Tech businesses are competing for the same people, often across multiple countries and time zones. Candidates have more choice than ever, and many are looking for more than a job title or salary. They want purpose and a place where they can see a future.

Research from Gallup shows that employees who feel connected to their organisation's purpose are more likely to be engaged and stay for longer.

But for global businesses, that creates a challenge… How do you attract people in different parts of the world while still feeling genuine to your culture?

That's the problem Cox Automotive brought to us.

As one of the world's leading automotive technology companies, they’re always looking for new digital talent. The business needed content that could help it compete for attention against some of the world's biggest technology brands while staying true to who they are.

The answer wasn't a polished corporate film. It was people.

Putting people at the centre of the story.

Cox Automotive wanted to showcase colleagues from across its global business.

The brief was simple. Create eight stories from eight locations that would help future candidates understand what it's really like to work there.

The films needed to work in Manchester, Bangkok, Munich, Brisbane, Toronto, São Paulo, Bangalore and Shanghai. They needed to feel local in every market while still telling one connected story. That meant finding the right people and uncovering stories worth sharing before we ever picked up a camera.

Starting with research, not filming.

Before travelling anywhere, we wanted to understand what people value when choosing an employer so we surveyed 1,000 people and looked for common themes.

The three areas that stood out included career progression, opportunities to travel and a strong sense of community, so those findings shaped the entire project.

They influenced the questions we asked, the people we featured and the stories we decided to tell.

We also knew that English wasn't the first language for many of the colleagues taking part.

Turning up with a camera and asking someone to speak naturally about their career can feel intimidating in any language. It's even harder when you're speaking in a second language… so we changed our approach.

The story starts before the shoot.

Before travelling to each location, we spent time getting to know every contributor. We held video calls with each person and recorded the conversations. Those calls helped us understand their experiences, what mattered to them and why they enjoyed working at Cox Automotive.

From those discussions, we built a script using their own words. We sent questions in advance and gave people time to prepare. When filming began, they already knew what we were going to talk about.

One thing we know for sure, is that people who feel comfortable tell better stories. Some contributors spoke directly to camera. Others recorded voiceovers. Everything was shaped around what worked best for them so nothing felt forced.

Making global production feel local.

The filming schedule was tight. In many locations, we had just two and a half days before moving on to the next country, so preparation was everything!

For every shoot, we worked with local crews and local fixers. They helped organise logistics, translate conversations and make sure every location ran smoothly. They understood local customs and local expectations, as well as how to help contributors feel at ease.

This meant the finished films felt right for every market. We didn’t want one piece of content where we simply dubbed different languages. The goal was to create stories that felt genuine wherever they were watched.

Building content that could work anywhere.

The final project became much more than a single recruitment film.

We created a suite of films and photography that could be adapted by country, campaign and role. The content helped Cox Automotive attract new digital talent around the world.

It also had an unexpected benefit as the films became valuable internally too.

People saw colleagues from different countries sharing experiences that felt familiar. The content reinforced culture and created a stronger connection between teams. That only happened because the stories were real - no hired actors or strict speeches from corporate people.

Why preparation matters more than the camera.

Projects like this are a reminder that the work people see on screen is only a small part of the process. The real work happens long before filming begins in the research and the chats.

Taking the time to understand someone's story and creating an environment where they feel comfortable sharing it was essential because if someone feels awkward on camera, the audience feels it too.

Creating recruitment content?

If you're creating recruitment content across different countries, don't start with the camera. Take time to understand what matters to people. Find the stories before you start filming. Prepare contributors properly and make them feel comfortable.

The best content doesn't come from asking someone to perform. It comes from helping people tell their story in a way that feels natural.

That's how you create films that connect with people, wherever they are in the world.