Challenge
- Recruiting talent at all levels, from laborers to highly skilled specialists
- A highly competitive job market
Solution
- A hyper-focused approach to recruiting with Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp ads
Results
- Way more cost-effective than past billboard and radio campaigns
- 41% decrease in cost per application
- 1,685% increase in total applications
- Our best month brought in applications at just $4.14 each
The Background
Paving the Way: How Texas Materials Tackled Recruitment Challenges
As part of CRH Americas Materials – the largest producer of asphalt in America – Texas Materials plays a critical role in maintaining the nation’s infrastructure.
Recently, Texas Materials faced a significant challenge: Recruiting the right talent at all levels, from laborers for paving projects to highly skilled specialists for operating equipment. They needed a strategic approach that would allow them to stand out in a competitive job market, while recruiting top-tier talent for a diverse range of positions.
The Brief
When Traditional Recruiting Hits a Roadblock
The recruitment landscape for Texas Materials was tough. They required a large number of laborers for their paving projects but also needed highly trained candidates for specialized roles. Traditional methods like radio ads and billboards had limited success reaching potential candidates, especially if they weren’t actively looking for a job.
The challenge was clear: How could Texas Materials connect with people who had the right interests and were located in the right geographic areas, without relying on broad demographic targeting that simply wouldn’t get the job done?
"It was an excellent turn out!!!!"
— The Client
The Solution
Targeting the Right Talent, Not Just Anyone
To solve this challenge, our agency took a hyperfocused approach using Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp ads. By honing in on geographic location and career-related interests, we could connect with both active job seekers and those who might be interested in a new opportunity – even if they weren’t actively looking.
This strategy allowed us to deliver ads directly to people who were most likely to be a good fit for the job, ensuring that the right candidates saw the opportunities available at Texas Materials.
"Never trust a guy whose tools are too clean."
— Old Tradesman Maxim
The Impact
A Roadmap for Recruiting
These targeted digital campaigns outperformed traditional advertising and drove a significant increase in job applications for Texas Materials. They were more cost-efficient than billboard and radio campaigns the client tried in the past. By continuously refining and learning from each campaign, we were also able to reduce costs by 41% when running similar ads a year later. Application costs dropped from $67.31 in 2022 to $7.55 per application in 2024, while total applications increased by 1,685%. Our best month, May 2024, brought in a slew of applications at just $4.14 each.
