Features Corporate Social Responsibility Recruitment
IKEA Canada launches multimedia employer branding campaign focused on purpose

May 3, 2023
By Talent Canada

IKEA Canada co-workers share their experiences in Build your career with IKEA campaign (CNW Group/IKEA Canada)

IKEA Canada has launched a new employer branding campaign that focuses on purpose.

The retailer recently commissioned a survey that found nearly nine in 10 Canadians (85%) agreed that it was important to them to work for purpose-driven employers that have values similar to theirs.

IKEA’s new recruitment campaign features the stories of some of its 7,400 employees across the country, who “together aspire to create a better everyday life.”

“As we continue to grow our operations in Canada, including opening a new small-format store location in Scarborough Town Centre this summer, we seek to recruit quality talent while creating a life-long relationship with our existing co-workers,” said Tanja Fratangeli, acting CEO and chief sustainability officer, IKEA Canada. “The Build your career with IKEA campaign puts our co-workers centre stage and highlights the diversity of opportunities we facilitate.”

Professional development opportunities

The IKEA survey found opportunities for professional development matter to Canadians, with two-thirds (67%) seeking out companies that offer opportunities to work in different areas of the business, while nearly eight in 10 (77%) want to learn new skills.

The Build your career with IKEA campaign demonstrates the wide variety of career paths that are possible at the home furnishing retailer, it said.

Co-workers featured in the campaign include Ramiro Pintor Penagos, a new Canadian who relocated from Colombia in 2019. Following 25 years in the military, he started a new career path at IKEA Calgary as a goods flow worker.

“My family moved to Canada to build our future here, and we’re grateful for the opportunities it has offered us. The IKEA culture makes it a supportive environment where you can learn new skills. My daughters Laura and Diana have joined me in working at IKEA Calgary, and have expanded their careers into sales and operations,” he said.

‘Inspiring, emotive’ storytelling

IKEA said its campaign uses “inspiring and emotive storytelling” to showcase different ways careers have been built at, and with, the support of the retailer.

Other workers featured include Soly Joyal, a recovery and quality worker in Beauharnois, and Daphne Emmanuel, a shopkeeper from IKEA Halifax.

“The campaign demonstrates that no matter what, the most important priority is for the individual —whether it’s building towards career or personal goals—there’s an opportunity to grow with the company,” it said. “Featuring iconic IKEA items mixed with personal items unique to a number of co-workers, Build your career with IKEA offers a glimpse into the ways the company creates space and opportunities for all who are a part of, or interested in joining, the IKEA family.”

“At IKEA, our purpose is our superpower. We strive to be an employer that demonstrates our values every day,” said Tanya Bevington, country communications manager at IKEA Canada. “Whether it’s planting trees, making meals for our community or marching for Pride across the country, our co-workers come together around ideas we all believe in.”