Southeastern has launched its biggest ever recruitment drive to encourage more people to opt for a career in rail.
To support this record-breaking recruitment drive, Southeastern has launched a unique advertising campaign which aims to encourage people from communities who may not have previously considered a career in rail, to do so.
Southeastern wants to identify and remove barriers to opportunity, attracting candidates from across the network to improve social mobility, increase hires from under-represented groups by 10% year on year and break the outdated perception of what working in rail is like.
The campaign includes a series of ‘Day in the Life’-style videos with a range of colleagues showing a behind the scenes glimpse of working at Southeastern.
Southeastern is also leveraging the power of podcasts to connect with diverse audiences and foster interest in careers in the rail industry. By tapping into the trusted relationships between podcast hosts and their listeners, Southeastern aims to build trust and encourage new career considerations in rail.
The campaign features sponsored host reads on four key podcasts that reach people from ethnically diverse backgrounds, young people, and women—groups that may not have previously considered a career in rail. Additionally, targeted audio ads will be broadcast across hundreds of carefully selected podcasts throughout the campaign.
Early indications are the campaign has successfully attracted a much broader range of applicants than ever before – with more women and more people from ethnic minority backgrounds.
Lucy Bryant, Campaigns Manager, Southeastern:
“We went through a rigorous but fun process to bring this campaign to life working with creative employer brand agency Blackbridge Communications. This included research, creative testing and ensuring we are targeting the right audiences with the help of our media agency OMD UK.
"Tying in with our Social Mobility Action Plan we have partnered with diversity and inclusion specialists OMG Unite, to reach members of our communities that may not have considered a career in rail.
“Although we are still processing the applications, we already know that we have had 26% more applicants from people from ethnic minority backgrounds than in 2023 and 5% more women.”
Vicky Johnstone, Client Partner, Blackbridge Communications Ltd:
“We were delighted to work with Southeastern on this campaign. From Monday morning commuters to families taking a trip to the seaside, their teams make a real difference to everyday lives. We enjoyed creating a campaign that communicated the connections you can make when you’re part of the Southeastern team. And it’s a thrill to see it attracting the vital talent they need.”
Jess Hitchborn, Account Director, OMD UK:
“This campaign recognises the importance of diversity and inclusion, proudly produced together with Southeastern, OMG Unite and Blackbridge. We focused our media approach on channels where we could reach our audiences in a creative way to bring to life the great opportunities Southeastern has to offer. This includes a podcast sponsorship with Acast, whereby we’ve partnered with creators to showcase the benefits of pursuing a career in rail”.
