn more about our recruitment marketing services, take a look at our service page. Or perhaps you already have a project in mind, in which case we would love to hear from you. Get in touch to speak to a member of our team.