How to turn employers into brands.

Schindler Parent is not a pure employer branding agency. Nevertheless, we have been developing strong employer brands for decades.

Many communications agencies, like Schindler Parent, work on the topic of employer branding. Logical, after all, the employer brand is an important part of the overall brand, which is always the focus of our holistic brand work.
Of course, there are also numerous pure employer branding agencies. But they all have one thing in common: they are dedicated to developing employer brands.

At Schindler Parent, we see this process as part of a larger whole – as part of the brand itself. After all, when evaluating a company as an employer, the industry, company size, goals, and values also play a major role. The employer brand simply has to fit into the overall brand picture. If we look at a company from the employer’s perspective, it becomes immediately clear that employer branding affects every area of the company – directly or indirectly. We rely on the interplay of analysis, strategy and creation.

At first glance, this may sound pretentious, and we admit it: The insight catapults the topic of employer branding to a whole new level right away. But let’s be honest, if the target group of the company’s employer brand consists not only of potential applicants, but also of employees who have already been hired, then employer branding has an enormous impact – namely on the entire company. Because in this case, it’s not just about filling vacant positions quickly – it’s about fundamentally satisfied employees who identify with the company and its values. It is obvious that satisfied employees are more motivated, stay longer with the company and this contributes to the company’s success.

So let’s keep it simple: a company’s employer brand is embedded in its overarching corporate brand. And against this backdrop, we at Schindler Parent are not a classic employer branding agency, but we still know from decades of experience what matters in good employer branding.

Or: Why is building an employer brand so important anyway?

You may be asking yourself these questions. And they can be answered quickly: Demographic change is the reason why building a strong employer brand is more important for companies than ever before. Over generations, low birth rates are increasingly imbalancing the ratio of vacancies to qualified professionals. In March 2022, the skills gap reached a new high. For example, the Competence Center for Securing Skilled Workers (Kofa), which works on behalf of the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection, reported: “There was a seasonally adjusted shortage of a good 558,000 skilled workers in March 2022.” A figure that makes even us marvel.

Have we finally caught your attention for the topic now? Good, then let’s discuss the plan. The labor market is highly competitive, and it’s up to companies to address the needs and expectations of potential applicants. Especially since these can be very different. That’s why it’s first necessary to clarify which people are to be addressed in the first place. Once the target group has been identified, the various needs and expectations can be determined in concrete terms. And only then can a meaningful employer positioning on the labor market take place. The right communication, which in our case means communication that is appropriate to the target group, is then usually the key to successful recruiting. But this target group-oriented communication must be well thought out, it must follow a strategy. And this strategy is nothing other than – you may have guessed it – employer branding. So it should be clear why a strong employer brand is important: It is the answer to the shortage of skilled workers. And agencies that specialize in employer branding or employer marketing provide support on the way to this very brand. Which also answers the first question.

Don’t worry: Employer marketing is nothing more than a synonym for employer branding. That’s why it should have become clear by now that employer marketing involves much more than just putting a fruit basket in the employee kitchen. However, this is also the breeding ground for misunderstandings. After all, while the HR department is responsible for personnel planning, contracting and further training measures, the marketing department takes on the primary task of developing an employer brand. In employer branding, therefore, both marketing and HR must pull in the same direction.

In order to even find out what the goal of employer marketing should be, data from personnel administration must be sifted through and analyzed: Does the company have a lot of orders, but at the same time there is a lack of employees? Or does the company have enough employees who merely show too little commitment? Are personnel costs so high because there is a high turnover? Or do new employees stay with the company for a long time, but the onboarding process is simply not designed efficiently? Depending on where the actual problem lies, different objectives are set in personnel marketing. The strategy is then also aligned with these. After all, it is a different task to restructure the corporate culture for employees who are already employed than it is to adapt the application process. The data and facts from the HR area must be further utilized for targeted employer marketing in order to develop this tailor-made strategy. There is enormous potential in the cooperation between the two corporate divisions, which is mostly wasted. This is where real transformation can take place through transparency and communication. Believe us, we speak from experience.

