Inside Ikea’s innovative metaverse recruitment success

• Turbocharge awareness of its employer brand.
• Improve perceptions of the benefits of a career at IKEA.
• Drive applications for store roles during the critical May/June hiring period.

To attract this new generation, IKEA had to go beyond conventional recruitment messaging. Instead of just telling potential employees about the benefits of working at IKEA, we wanted them to experience it firsthand. With digital natives spending substantial time on gaming platforms, IKEA recognized an opportunity to engage with them in their world.

The Co-Worker Campaign

To reach and engage the next generation, IKEA launched "The Co-Worker" campaign on Roblox—a metaverse platform where young people play, create, and connect. This groundbreaking initiative transformed the traditional recruitment model by immersing potential employees in a virtual workplace where they could experience real IKEA roles in a gamified way.

• A true-to-life virtual IKEA was created on Roblox, featuring an authentic store layout, furniture showroom, Swedish food market, and employee uniforms.
• Players engaged in seven unique job role games, allowing them to level up, get promoted, and switch roles, just as they would in real-life careers at IKEA.
• To generate buzz, IKEA offered real salaries to ten virtual co-workers, who could apply via TikTok duets and Instagram videos.
• The campaign was designed to maximize PR impact, ensuring widespread media coverage and organic engagement.

This unconventional recruitment approach redefined how brands engage with potential employees, proving that metaverse-based hiring experiences can be both fun and effective.

Results

The Co-Worker campaign delivered significant impact, achieving its objectives and setting new benchmarks in metaverse recruitment:

Objective 1: Turbocharge awareness of IKEA's employer brand

• 178,000 applications for the paid virtual co-worker roles—more than Love Island or The X Factor.
• 6.7 million visitors explored IKEA on Roblox, experiencing an IKEA career firsthand.
• 2,000+ news articles and hundreds of influencer videos generated 16 billion earned media impressions.
• Over 4x increase in careers website traffic, with engagement up 26%.

Objective 2: Change perceptions of the benefits of a career at IKEA

• A post-campaign survey (15,000 responses, 95% in our target demographic) revealed:
• 72% of players said the game improved their perception of working at IKEA.
• 70% agreed it’s possible to switch easily between departments.
• 85% agreed IKEA is a great place to work.

Objective 3: Drive applications for store roles in May/June

• IKEA saw a 50% increase in real-world job applications, making this its most successful recruitment campaign ever.

The IKEA Co-Worker experience on Roblox redefines the boundaries of gaming by integrating real-world career opportunities into a metaverse platform. This innovative approach not only broadens the scope of gaming but also bridges the gap between virtual experiences and tangible life prospects. By offering jobs within the game, IKEA demonstrated that gaming can be more than just a hobby; it can be a pathway to professional development beyond traditional gaming careers. The overwhelming response, with over 178,000 applications, underscores the significance of this initiative. It has shifted the perception of gaming, showcasing its potential to influence real-world outcomes and inspire a generation to see their hobbies as viable career paths.