Photo of two females sat on a sofa in an office with a laptop talkingPhoto of two males sat on a sofa. Pointing in front of them with a laptop on their lapsPhoto of two females walking down office stairs laughingPhoto of a female in a factory with a sewing machinePhoto of a male at a desk wearing a black jumper smiling at a laptopPhoto of two people sat a desk talking

CREATING ROOM FOR MORE WITH DFS GROUP

CREATING ROOM FOR MORE WITH DFS GROUP

CREATING ROOM FOR MORE WITH DFS GROUP

CREATING ROOM FOR MORE WITH DFS GROUP

Services

  • EVP
  • Film

Employee Value Proposition

Brands researched

Employer brand platform

DFS Group, home to DFS, Sofology, The Sofa Delivery Company and also DFS Group, the corporate side of the business — partnered with Wiser to develop a Group Employer Value Proposition (EVP) that united all of the unique cultures that make up the group.

Through a nationwide colleague research programme, focus groups, insight workshops and narrative development, we uncovered the shared attributes and themes that connect the Group. The result was a people-first EVP and a new employer brand platform, Room for More, designed to help attract, engage and retain talent across the business.

Photo of two females walking down office stairs laughingPhoto of two females walking down office stairs laughing

At a glance

We started with research. Over several months, we spoke with over 300 colleagues across DFS Group, DFS, Sofology and The Sofa Delivery Company through interviews, focus groups and surveys. Alongside this, we reviewed the positioning, messaging and culture of each individual brand to understand where they aligned and where they diverged.

The findings revealed a business with strong foundations. Across every brand, colleagues spoke positively about the people around them. Teams described a supportive, welcoming culture built on trust, collaboration and genuine relationships. We heard consistent stories about development opportunities and the pride people felt in helping both the customer find their perfect products and, in turn, helping the business be successful.

Interviews

Focus groups

Survey responses

Finding the thread that connected DFS Group

But the research highlighted a challenge. While colleagues felt connected to their individual brands, many struggled to define what DFS Group itself stood for. Colleagues wanted more visibility of the wider organisation, stronger communication across brands and greater clarity around future opportunities.

From these insights, we identified three themes that united the Group: Northern soul, a spirit of self-improvement and a customer-first attitude. This became the foundation of the EVP strategy.

Working closely with stakeholders, we developed a people-first positioning that created a shared foundation for the Group while allowing each brand to retain its own identity.

With this research, we then defined key messaging pillars around growth, community and purpose, creating a framework that reflected both the colleague experience and the organisation's ambitions.

Room for more

The outcome was 'Room for more', an employer brand platform built around opportunity, progression and the belief that people achieve more when they're supported by a community that wants to see them succeed.

More than a tagline, it gave DFS Group a shared story. One that could connect colleagues, attract the best talent and support the business as it continues its journey towards ambitious growth.

Activating the employer brand

We didn’t stop there. We brought it to life across the entire colleague journey. We kicked things off with a week-long photoshoot to bring the new photography direction to life, capturing people from across DFS Group so we could have real people sit at the heart of our activations. We then created a comprehensive DFS Group employer brand toolkit, complete with branded hiring assets, onboarding tools, social media templates and practical guidance to help teams deliver a consistent experience at every touchpoint. We also produced an EVP explainer film, giving colleagues and candidates an engaging introduction to what it really means to work at DFS Group.

To keep the employer brand alive after launch and help with embedding, we created dedicated DFS Group social media channels alongside a colleague advocacy programme, empowering colleagues to share authentic stories from across the business. Together, these activations transformed the EVP from a strategic proposition into a living employer brand that continues to strengthen attraction, engagement and connection across the Group.

Building the brand together

Over the first year of our partnership, we’ve focused on bringing the EVP to life across the moments and channels that matter. As we move into our next year together, we’ll continue to build on those foundations, evolving the employer brand and embedding it across even more of the employee and candidate experience.

Photography
EVP Explainer Video
Toolkit
Social Media Channels
Advocacy Programme
Careers Site Design

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