info@talent-funnel.com
0330 4703 424Dr. Martens needed a global careers experience that could work for candidates across different markets, languages and roles.
Working with Talent Funnel, the business brought its global recruitment activity together in one careers destination, while creating locally relevant experiences for candidates in different markets.
Since launching the new site, applications have increased by 40%, alongside a 29% increase in total visits and a 28% increase in active users.
The challenge was to create one global careers destination while keeping the experience relevant to candidates in different markets.
The project is an example of Stage 3 of Talent Funnel’s 4-Stage Hiring Optimisation Framework: Careers Site & EVP – strengthening the careers experience to attract more relevant candidates, increase direct applications and reduce reliance on paid recruitment channels.
Jenna Bramley-Evans
Head of Talent Acquisition
Creating a global careers experience that feels unmistakably Dr. Martens, while still reflecting the needs of candidates in different markets, was central to this project. Talent Funnel helped us bring our employer brand, people stories and local recruitment journeys together in one place, giving candidates a clearer and more inclusive view of what it’s like to build a career with us.
The challenge: one employer brand, different candidate journeys
Dr. Martens recruits across multiple international markets and a wide range of roles, from apprentices and early-career talent to experienced hires across retail, technical and professional teams.
Its previous careers experience was more heavily weighted towards the UK.
The opportunity was to bring global recruitment into one careers destination while making sure candidates in individual markets could still find relevant content, opportunities and information.
That meant creating consistency without giving every candidate an identical experience.
A global careers site built for local relevance
Talent Funnel worked with teams across Dr. Martens to understand the different candidate journeys, hiring priorities and local requirements the new experience needed to support.
The resulting careers site brings its global recruitment activity together in one destination and is available in 11 languages.
Candidates can search for opportunities by role and location, explore employee stories and learn more about life at Dr. Martens.
But localisation goes beyond translation.
Different markets can provide content and journeys relevant to the candidates they need to attract. This includes dedicated apprenticeship content in the UK, support for technical hiring priorities in India and relevant local recruitment channels in Japan.
The result is a consistent Dr. Martens employer brand globally, with greater flexibility around the experience candidates receive locally.
The difference was noticeable almost immediately following launch. Candidates are coming into conversations with a much stronger understanding of Dr. Martens, our culture and our values. Not only have we seen an increase in application volumes across a number of our function roles, but the quality and relevance of applications has also improved.
Alex Hall, Senior Talent Acquisition Lead
Helping candidates understand life at Dr. Martens
The careers experience was also designed to help candidates understand the people and culture behind the brand before deciding whether to apply.
Employee storytelling plays an important role in that experience.
As part of the project, Talent Funnel commissioned a video production programme featuring Dr. Martens’ CEO and employees, giving candidates direct insight into the people and culture behind the brand.
Subtitles and translations allow those stories to be used across different markets, while dedicated content around locations, roles and life at Dr. Martens gives candidates different routes to explore the organisation.
The new careers website has given us a much more compelling platform to showcase what it’s really like to work at Dr. Martens. We’ve seen stronger engagement from candidates and a positive uplift in application volumes across several retail campaigns, with applicants demonstrating a clearer connection to our brand from the outset.
Andrew Peacock, Global Retail Talent Acquisition Lead
Connecting attraction activity with hiring outcomes
The new careers experience also gives Dr. Martens greater visibility into how candidates find them.
Talent Funnel’s source tracking identifies the candidate’s original source before they reach the careers site and carries that information into the Applicant Tracking System.
Instead of the careers site becoming the recorded source for those applications, the Talent Acquisition team can see which attraction channels originally generated them.
Over time, this allows Dr. Martens to connect attraction activity with applications and successful hires, providing a clearer picture of where recruitment investment is delivering results.
Quarterly reviews of conversion, candidate behaviour and recruitment trends will support continued optimisation.
Since launch, Dr. Martens has seen:
- 40% increase in applications
- 29% increase in total visits
- 28% increase in active users
But application volume is only part of the picture. Feedback from the Talent Acquisition team is also showing signs that candidates are arriving better informed and, in some cases, more closely aligned to the requirements of the role.
For a recent social media vacancy, we saw fewer applications overall, but a remarkable improvement in quality. Candidates were far more closely aligned to the skills, experience and brand mindset required for the role, resulting in one of the strongest shortlists we’ve seen. That’s a real indicator that the new careers website is attracting more informed and relevant talent.
Aisha Nantanda, Senior Brand & Creative Recruitment Lead
The next measure is what happens to those candidates after they apply: where they came from, how they progress and which channels ultimately contribute to successful hires.
By connecting careers site performance with recruitment outcomes, Dr. Martens can continue to understand what is working and optimise its global candidate experience over time.
Explore the Dr. Martens careers site →
