Volkswagen Group France is looking for 1,000 mechanics and technicians all over the country. In order to meet the ever-increasing demand of a qualified workforce, 80% of recruitments are made by approaching mechanics in their current workplace, this explains the high turnover in the sector. To poach these talents from competing garages, classic recruitment tools are always used (online ads, canvassing, specialized websites, recruitment agencies).

“Inside jobs” is a recruiting campaign with the priority to recruit quickly. So like the Greek warriors and their Trojan horse, Volkswagen Group France has sent vehicles to its competitors with job offers hidden inside, engraved on parts regularly subject to maintenance. To find these offers, mechanics had to be experienced, the hidden job offers required the right diagnosis.

We didn’t send LinkedIn offers and wait for an answer like our competitors, we needed to find a media that mechanics use everyday. The cars and more precisely the parts that need to be overhauled. So that’s why an exhausted pipe, a clutch, a battery and even an air filter became our medium for those offers. We engraved directly on those pieces a short message with a QR code directing them to apply for roles on the Volkswagen website.

First, we created breakdowns on vehicles of the group on which we hid messages leading to job offers. Then, we sent the vehicles to our competitors (car centers and independent garages). Finally, to launch the campaign, alongside working with niche influencers, we released a video to the communities of mechanics on social media telling them about the vehicles with job offers hidden inside. To find these offers, mechanics had to be experienced, the hidden job offers required the right diagnosis.

Beyond the applications we got through the hidden offers, the campaign created an exceptional amount of interest. The campaign generated more than 6 million impressions and nearly 2.5 million views on the different platforms on which the operation was broadcasted (Youtube, Meta, LinkedIn). Thanks to this campaign, more than 110,000 people connected to Volkswagengroup.fr/carriers (+153%) and the agency dedicated to the sorting of résumé could no longer count the number of them (more than 53,705 resumes were received).