Statutory health ­insurance

Our client, a statutory health insurance company, has undergone many mergers (because the statutory health insurance market as a whole has consolidated significantly). Following the development of a brand strategy, the SHI company brought us in again: for employer branding that would enable it to position and assert itself as an attractive employer in the "war of talent".

The fundamental problem of all SHI providers in the German market is that they cannot differentiate themselves through their benefits, as these are regulated by law. They are therefore dependent on brands that create added value and on strong employer branding.

Our client's regional branches had to work together after the mergers. However, many different cultures and ways of thinking came together under their common name.

A number of challenges became apparent that had to be overcome:

Firstly, there was a pronounced decentralisation and anonymity. The employees did not know each other. In order to eliminate this shortcoming, a new management system was required. In addition, GKV had a rigid hierarchy and a strong male dominance at all management levels, which discouraged women. Overall, the employees missed an appreciative culture. They also complained that they had too little room for manoeuvre.

Our key questions: How can we adapt the brand strategy that we developed previously to create a strong employer branding so that GKV attracts the employees that suit it? And how can it strengthen trust in its brand internally, i.e. within the company itself?

This is how we proceeded: We interpreted the corporate strategy, brand values and brand positioning in terms of an employer brand, but without changing its core elements. We also linked the employer branding strategy with the company's ongoing core processes to ensure that it was up to date and effective.

We emphasised a strong purpose for the employer branding: the promotion of people's greatest asset - their health. To this end, we developed a core story and clear communication messages that had an impact both internally and externally. The result was an honest and specific brand language. The job adverts were reformulated and simplified.

Recruiting: We developed core personas to address applicants. This makes it possible to recognise which employees can be attracted in which way. The application process itself was simplified and improved, for example through new software.

Employee management: We established clear management guidelines and continuously measure whether they are being adhered to. Among other things, the self-image and external image of managers is regularly reviewed.

Employees are given more support in their various life and work phases (onboarding, personnel development, staff retention and exit) and a standardised further training catalogue is now available to them. Their day-to-day work has been simplified, for example thanks to new technology, and a

Today, our client benefits from a stable and strong working community and an effective corporate culture. Employees feel valued, are committed to their work and are happy to take on responsibility. They are not only interested in their personal professional future, but also in the success of GKV.

The managers impress with their well-developed soft skills. And the employer branding advertising campaigns now convey stringent messages that have an excellent effect both internally and externally.