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My TrustFord

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TrustFord’s employer brand is a perfect example of what a real employer brand can do for a business. After an in-depth discovery phase that involved over 50% of the business, their new employer promise has helped to transform how they attract, recruit, assess, onboard, train, develop and inspire their people. That’s an awful lot things for one brand to do, but after making it into the Sunday Times Top 25 for the first time last year, and improving their ranking this year, we believe TrustFord’s employer brand is a class above the rest.

In 2014 TrustFord defined their new Purpose, Principles and Ambition (PPA). Their aim, to drive the standard in customer care. In order to achieve this goal, TrustFord knew that there needed to be a real culture shift within the organisation, and a huge change externally to the perception of what working in car sales was like, if they were going to engage and attract the right talent.

Our discovery stage was rightly very detailed and involved people from right across the business and at every level. TrustFord wanted to know the good, the bad and the ugly things about working for the business. Then, they could use that information and understanding to change the way they worked.

Using this insight we defined 8 propositions (that aligned perfectly with their PPA) and one employer promise that underpinned everything they did – and they did a lot. Over the last two years we have:

  • Launched a new employer brand attraction campaign and careers website
  • Created an employer brand toolkit for all hiring managers full of everything they need to manage that attraction
  • Worked with occupational psychologists to change the way they assess candidates in scenario-based tests
  • Internally, created a new refer-a-friend scheme
  • Created the TrustFord Academy, to ensure all new employees (or new to role) get off to the best possible start
  • Redefined their training & development programmes giving employees unprecedented access to L&D
  • Created customer experience coaches that visit sites to coach management teams

And all of this, is underpinned by the TrustFord promise we developed. Better than that though, is the ROI this employer brand has achieved in the last two years. Big highlights for us are a 5% increase in retention, a 50% reduction in dropout rates in the first six months and mammoth reduction in recruitment spend of over £250,000. Add to that two consecutive Sunday Times Top Big Business entries (23 , then 22) and group profits rising by 44% and you can see why TrustFord has picked up a number of international awards for this employer brand initiative.