Sappi Boosts Employee Retention, Recruitment & Pride

Facing an industry-wide challenge of a maturing workforce and increasing difficulty in finding and hiring younger employees while also retaining top talent in remote areas, Sappi North America needed to innovate its recruitment strategy. As a leader in sustainability with a bold purpose to harness the power of trees, the company aimed to recruit the next generation of workers—ranging from foresters to engineers and from sales employees to R&D scientists—by displaying the global impact its employees have. Through the campaign, Sappi hoped to connect with younger candidates, primarily Gen Z and Millennials, to bolster its workforce and bring up the next generation of the wood-pulp workforce. However, prospective candidates had little knowledge of the growth potential within the company and required education about the innovative and sustainable impact of the industry: Sappi’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities are not like the old paper mills of decades past, and its premium paper-based products are used by consumers every day across the globe.

These career-specific videos were used for recruiting positions for R&D, forestry, sales and engineering. By highlighting employees in various positions who shared their first-hand accounts, Sappi captured what working for this innovative and forward-thinking company truly means. The videos conveyed that being leaders in sustainability is rewarding both in professional growth and the personal satisfaction that comes with being part of the solution to the world’s environmental challenges.

Further, the series dispelled outdated perceptions of the paper industry to demonstrate that Sappi offers a dynamic and thriving workplace where talented people are welcomed and empowered. The videos also showcased the breadth of opportunities in Sappi’s world-class manufacturing and R&D facilities and visually walked through the impact of the sustainable work happening at Sappi.

Whether employees are driving environmentally friendly forestry practices or supporting business operations, assisting a client with a market-leading sustainability initiative or performing innovative R&D projects and working with cutting-edge technology, their job at Sappi makes a global impact.