Northern Trains

We’re Not Northern Without Her – reframing careers in rail

At a time when the rail industry faced ongoing skills shortages across operational and engineering roles, Northern Trains saw it was no coincidence that women remained significantly underrepresented in these very areas. 

With an entire pool of talent left untapped at a time the company critically needed it, owing, in part, to “deeply engrained perceptions that rail is a ‘male industry’” and limited female role models, the company knew it had a serious access issue. To address both current and future workforce needs, Northern recognised the need for a different approach; one that went beyond job advertising and instead tackled the root cause of underrepresentation by repositioning rail as a career that is accessible, relatable and inclusive.

The ‘We’re Not Northern Without Her’ initiative was therefore designed – in collaboration with employees and senior leaders – as a strategic resourcing intervention, using employer brand to expand access to talent, increase the diversity of applicants and build a more sustainable pipeline for the future. 

Rather than focusing on role requirements, the campaign aimed to change perceptions around rail careers, with employee stories used front and centre to challenge stereotypes and demonstrate that these careers are accessible and achievable. Both digital and physical channels were utilised to reach as wide an audience as possible, including social media, video, job platforms and large-scale use of its own infrastructure such as stations, ticket machines and trains. Importantly, this approach enabled engagement with passive candidates in everyday moments, not just active jobseekers. 

The initiative delivered a 72 per cent increase in employer brand visibility among women, and female applications rose by 30 per cent immediately following launch. Representation grew from 18 per cent pre-campaign to 33 per cent within four months, representing an 85 per cent increase in female application rates, and overall female hires rose by 16 per cent year on year. 

The judges “loved this campaign” for its “simplicity and authenticity”, particularly the use of real female colleagues to “challenge perceptions and reposition careers within rail”. “The use of both physical and digital channels to reach passive candidates was creative and clearly delivered strong attraction outcomes, particularly in female application and hiring rates,” they said, describing the campaign as a “very worthy” winner.