Careers website wins next-generation talent

Macy’s Careers After College employer brand and award-winning careers site help Macy’s stand out from the crowd and win with new talent in a competitive market.

Challenge

Competition for recruiting top talent among younger generations is fierce. It was critical that Macy’s overcome the lack of understanding surrounding the retail industry – to communicate that a career in retail is more than just folding sweaters. This approach was crucial to making meaningful connections with this tech-savvy audience.

Strategy

The Macy’s College recruiting team reached out to long-time partner Sanger & Eby to revolutionize the way they connect with candidates.

We began with comprehensive research including focus groups, surveys and in-depth interviews to determine the target market’s wants and needs. This determined how we would communicate why Macy’s was the best place to launch and build their career. Research showed a fundamental need to understand a company’s culture, how they would fit into that culture and the ability to envision themselves in the role – answering questions like “who would I work with?” and “what would my day be like?”

Innovation and career development opportunities were also priorities, and supported Macy’s positioning as the place to build a career. Above all, the communications had to be authentic, including photography, video and a credible, relatable and relevant voice.

Services:

Focus groups, surveys & interviews Employer branding Content audit, strategy & development User experience planning & user testing Responsive website design & development Mobile job search & apply functionality Photo & video art direction Motion graphic design & execution Social media strategy & execution

Macy’s Careers After College employer brand and award-winning careers site help Macy’s stand out from the crowd and win with new talent in a competitive market.

Services:

Focus groups, surveys & interviews Employer branding Content audit, strategy & development User experience planning & user testing Responsive website design & development Mobile job search & apply functionality Photo & video art direction Motion graphic design & execution Social media strategy & execution

Challenge

Competition for recruiting top talent among younger generations is fierce. It was critical that Macy’s overcome the lack of understanding surrounding the retail industry – to communicate that a career in retail is more than just folding sweaters. This approach was crucial to making meaningful connections with this tech-savvy audience.

Strategy

The Macy’s College recruiting team reached out to long-time partner Sanger & Eby to revolutionize the way they connect with candidates.

We began with comprehensive research including focus groups, surveys and in-depth interviews to determine the target market’s wants and needs. This determined how we would communicate why Macy’s was the best place to launch and build their career. Research showed a fundamental need to understand a company’s culture, how they would fit into that culture and the ability to envision themselves in the role – answering questions like “who would I work with?” and “what would my day be like?”

Innovation and career development opportunities were also priorities, and supported Macy’s positioning as the place to build a career. Above all, the communications had to be authentic, including photography, video and a credible, relatable and relevant voice.

Macy's Careers After College brand elements and various screens of the responsive website
Collage of Macy's Careers After College printed collateral and photography.
Screenshots of the career timeline on the Macy's Careers After College website
Screenshots of the career path builder and day in the life features on the Macy's Careers After College website
Close up of the career path builder feature
Close up of the career path builder feature

Sanger & Eby developed a content strategy to meet these needs, including extensive video content and interactive features designed to illustrate what life at Macy’s is like:

  • day-in-the-life features for different functions
  • career development timelines
  • career path builder allowing candidates to explore potential pathways

An innovative design for the new, responsive site provided a fresh, engaging look and a great user experience regardless of platform – critical to connecting with this highly-mobile market. Interactivity created energy and movement by building new content as the user scrolls through the site.

Tech stack

The following languages and platforms were used to bring this project to life:

Languages

HTML5
CSS

Frameworks/tools

ASP.NET
.NET MVC
MS SQL Server
Bootstrap
jQuery
jQuery UI

APIs/integrations

Taleo API
Google Analytics
Google Maps API
Google Places API

Results

The website launched with rave reviews and is a Technical Innovation Award Winner from the National Association of Colleges & Employers.

The ability to search and apply for positions on smart phones has increased Macy’s applications on mobile to over 60%, giving the company a driving competitive edge in recruiting college talent.

Macy’s was ranked by BusinessWeek as one of the “50 Best Places to Launch a Career” and by Indeed as one of the Top 10 Places for Internships.

 

Do you need a partner to create your careers site or mobile solution? Let’s talk!