Babcock International went from having very little social media presence in recruitment to generating over 32 million impressions and making 571 hires in just a few months, at a cost per hire of just £200. ManpowerGroup Talent Solutions and Babcock’s partnership with Gaia has been transformative in every sense.

Tasked with hiring skilled tradespeople in remote locations and filling niche roles like vehicle mechanics, Babcock needed a new and innovative approach. Gaia delivered with a social-first recruitment strategy that leveraged authentic storytelling, precise targeting, and employee advocacy. With a cost per application of just £23.45, and by shifting away from traditional job boards, the company not only saved over £80,000 in recruitment costs but also surpassed their hiring targets by more than 500% in key areas.

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Challenge and objective

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Babcock faced a significant challenge in attracting both active and passive candidates for hard-to-fill roles such as Vehicle mechanics, engineers, and skilled tradespeople. The stakes were high: the company needed to recruit 67 mechanics by the end of 2024, significantly more than in 2023, and 600 tradespeople at Hinkley Point C by 2027.

Several factors made recruitment particularly difficult, including a nationwide skills shortage, the remote location of Hinkley Point C, and strict security clearance requirements that ruled out most overseas candidates, limiting its ability to attract top talent.

Traditional recruitment marketing was costly and ineffective, especially for engaging passive candidates who were not actively job-seeking. To compete in a highly competitive talent market, Babcock needed a fresh, data-driven approach to attract skilled professionals while positioning itself as an employer of choice, emphasising job security, work-life balance, and long-term career opportunities.

Strategy and creative approach 

Babcock needed a bold, modern approach to recruitment, one that could reach both active and passive candidates, build brand awareness, and cut hiring costs. Partnering with Gaia, they shifted from traditional job advertising to an AI-driven, social-first strategy designed for maximum impact.

This approach focused on three key areas:

·     Precision targeting: Delivering the right message to the right candidates at the right time.

·     Compelling storytelling: Using authentic employee voices to humanise the brand.

·     Data-driven optimisation: Continuously refining outreach to maximise engagement and conversions.

Research with candidates aged 20 to 70 revealed clear priorities: pay, job security, work-life balance, and the prestige of major projects like Hinkley Point C. These insights shaped the “Job Done” campaign, which featured real Babcock employees to create an authentic, relatable message.

To strengthen credibility, Employee-Generated Content (EGC) played a key role, encouraging employees to share their experiences, boosting trust, and expanding organic reach. Geo-fencing and remarketing further enhanced effectiveness by keeping Babcock top of mind among high-potential candidates.

With a strong strategy in place, execution was key. Social platforms were selected based on candidate behaviour and engagement patterns to ensure maximum impact:

·     Facebook– Broad reach through targeted ads and organic content.

·     LinkedIn– Career-focused storytelling to showcase Babcock’s culture.

·     Instagram & TikTok– Visually engaging content to attract tradespeople and early-career talent.

·     Twitter– Real-time job updates and industry discussions.

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Engagement and results 

The social media campaign, executed with Gaia’s tools and expertise, delivered exceptional results across all key recruitment goals: 

Vehicle Mechanics hiring campaign (MOD contract): 

·      Impressions: 1,126,067 

·      Clicks: 12,462 

·      Click-through rate: 3.54% (vs. a 0.50% benchmark) 

·      Applications: 1,680 

·      Hires: 95 hires (target was 67), a 185% increase over the previous year. 

Hinkley Point C Trades campaign: 

·      Total impressions: 7,794,287 

·      Clicks: 57,645 

·      Applications: Over 3,330 

·      Hires: 476 hires (target was 87), a 500% + increase, reaching the hiring goal for 2026 two years early. 

Across all campaigns, Babcock achieved: 

•  32,748,350 impressions 

•  538,011 clicks 

•  266,068 engagements 

•  266,068 engagements 

•  £23.45 average cost per application

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Additionally, Babcock saved over £80,000 on recruitment costs by reducing its reliance on traditional job boards and paid display ads.

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Conclusion

Through its strategic partnership with Gaia, ManpowerGroup Talent Solutions and Babcock revolutionised its recruitment approach, delivering outstanding hiring results while significantly enhancing its employer brand. Its reputation as an employer of choice soared, driven by AI-powered targeting, authentic storytelling, and employee advocacy. By effectively engaging passive candidates, increasing job visibility, and standing out in a highly competitive industry, the company redefined how it attracts and retains top talent.

This data-driven approach led to a 500% increase in key hires and built a sustainable talent pipeline, ensuring Babcock can meet both immediate and future workforce demands. More than just filling vacancies, the strategy has improved candidate engagement and laid the foundation for long-term recruitment success.

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FAQs - Babcock's social media hiring revolution with Gaia

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1. How many hires did Babcock make through Gaia’s campaign?

Babcock secured 571 hires in just a few months, covering both critical trades at Hinkley Point C and vehicle-mechanic roles; read more here

2. What did each application and hire cost?

Thanks to Gaia’s AI-led targeting, the average cost per application was £23.45 and cost per hire only £200 - a fraction of typical industry spend; read more here

3. How much money did Babcock save by moving away from traditional job boards?

Switching to Gaia cut wasted media spend by over £80,000 versus legacy channels; read more here

4. By how much did Gaia boost Babcock’s hiring performance?

The social-first strategy surpassed hiring targets by more than 500 percent, helping Babcock hit future workforce goals years ahead of schedule; read more here

5. What kind of reach and engagement did the campaign achieve?

Across all activity, the ads delivered 32,748,350 impressions, 538,011 clicks and 266,068 engagements, ensuring the roles were seen by the right talent at scale; read more here

6. Which channels did Gaia use to find these candidates?

Gaia’s cross-channel engine ran creative on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter (X), then retargeted prospects across the same platforms to maximise conversion; read more here

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