Corporate culture plays a major role against the backdrop of employer branding. The shared values and social norms that are lived out in the company on a daily basis have a major impact on how people feel. Whether they enjoy working, how much commitment they show, whether they can identify with the company. Now you might think it doesn’t matter whether an employee identifies with the company’s values, as long as he or she simply gets the job done right. But that is too short-sighted. Because it depends on the feel-good factor whether the employee raves about his or her workplace among his or her acquaintances. The feeling of “we” determines whether the employee is willing to check her mailbox even when she’s on vacation. Recommendation and commitment are directly linked to corporate culture. That is why it is such an eminently important component of employer branding. It attracts new employees and keeps existing ones in the company.

A good corporate culture, manifested in everyday interactions, can ignite an infectious dynamic. The values and norms shared within the company form the basis of a good corporate culture. Another factor is how leadership is exemplified. Rules defined in writing play a lesser role than values that are actually lived. If appreciation is demonstrated in everyday life, enthusiasm is shown and a constructive approach to criticism is communicated, then the employees themselves become multipliers of the positive dynamic. This power, generated by a sense of community, can actually be harnessed to create a positive impact on a larger scale. Issues like the climate crisis can only be addressed if companies of all kinds commit to change. But that requires people who care what kind of company they work for. This is where one of the marketing buzzwords par excellence comes into play – purpose, i.e. the meaning and purpose of one’s own activity. And here we are again on the topic of employer branding. If the company’s higher purpose is to create a positive impact in some way, then this should be incorporated into the employer brand via the corporate culture. After all, nothing is a better employee magnet than meaningful activities that have a positive impact and are performed in a motivating atmosphere.

In order to initiate a transformation process in the company that produces such a corporate culture, concrete measures are of course needed. Before posting indiscriminately on various social media channels such as Facebook or Instagram to reach a young target group of potential employees, the status quo must be determined. How does the brand identity compare to the brand image in general? Is there already a clear employer value proposition, that is, a value or value proposition of the company as an employer? What do we want to achieve by building the employer brand? These questions must be answered in the analysis phase before any thought can be given to developing a strategy. Adapted to the corresponding findings, a concrete strategy with individual measures is then drafted. These measures can look different: from optimizing the website to a targeted campaign to restructuring the application process.

Then it’s down to the nitty-gritty. The implementation of the individual measures within a defined time horizon is the final step in order to take on a pioneering role in terms of employer branding. At Schindler Parent, we offer a wide range of services that will truly advance your company as an employer:

– From the first step, the HR data analysis

– About the data analysis

– To the determination of the employer branding goals

– And the determination of the exact target group

– To the development of a concrete strategy including a differentiated Employer Value Proposition

– To the practical implementation of the strategy

– And subsequent measurement of success

Attention. The analysis phase is literally worth its weight in gold in this development process. Do not make the mistake of underestimating it, because everything else builds on it. If you spare no effort here, it will pay off in strategy development and implementation. Because the wheel does not have to be reinvented over and over again. Once you have created a clear “why,” a brand identity for your employer brand, you benefit in many ways. Whether it’s campaigns, social media posts, or job postings, having a clearly defined employer brand simply makes it easier to leverage these mediums. You don’t have to rethink every time what basic values you want to convey. If you are clear about what makes your company tick, then this message can be adapted and packaged differently. You save time and effort – because you’ve invested in a well-thought-out strategy from the start.

The bottom line is that employer branding is a central component of comprehensive brand work and an important topic, especially for the recent future. After all, the shortage of skilled workers will become even more acute. So start looking for suitable personnel now. Bring talented and dynamic people on board and keep those who are already actively rowing for you. How can you do this? With an outstanding positioning on the job market. Developing a good employer brand requires a convincing employer value proposition, a value proposition of the company as an employer. In order to define the employer value proposition and consequently embed it in a sophisticated strategy, the status quo must be analyzed.

Good agencies guide you through the entire employer branding process, listen and ask the right questions. At the end of the day, creative ideas are used to develop a strong employer brand that achieves the goals set. These can be many and varied: more applications, better applications or a stronger sense of unity.

For us at Schindler Parent, all these topics are real margins, i.e. real added value for your company. That’s why we are passionate about strong brands and strong employer brands. We are happy to accompany you on your journey.

We have an eye for brands.
And an ear to listen and support.