Recruitment and Marketing Services – Transforming Hiring for the Future of Agriculture
833,949+ digital
impressions
across platforms
11,077
application starts
in under a month
25% higher engagement
rate than typical federal
recruitment efforts
Overview
Tasked with hiring 4,000 new employees to support critical conservation programs, USDA FPAC faced significant challenges – from competing with private-sector salaries to overcoming rural recruitment constraints to a complex federal hiring process. Hatcher developed a sophisticated, data-driven campaign that elevated brand visibility and generated remarkable candidate engagement, transforming USDA’s hiring landscape and establishing new benchmarks in federal recruitment.
Challenge
USDA FPAC needed to rapidly scale its workforce amid intense competition from private employers, limited access to large labor markets in rural areas, and an underdeveloped employer brand. These challenges, coupled with a cumbersome federal hiring process, resulted in a low conversion rate from applications to hires.
Solution
Hatcher initiated the project with comprehensive market research that combined quantitative analysis, competitive benchmarking, and stakeholder insights to reveal candidate motivations and barriers. This research informed a targeted and integrated recruitment strategy that included:
- Creating a distinct sub-brand for USDA’s Pathways Program to modernize its appeal to emerging talent
- Implementing integrated digital campaigns that harnessed targeted social media advertising, search engine marketing, and programmatic display strategies to effectively engage a specialized talent pool
- Continuously optimizing performance across digital advertising and social platforms
This innovative blend of research, creative branding, and tactical outreach elevated USDA’s presence and engagement among a specialized talent pool.
Impact
Within less than four months, the campaign delivered:
- 833,949+ digital impressions
- 11,077 application starts
- A 25% increase in engagement compared to typical federal efforts
- Additionally, 36,459 ad clicks and 6,424 website visits drove direct candidate interactions, leading to a robust increase in qualified applicants and a significant transformation of USDA’s hiring process.
Testimonials
“We’ve achieved significant results this year, and the only change we’ve made in our approach is hiring Hatcher.” – HR Specialist at USDA FPAC
Capabilities
Audience Development
Branding
Content
Digital Advertising
Digital Products
Graphic Design
Integrated Campaigns
Media Buying
Qualitative Research
Quantitative Research
Social Media
Strategic Communications
Traditional Advertising
Website User Experience