Statutory employer

With more than 44,000 employees, this statutory employer is one of the largest organisations in Germany. Its brand is well-known and established, which is why everyone has an opinion of it and harbours both negative and positive prejudices. Our task was therefore to design the employer branding for an established and traditional brand.

In addition to traditional civil servants, the employer needs top specialists, especially for IT. However, because it is a public institution, it is considered to offer only average income opportunities and has a rather staid reputation. Under such conditions, it is difficult to assert oneself on the labour market against companies that pay better. And there are further obstacles: The organisation also has to meet applicant quotas.

Our key question: How can the brand profile, positioning and communication of this employer be sharpened to attract more IT specialists?

Preparation: We analysed our client's history, conducted over 40 internal interviews and developed a brand DNA on this basis. We also analysed relevant competitors in the IT job sector. We also analysed the socio-cultural trends that are particularly prevalent among Gen Y and Gen Z IT specialists.

With this prior knowledge, we identified the true drivers of attractiveness: Why should you work for this employer, what makes it special? The reasons identified were: Equal opportunities, security, social responsibility, fairness and collegiality.

On this basis, we developed an employer branding strategy and adapted it for different target groups. We also derived communication messages that were appropriate for the respective groups. The careers page on the website and the recruiting campaigns now have a clear brand style, for example through a defined colour code.

Organisational matters: We developed the strategic basis in face-to-face meetings with a small, diverse working group. In digital "reflection meetings", we repeatedly brought in representatives from various locations and areas of responsibility to obtain their feedback. This inclusive process enabled us to get people from different areas of work excited about employer branding. This made many people realise why they enjoy working for this organisation so much.

Our client was given a new, attractive image without having to throw its values and attitudes overboard. The new job campaign for IT specialists led to an increase in the click-through rate of 183 % in the period from June 21 to June 22. The efficiency of the media budget increased and the employer now benefits from a significantly higher number of high-quality applications.