Topdrill
Powering Topdrill’s Recruitment Growth
About Topdrill
Topdrill is one of Australia’s most respected drilling contractors, known for its strong on-site culture, reliable crews, and long-standing relationships across the mining sector. As the company continued to grow and take on new projects, the need for a steady stream of skilled operators and keen newcomers ready to enter the industry became more important than ever.
Challenges
Recruitment in the mining sector is inherently competitive, and Topdrill’s rapid growth intensified the need to fill roles quickly and consistently. Skilled drillers were in high demand across the industry, while entry-level candidates often lacked clarity on how to enter mining. FIFO requirements further limited the available talent pool.
Topdrill needed to engage two distinct audiences with very different motivations:
Experienced operators seeking recognition, stability, and improved conditions
Inexperienced candidates looking for training, guidance, and a clear pathway into mining
With multiple active sites and short hiring windows, delayed recruitment directly impacted operations. The challenge was to cut through a crowded market, speak clearly to each audience, and deliver a strong volume of qualified applicants quickly, without compromising lead quality.
Solutions
Digilari embarked on a comprehensive optimisation strategy to tackle these challenges:
LinkedIn Ads
LinkedIn was our primary channel for recruitment, particularly for skilled operators and qualified candidates already working in mining or heavy industry. We structured the campaign around two ad groups:
- Experienced: drillers, supervisors, operators, and candidates with relevant skills or field backgrounds.
- Inexperienced: job seekers interested in entry-level roles or mining career pathways.(adapted from the LinkedIn assets)
Google Ads
Google’s role was to support and reinforce the recruitment effort by staying visible to candidates already engaging with Topdrill across paid and organic channels. The structure focused on:
- Retargeting traffic from the Topdrill Careers page and the new recruitment landing pages
- A lightweight Display + Gmail component using Digilari-produced creatives (adapted from the LinkedIn assets)
Creative Overview
Experienced Ads
Inexperienced Ads
Landing Page Optimisation
Results
Improved Candidate Engagement, Application Intent, and Recruitment Efficiency
The targeted, multi-channel recruitment approach delivered measurable improvements in candidate engagement and application behaviour across both experienced and inexperienced audiences. By separating messaging, landing pages, and retargeting flows, Topdrill achieved stronger intent signals and more efficient performance across paid media channels.
LinkedIn generated 2,461 clicks from 85,024 impressions, delivering a 2.89% CTR, confirming strong relevance among mining-focused audiences.
Video ads outperformed static formats across both experience segments, with the experienced audience achieving the highest engagement rates and strongest intent signals.
Google Ads reinforced the recruitment funnel, delivering 4.97% CTR at a low $0.65 CPC, supporting application completion rather than volume-led acquisition.
Retargeting ensured continued visibility among engaged candidates, reducing drop-off and maintaining momentum through short hiring windows.
This performance validated the importance of audience segmentation, experience-specific messaging, and channel roles within recruitment campaigns. The approach enabled Topdrill to move faster on hiring needs while maintaining lead quality across multiple sites and regions.
Click-Through Rate
YoY growth
Audience Penetration
YoY growth
Engagement Rate
YoY increase
