This just in! Andreas Sacklén is joining the Adway team as the Country Manager in Norway!
We wanted to give every single one of you the opportunity to meet him “in person,” so Sara Dalsfelt sat down with Andreas for an exclusive interview. In it, he shares how his work scaling Facebook’s commercial footprint in Norway feels a lot like the epic journey he’s embarking on with Adway, using the powers of social media and data to bring Norweigan employers the best recruitment ads of all time.
Background Check
Andreas is an experienced sales executive and commercial builder with a passion for humans, tech, data, and automation. He has gained his career momentum in the digitalization of marketing, sales, and talent assessment in companies like Schibsted, Facebook, and SHL. Andreas has worked for almost 15 years as a sales executive, supporting large Nordic companies in using digital advertising, social media, and talent assessment to get stronger business results. While he was busy building Facebook’s commercial presence in Norway, he was also paving his path to becoming Adway’s new Country Manager!
Next stop: delivering the future of data-driven TA and effective recruitment ads to Norway’s global employers.
What it was Like Launching Facebook in Norway
When Facebook started their expansion into Norway, Andreas and one other colleague took a look at 400 of the country’s largest enterprises, laced up their running shoes, and prioritized which ones were innovative enough to take the plunge into digital media. They initiated dialogues with these clients to see where they were, and quickly realized who was well positioned to internalize a new approach to using Facebook strategically for their business.
In 2011, when Andreas was busy building Facebook’s presence in Norway, Google already had 10+ years of market presence and a lot of insights to offer. At the time, social media was completely new, and considered a disruptive technology and marketing tool. Companies could suddenly have an immediate interaction with their customers, something that brought about initial intimidation and fear. Still, it was obvious that the opportunities of social media were endless for reaching a target audience and delivering the right message.
Explaining the powerful potential of the Facebook platform was how Andreas got companies to understand what a game changer social media could be for their business. Many were used to working with traditional media types, like print and television, which required massive media budgets but lacked the dynamic functionality of social media.
With its low threshold for entry, low budget requirements, and the ability to easily iterate content and communication, it became a no-brainer for clients to get on board with social media instead. These companies saw immediate results, and a new era in digital advertising was born.
The Transition From Job Boards to Ads For Recruitment
Social media is for more than just wishing people a happy birthday! Since it’s where everyone is, it’s also where the best candidates are, so it’s no surprise that it’s where the best job adverts are, too. Andreas thinks there’s no underestimating the benefits of job recruitment ads on social media to bring tangible recruitment marketing efficiencies and better results.
Social media wasn’t considered a strategic marketing tool when Andreas started rolling out Facebook in Norway. The best way to get companies on board was to walk them through the many benefits of the available tools and technologies.
Similarly, at Adway, we believe a demo is worth a thousand words. Sometimes, the best way to understand exactly how our platform streamlines your candidate inflow and matches your best job opportunities with your dream talents is by seeing for yourself.
For businesses who love to operate from a data-driven framework, social media brings a level of customer insight so comprehensive, they can make actionable business decisions they simply couldn’t make before. Even more, it increases their overall engagement and makes them more relevant to their target audiences. Without the right data, these businesses would be driving (and communicating) blind.
What’s Next for Adway in Norway?
Andreas predicts big things for Adway in Norway! Educating the market on the incredible opportunity that Adway presents is the first step. Adway makes recruitment marketing extra efficient and helps TA teams use online recruitment ads and employer branding to create better long term business results, fully automated.
Some Inside Scoop on Facebook Skyrocketing
When Andreas and the Facebook sales team first gathered for a meeting in San Francisco in 2011, 350 of them met at a shabby airport hotel. Andreas actually ran into Mark Zuckerburg in his flip flops, grabbing a coffee in the cafeteria. Fast forward six years or so, and that sales team grew to over 1,000 members. This time, their annual sales meeting was full of big name corporate officials and known entrepreneurs and it felt more like a major hollywood event than a sales meeting! Talk about hyper growth!
The clients who were able to hit the ground running with social media advertising and had their organizational ecosystems ‘in sync.’ From their internal stakeholders on social media all the way up to their CEOs, CMOs, and external creative agencies, every piece of the puzzle worked together efficiently to leverage social media in the best ways possible.
What’s Most Exciting About Empowering Recruiters?
If he had to pick just one thing, Andreas is looking forward to putting a smile on the faces of some of Norway’s most hardworking recruitment managers. How? By plugging them into the Adway platform! They’ll instantly see that they’re attracting and converting more candidates with less effort. Also, an efficient investment in social media will help them reach the passive candidates who are often the hardest to engage.
Why Adway Was the Top Choice Employer
First thing’s first: the team! Andreas saw a group of talented, passionate individuals who were supporting clients with the tools they needed to make their TA and recruitment ad placement more efficient. On top of that, Andreas is excited for the opportunity to teach his Norweigan clients how to use Adway to automate their recruitment marketing processes and make them more data-driven.
A Fun Final Fact About Andreas
In his previous life, Andreas was a classical ballet dancer at the Gothenburg Opera and the Stockholm Opera! In fact, every single Christmas, you can see him on Swedish television dancing in the Nutcracker!
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