Employer Branding
Blocket: From well-kept secret to obvious choice
Blocket is one of Sweden’s best-loved and best-known brands. But what is it like as an employer?
The assignment
Doubling turnover by 2023
From a well-kept secret to engaged ambassadors, the Blocketeers, with a sparkle in their eyes. The need to take the employer brand, culture and employer branding strategy to the next level arose when Blocket decided to accelerate growth, with the goal of doubling turnover by 2023. As Blocket’s procured employer branding partner, Oddwork has had the pleasure of developing the strategy and following the journey up close. Maria Nylén, Chief People & Culture Officer, and Martina Göransson, Chief Marketing Officer, have driven the journey. They felt that what Blocket is like as an employer had been a well-kept secret, and they wanted to change that.
“Blocket and Oddwork share the same values. There is a lot of energy, clear processes and high engagement,” says Martina Göransson.
Maria and Martina at Oddwork’s Employer Branding Summit 2020.
What we did
A focus on internal employer branding
“Everyone at Blocket is convinced that what will make us successful as a company is the power we see in our values and our culture! We can have plans and strategies, but it is our employees, our Blocketeers, who will make it happen, who will develop, improve and change things. By creating drive, inspiration and engagement, we knew we would be able to reach our goals and become the company we want to be. Martina and I have previous experience from other companies where values were what moved mountains, competitors and monopolies. We know what employee engagement and values can achieve! This is also anchored across Blocket’s entire management team, not least with our CEO Pernilla Nissler,” says Maria Nylén, Chief People & Culture Officer.
“Everyone at Blocket is convinced that what will make us successful as a company is the power we see in our values and our culture! We can have plans and strategies, but it is our employees, our Blocketeers, who will make it happen, who will develop, improve and change things.”— Martina Göransson, CMO, Blocket
Result
Higher engagement and better business results
“We have seen big changes. Our internal engagement levels have risen since we really started our journey, reaching new highs during the pandemic. We have more followers than ever on social media, a large number of applications for advertised roles, targeted open applications and much more. And we can see that the high level of engagement is leading to improved business results. In short, a clear sign that we are on the right track!” says Martina.
The key to success? “That we started internally, from the inside out. We set a shared goal that engagement is crucial, together with culture and values. During the pandemic, our values made it easier to take difficult decisions. It is important to be clear and always walk the talk.”