Objective
Secure a wide range of talent recruitment methods

UD Trucks is a global manufacturer of commercial vehicles that offers advanced transportation solutions in more than 60 countries around the world.​
Since 2011, the company has shifted to a job-based employment system, with transfers taking place through the internal recruitment system, which has enhanced its people-oriented human resource policies. UD Trucks was also an early adopter of diversity and inclusion, in which a diverse workforce is welcomed and each individual's unique qualities are harnessed to their fullest potential. This fosters ​a diverse and friendly company culture.​ It was important for the recruiting activities to secure personnel who would share this company culture.

When it comes to recruitment in Japan, recruitment agencies play a major role in hiring, so most companies rely on them. UD Trucks is no exception.​
However, in order to increase opportunities to contact personnel who are suited to their unique corporate culture, of which there are few similar examples in Japan, UD Trucks decided that the company should find a "new way to attract human resources". They started using LinkedIn in 2017.​
It was the most efficient way to achieve both of their objectives — "expanding brand awareness" and "acquiring talented candidates" — at the same time.​

Solution
Directly scout for talent suited to UD Trucks' company culture 

Spreading information that reaches people who don't know about UD Trucks
One of the main challenges for UD Trucks' recruitment activities is that while the company has been conducting B2B business globally, it is not well-known to the general public.​
While enhancing the company's website was a necessary means ​of enhancing employer branding, "that was not enough," says ​Mr. Inooka, Vice President of Human Resources.​
UD Trucks needed not just a site that people who knew the company name could search for, but also a form of media that could reach people who were not aware of the company.​
To fill this role, the company chose the world’s largest professional network, LinkedIn.

Effective both inside and outside the company​ Employer Branding
Once UD Trucks established a Company Page on LinkedIn, ​it produced content to communicate its unique company culture.​ Furthermore, UD Trucks not only posted business information such as product press releases, but also proactively made posts showing the "Everyday Life at UD Trucks." Some examples of this are the introduction of the team that took part in the Dubai Marathon, and the showcasing of events held in various countries to celebrate International Women's Day. ​Most of these posts also include photos of employees enjoying themselves, which helps not only to improve the brand image in the public eye, but also contributes to motivating employees who follow the Company Page.​

Creating results through a combination of branding and direct recruitment
UD Trucks skillfully balances employer branding and direct recruitment.​
Along with steadily increasing the follower count for the Company Page, UD Trucks has seen success in direct recruiting activities such as sending headhunting emails to the diverse LinkedIn user base around the world and communicating directly with LinkedIn users.

Win-win relationship that forms between job seekers and companies when companies approach directly
According to a recruiter at UD Trucks, "I have seen people be really happy to receive a direct headhunting email.“​ Although many candidates considering a change in career may be approached by agents, most never have the opportunity to be approached directly by a company's HR representative. ​But for many, having their profile directly evaluated by a company's HR representative can be a gratifying experience. ​
For HR, the advantage of one-on-one communication with a talented candidate is that it allows you to understand the person's experience and skills without any misunderstandings. ​For candidates who are considering a change of job, the advantage is that they are able to fully understand the company's requirements and culture through honest discussion, allowing them to move forward with their job search with ease.

Features of LinkedIn 
Information reaches an audience that has not heard of UD Trucks, which makes it easier to promote employer branding.

Followers increased by 130% in one year

The number of followers of the company page launched by UD Trucks on LinkedIn increased by 130% in one year. When looking at only non-employee followers, there was an increase of 78%.​
Page views have increased by 76%, demonstrating that information showcasing the company culture is reaching users.

Proactively sharing "Everyday Life at UD Trucks" together with employees

In addition to the collaboration between Human Resources and Communications departments (such as Public Relations), a wide range of employee volunteers have been recruited to help with distributing information. They learn how to use LinkedIn through webinars, etc., and then proactively share the "Everyday Life" at UD Trucks. We have a wide range of content to appeal to prospective employees.

Support from Customer Success solves the challenges unique to social media

An issue faced when the company decided to officially use LinkedIn as UD Trucks was the existence of other accounts under the company name that had been independently opened and abandoned by employees in Japan and other countries. LinkedIn Customer Success helped to unify these accounts, allowing us a more effective company page to be launched.

About UD Trucks

Based on its stated purpose of "Better Life" and through its business activities, UD Trucks is focusing on key areas such as "improvements ​in logistics efficiency", "prevention of global warming", and "creation ​of rewarding workplaces and contribution to local communities". ​In terms of logistics efficiency, the company is developing products ​that contribute to fuel efficiency and to the driver's work environment. ​In addition, UD Trucks is committed to improving vehicle operation ​rates by improving the quality of maintenance and making the most ​of connectivity. And to further support truck drivers, the company ​is conducting public awareness activities such as test drive events ​for female drivers and a world driver skills contest.