The Greatest Showman, HR & eLearning

Whether by accident or intent The Greatest Showman achieves more than his dream. He creates a diverse, and loyal team, one most HR departments would be proud of.

In the hit film The Greatest Showman, Hugh Jackman portrays P.T. Barnum, as an orphan turned entrepreneur who goes on to create the circus. His character goes from having nothing to having it all, losing it and rebuilding, a story most people can relate to. Whether by accident or intent he achieves a diverse, and loyal team, one most HR departments would be proud of.

The challenges he faced are still ongoing today, only now, there are more channels available to recruit and retain staff, including Linkedin, Facebook and eLearning. 

Barnum began by headhunting, searching for talented people to form his team. But it wasn’t that easy, he didn’t have LinkedIn, Indeed or any other online method…he had himself, a small amount of cash and a vision. Once he’d sought out the talent, he needed to convince them to join him. He couldn’t offer them an enticing salary, childcare vouchers or flexi-time instead, he sold them his dream, his vision.

Selling the Company Vision

For his ideas to work he needed people who were talented but unusual or disconnected from society. Barnum’s plan at the time was radical which meant he had to work hard to sell his vision to the team, gaining buy-in, loyalty and trust. He needed his team to really believe in what they were doing to stand any chance of success with the public. 

Equality & Diversity

Barnum’s team fought against the social norms of the time. They copped it from all angles, with prejudice in all forms the most prominent issues of race and class. The film explores this theme through a forbidden romance between a high-born white man, (Zac Efron’s character), Phillip Carlyle and black trapeze artist, Anne Wheeler, (played by the beautiful Zendaya). Back then due to issues of inequality, the presence of Anne and her brother at the time may have surprised and shocked audiences, something Barnum was keen to do. For Barnum, it was simple, the more unique and unlikely the performer the better which indirectly led to one of the most diverse and inclusive teams in history! 

E-Learning Inductions

If Barnum was alive today, as The Greatest Showman, the recruitment, induction and training would be fun, engaging and full of character! He would want to express his vision vibrantly. He would want to entice and engage top talent, make them feel like they are a part of something special and that joining 'the greatest show' has many benefits and opportunities. E-learning is a great tool for doing this, for smaller companies, it creates a professional, high-quality induction for newcomers, for larger companies it does the same but also creates a consistent and cost-effective induction process. 

Like Barnum, We Can Sell a Vision.

Working with clients including SAKS Hair & Beauty we've created eLearning inductions that are packed full of engaging content to inspire your new recruits. For more information on how we can create exciting eLearning inductions, CPD, training and more, please, contact us.