Technology / Government Contracting CASE STORY
How a growing federal contracting firm built a powerful employer brand
Like many young government contractors, SHR had grown organically without paying a lot of attention to its brand. But they had hit a ceiling. They not only needed a new look that conveyed the extent of their expertise to prospective buyers, but an engaging brand identity that would attract top talent and help drive future growth.
HERMES AWARD WINNER
COMMUNICATOR AWARD WINNER
"Thanks to Hinge, we now look and present like a top-tier firm. And we’re more appealing to prospective hires and clients than ever before."
Robert Sanchious, Founder & CEO, SHR Consulting Group
Growth headwinds
Listed in 2018’s Inc. 500 list of fastest growing firms, growth subsequently slowed and recruiting challenges were limiting SHR’s ambitions. The Washington, DC, market for IT professionals with security clearances is hyper competitive. And because the firm only hires top engineers to handle the difficult work they do—migrating legacy federal systems to a modern cloud environment—SHR competes with some of the largest government contracting companies for the best talent. SHR needed to look like what they had become: a sophisticated industry player.
A brand new brand
SHR’s biggest challenge in the recruiting process came when prospective hires were researching the firm. Their old website was doing more harm than good. And their brand wasn’t telling a compelling story.
To remedy these problems, we developed a new logo and website. We consciously designed a logo mark that looked like nothing else in the industry—a blocky, modernist mark that represents the asymmetry and complexity of their projects.
A website built to a hire standard
If expanding the team was SHR’s biggest challenge, their website needed to accomplish two goals: position the firm as an exciting place to work and make it clear they were hiring. At the same time, of course, it needed to speak to prospective government clients.
Our design team created a new look that was sleek, dynamic and instantly credible. We placed their Careers page in the main navigation where it would be easy to find, and we put an offer on the homepage to encourage job hunters to explore their opportunities. Next, we built an engaging careers section to persuade interested candidates that SHR is doing innovative work and encourage them to reach out for more information.
A video to grow by
Next, we produced a video to highlight the firm’s culture and the exciting professional growth opportunities SHR employees enjoy. We featured interviews with current staff members across a wide range of roles.
Recruiting video
Two become one
Strategic partnerships are one of SHR’s growth strategies. So when they teamed up with federal contractor Intellibridge, the two companies formed a new entity, SHR&T, to promote their joint capabilities.
The new partnership logo and website share features of the component firms’ brands—while presenting the joint venture as a potent challenger in the marketplace.
Equipped for renewed growth
Since the launch of SHR’s new brand and website, they have experienced new success on multiple fronts. Within three months, the new website was attracting more than 50% more visibility, and interest in their job openings has risen, giving them more options as they grow.
What we did
High-Performance Website
- Design
- Online Strategy
- Search Engine Optimization
- Website Architecture
- Website Development
- Writing
Branding Services
- Logo Design
- Brand Style Guidelines
- Recruiting Video
Partnership Branding
- Teaming Logo
- Microsite
