Shaping the Future of Work through Strategic Media Relations, Thought Leadership and purpose-driven communications (since 2020)
CONTEXT
As a global leader in workforce solutions, ManpowerGroup helps organisations navigate the changing world of work, connecting people with meaningful employment opportunities and supporting businesses in attracting, developing and retaining talent.
Since 2020, The Square has been a long-standing communications partner of ManpowerGroup Portugal, supporting the company’s visibility and reputation through an integrated communications strategy combining public relations, national media relations, executive thought leadership, employee engagement and purpose-driven content.
Beginning during the COVID-19 pandemic, the partnership has accompanied a period of profound transformation in the labour market, from the rise of remote and hybrid work to persistent talent shortages, changing employee expectations and the growing impact of artificial intelligence.
Throughout this evolution, The Square has worked to reinforce ManpowerGroup’s positioning as a trusted source of labour market intelligence, while also developing initiatives that bring the company’s values to life, strengthen its relationship with employees and create meaningful connections with younger generations entering the workforce.
CHALLENGE
The challenge has been to build and sustain a consistent communications strategy capable of positioning ManpowerGroup as a leading authority on employment, talent and the future of work in Portugal, translating complex labour market data and global research into relevant stories for national audiences.
A central priority was to develop strong relationships with business, economic, human resources and general-interest media, leveraging ManpowerGroup’s research and market insights to generate meaningful coverage on recruitment trends, talent shortages, skills development, workforce transformation, artificial intelligence and changing employer expectations.
The strategy focused on proactive media relations, identifying timely editorial opportunities, adapting international studies to the Portuguese market and positioning company spokespeople as credible experts through interviews, opinion articles and sector commentary. This approach aimed to move beyond corporate announcements and establish ManpowerGroup as a regular contributor to public discussions about the challenges facing employers and professionals.
In parallel, The Square was challenged to strengthen employee engagement and reinforce a sense of belonging within the organisation, particularly during the pandemic, when maintaining connections between employees and celebrating collective achievements became especially important.
This led to the development of internal communication tools designed to recognise employees’ contributions and demonstrate how their work supports the organisation’s success. Initiatives included audiovisual content highlighting ManpowerGroup’s values, the creation of the Year Book 2020, featuring interviews and testimonials from 40 employees, and a solidarity campaign supported by a dedicated landing page to encourage engagement between the brand and its stakeholders.
Another important dimension of the partnership focused on connecting ManpowerGroup with younger audiences and supporting their transition into professional life. As part of the company’s collaboration with Junior Achievement Portugal, an international non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting financial literacy, entrepreneurship and career readiness among young people, The Square developed Future Skill-Z, a dedicated Medium publication offering practical career advice, inspiring content and insights to help students prepare for their professional futures.
The platform was designed to maximise the visibility and relevance of the partnership, positioning ManpowerGroup as an accessible and useful source of information for the next generation of talent.
IMPACT
Since 2020, the sustained communications partnership has supported ManpowerGroup’s visibility and credibility in Portugal, helping reinforce its position as a relevant source of expertise on the country’s evolving labour market.
Consistent media relations activity has helped bring ManpowerGroup’s research and insights into national conversations about employment and talent, with coverage in leading business, economic and human resources publications, including ECO and Human Resources.
The company’s research, including the Talent Shortage Survey and Employment Outlook Survey, has provided a strong foundation for sustained media engagement, creating opportunities to communicate key labour market trends and reinforce the relevance of ManpowerGroup’s expertise to employers, professionals and policymakers.
Executive visibility has also been an important dimension of the strategy, supporting the positioning of ManpowerGroup’s leadership as credible voices on workforce transformation, skills development and the growing relationship between people and technology.
Beyond external communications, The Square’s employee engagement initiatives have helped translate ManpowerGroup’s values into tangible experiences. The Year Book 2020 celebrated the resilience and achievements of employees during an exceptional year, giving 40 team members a voice and recognising their individual contributions. Audiovisual storytelling and the solidarity campaign further reinforced the importance of connection, shared purpose and organisational culture.
The creation of Future Skill-Z extended this people-centred approach beyond the organisation, providing a dedicated content platform to support young people as they navigate the transition from education to employment. By sharing practical advice and inspiring perspectives, the initiative helped communicate ManpowerGroup’s commitment to employability, education and the development of future talent, while giving greater visibility to its partnership with Junior Achievement Portugal.
By combining sustained national media relations, data-driven thought leadership, employee engagement and purpose-driven content creation, The Square has supported the development of a consistent and human-focused brand narrative, strengthening ManpowerGroup’s positioning as both a trusted partner for businesses and an organisation committed to empowering people at every stage of their professional journey.
