Novuna, a leading company in the financial services sector, was looking to enhance its recruitment strategy and attract top-tier talent. To achieve this, they partnered with Gaia (formerly Socially Recruited) in a collaboration led by Gareth Thyer-Jones, co-founder of Gaia, and Eloise Pointing, Head of Retention.
The main goal was to refine Novuna’s graduate recruitment process. As the partnership developed, it grew to include broader recruitment strategies and employer branding. These efforts have helped Novuna “strengthen our recruitment process and attract the very best candidates in the market”, supporting their overall hiring goals.
Novuna faced the challenge of being seen as an employer of choice in the competitive financial services industry. They needed a better strategy to boost their employer brand and attract top talent in a crowded market.
The main goal was to stand out as a preferred workplace, making it easier to attract and keep high-quality candidates. Novuna’s previous recruitment on traditional, reactive methods like job boards and agencies, which often yielded inconsistent results. As Novuna pointed out, “We either failed to attract the best talent or were reliant on hiring only actively looking candidates.”
Gaia took a bespoke approach to Novuna’s recruitment challenges, focusing on more than just filling positions — they aimed to genuinely enhance Novuna’s brand. Instead of sticking to reactive recruitment, Gaia created an annual campaign built around Novuna’s unique Employee Value Proposition (EVP).
Recognising that Novuna’s strengths, such as a welcoming company culture, opportunities for growth, and excellent employee benefits, were important in attracting top talent, Gaia used Novuna’s content to craft a proactive annual campaign plan that connected with potential candidates. This wasn’t just about reaching people actively looking for jobs; it was about engaging professionals who hadn’t yet considered making a move. This wasn’t just about reaching people actively looking for jobs; it was about engaging professionals who hadn’t yet considered making a move.
After just one month of proactive campaigns, Novuna measured a significant improvement in website traffic, including an increase of 4,000 website sessions, a reduced bounce rate, and a notable rise in engagement rates. This positive momentum continued over the next six months, with an additional 2.5k to 5k sessions added on Google Analytics each month. Traffic acquisition also reached new heights, equalling LinkedIn’s contribution, which had previously made up a third of their website traffic. Reflecting on the partnership’s impact, Novuna stated, “Since working with the team at Socially Recruited (now branded as Gaia), we have seen a huge increase in traffic to the site, our bounce rates have decreased, and average engagements have increased. Overall, we are very happy with the uplift we have seen and would recommend it to any talent team looking to truly attract the best candidates for their vacancies.”
Through their partnership with Gaia, Novuna successfully transformed their recruitment strategy, moving from reliance on traditional methods to a more dynamic, proactive approach. Gaia’s strategy, which highlighted key aspects such as company culture, growth opportunities, and employee benefits, allowed Novuna to strengthen their employer brand and become an employer of choice within the financial services industry