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International recruitment advertising

Precise media selection to target local audiences around the globe

• China
• Algeria
• South Africa
• Australia
• Middle East
• Canada
• Dubai
• Malaysia
• CIS
• Nigeria
• Croatia
• Brazil
• Romania

Introduction
Weatherford is one of the world’s largest oilfield service providers. Weatherford promises its customers that it can provide both a ‘local service touch’ and a ‘global network reach’ and, to support this, the company’s marketing uses the phrase ‘Around your world’.
To quote its website (www.weatherford.com):

“Whether it’s midday in the Middle East or midnight in the middle of nowhere, you now can get 360° Service from more than 25,000 people in over 100 countries in 730 service bases”.

O’Connor HR Partner researches and sources media for Weatherford in every area of the globe.

Of O’Connor’s range of HR services, this case study demonstrates:

• Campaign planning
• Press advertising
  

Media differences
Compared with much of the rest of the world, the geography of the UK’s media is long established and simple to navigate. In the press, we have national, regional and local newspapers, and specialist trade magazines. The online jobsites mirror this structure.

But do not imagine that other countries media are similarly structured. In Angola, for example, the only recruitment vehicle is a state-owned newspaper – the O’Jornal de Angola - and all ads must be written in Portuguese!

Cultural differences
We can provide translation services in most of the world’s languages but, in Weatherford’s case, most of our ads are aimed at English-speaking natives or expatriates. But, do you remember the expression “The USA and the UK are divided by a common tongue”? An English phrase in common and inoffensive use here in the UK may have an entirely different meaning elsewhere in the world. Nuances of language need to be always considered – HSBC made a similar point about international gestures in a recent advertising campaign. We work with the recruiting manager in every country in which we are planning to place an ad to ensure that our wording is appropriate.

Technical differences
Once the media has been sourced and the ad designed and written, another potential pitfall lies in wait. The mechanics of ad production vary considerably across the world.

The UK’s printed press measure and cost ads in column centimetres, the Poles use modules, the Canadians use agate lines. An agency using UK methodology in sizing and costing an International ad could seriously disappoint its client!

Global presence
We have placed Weatherford ads in such disparate media as Croatia’s Vecernji List, Canada’s Calgary Herald, Nigeria’s The Guardian, Romania’s Adevarul, Australia’s West Australian and Brazil’s Estado de Sao Paulo.

Regardless of location, language or media, Weatherford candidates will soon be able to see all vacancies on the global website.

Vacancies are already listed (with job descriptions) for Weatherford’s Asia Pacific, Canada, Europe, West Africa, North Africa, CIS, Latin America, Middle East and United States regions, as well as corporate and graduate opportunities. In addition, we’re hoping soon to be working on an online application facility, with live monitoring and candidate management facilities.