How Alter Domus used LinkedIn to differentiate itself in a competitive market and develop an employer value proposition, attracting global talent and accelerating rapid growth

Differentiating yourself in a competitive landscape

It is Alter Domus’ mission to provide the alternative investment industry with a comprehensive range of global and integrated solutions. By harnessing technology and the collective intelligence of its people, Alter Domus makes investment management processes run smoother, facilitating transparent, data-led decision-making on a global scale.

But to do this, the organisation must attract the best talent. Alter Domus recognised that it had to differentiate itself within such a competitive marketplace by developing a talent acquisition strategy that would deliver against the company’s ambitious growth objectives. Alter Domus turned to LinkedIn to activate its new employer value proposition that would help it stand out in the talent marketplace as well as help to upskill the capabilities of its talent acquisition team to engage directly with talent. 

THE SOLUTION

Activating a unique employer value proposition

Alter Domus’ deeper relationship with LinkedIn began in 2020 when Helen Bostock, Director, Head of Talent and Internal Communications at Alter Domus, chose to partner with the platform. It was essential that Alter Domus used LinkedIn in a strategic way.

“We were using LinkedIn Recruiter Seats, but we didn’t have a global or strategic approach to talent acquisition,” explained Helen. “We used LinkedIn to source talent, but it was paramount that we used the platform on a deeper level, activating the brand and building our employer brand.”

In the beginning, LinkedIn was used as a key tool to drive traffic to Alter Domus’ new careers site and recruiters were trained to “source and hunt” for top talent. However, the platform’s many benefits were soon realised by Helen and her team.

“It was essential that we developed a differentiated employer value proposition that could communicate the realities of working at Alter Domus. We decided to use LinkedIn to share content that potential candidates and top talent could relate to. We had never done this before.”

Helen continued: “Our talent acquisition team had previously used LinkedIn as a tool to reach prospective candidates. Now, we’ve taken our use of the platform to the next level. We have curated content that showcases what it’s like to work here, and highlights the skills and behaviours that candidates need to succeed. This supports the direct sourcing of candidates, and has helped us to improve our reach to new talent pools.

“LinkedIn sits at the heart of a professional network. We needed to reach people who are at different stages of their career, and we needed to professionalise how we were perceived by candidates. LinkedIn has given us the platform to share content that is not only relevant to both broader and specific audiences but also supports our diversity, equality, and inclusion initiatives.”

Leaving the competition behind

According to Helen, it is Alter Domus’ goal to differentiate itself, evident in the organisation’s “Invest Yourself in the Alternative” employer branding. The retention, sourcing and development of talent is one of the organisation’s core strategic pillars. It is dedicated to making sure that the right talent is in the right place at the right time so that Alter Domus can deliver for its clients.

“We use LinkedIn at multiple levels,” continued Helen. “We make sure that we develop content so that people understand how they can be a success at Alter Domus, and we also use it as a recruitment tool to share live roles.”

Alter Domus uses LinkedIn Talent Insights, Recruiter Seats, Job Slots and Life Pages to do this. It has partnered with LinkedIn to upskill the capabilities of its talent acquisition team, especially as the organisation is in a sustained period of growth.

Helen said: “We want to directly source our talent and connect with people who are a good fit for us. We are putting recruitment at the forefront of our business and our recruiters on the frontline, engaging with candidates daily. That is a huge part of our strategy.”

She continued: “LinkedIn is one of our key tools to look for people who have professional careers. When searching for talent, we compete with banks and ‘The Big Four’. We’re all operating in the same pool so it’s vital that we differentiate ourselves. We are striving to break away from the pack, from our competitors, by developing vibrant and differentiated content that strengthens our connection to both clients and candidates.”

Successful strategy implementation leading to significant growth

Alter Domus has had significant success. In the past 12 months, 64.9% of hires have been influenced by LinkedIn; an increase of 9.5% compared to the previous 12 months. Furthermore, in terms of brand awareness, Alter Domus’ followers have reached 52,494; representing year-on-year growth of more than 57%.

“For us, our new employer brand is as important as the tools we use to help us to engage talent,” Helen added. “We have a strong purpose and a strong mission. Moving forward, we want to inspire people with our Employer Value Proposition (EVP) which is based on professional freedom, diversity of opportunity and a deliberative approach to how we operate for our clients and our colleagues.”

Alter Domus’ partnership with LinkedIn has been incredibly successful. In fact, Alter Domus has hired more people in the last 12 months than it has ever hired in previous years. The organisation is growing rapidly.

Helen concluded: “Our ambitious growth plans mean that our ability to activate our EVP via LinkedIn is key to attracting and recruiting the right talent.”

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