How do you attract talent today? Corporate Director of HR & Legal Elke Renz and Corporate Director of Marketing and Communications Alexander Stöckle explain how the Koehler Group’s employer brand has been established – and how a campaign is making it visible, effective, and tangible.
How has the labor market changed – and what does that mean for the Koehler Group?
Elke Renz — Over the decades, the labor market has developed into an employee market. And what that means is that we now have more vacant positions than qualified workers. This, of course, means that job applicants want more from potential employers, with meaning and sustainability being in high demand. Then there’s demographic change: Experienced workers are retiring while we continue to grow as a company.
In practice, this means that the way we do workforce planning has to change too. We need to take a very close look at the skills we’ll need in the future and proactively match our needs to the expectations of candidates.
Elke Renz, Head of Human Resources and Legal Affairs
Where can these challenges be most keenly felt?
Elke Renz — In the highly specialized areas of expertise we have at Koehler. The competition is tougher now, with the field of energy and the sharp increase in demand due to the energy transition being a good example.
Certain specialized professions, such as paper technologist, require their own apprenticeships. But we’re tied to our sites when it comes to production – remote work on paper machines obviously isn’t a thing. That’s why our regional training rate is absolutely essential in preventing a skilled worker shortage.
Why do we need more than just recruiting – that is, to reposition ourselves as an employer?
Elke Renz — It’s not about staffing job openings, but rather about the whole employee journey – from HR planning, through job training, all the way to long-term retention. We want sustainable relationships; not short-term solutions.
Alexander Stöckle — That’s where our employer brand comes in. It brings everything together and makes the DNA of this family business visible: long-term thinking, acting with responsibility, and latitude when it comes to helping shape things. Combine that with our focus on sustainability and you get an employer profile that merges stability and a bright future.
Alexander Stöckle, Head of Marketing and Communications
What can a strong employer brand do in the face of current challenges?
Alexander Stöckle — It can do exactly what we need when competing for talent: Set us apart while boosting visibility and recognition. This means addressing the right target group: Apprentices don’t have the same expectations as experienced experts. A good employer brand takes these individual needs and combines them with a clear, shared core.
On top of that, authentic storytelling is essential. We’re making sure to only tell stories that match our company style and our culture. Otherwise you get a gap between outside perception and lived reality, which doesn’t work well in the long term.
Elke Renz — Exactly. We want to show what we really stand for – and appeal to people who are a good match for us.
For more information about the campaign, visit:
www.koehlerkannzukunft.de
How did HR and Marketing develop this new employer brand together?
Alexander Stöckle — We worked closely together from the very start. The first thing was figuring out our employer value proposition (EVP), which is at the very heart of our employer brand. What we really wanted was for our brand to emerge organically from within, so we brought employees from various departments on board early on and incorporated the things they had to say and contribute. In other words, we put our fingers on the pulse of our workforce.
Elke Renz — We sometimes got surprising results in our surveys, which confirmed what we knew – you can’t just lump everyone together. Values and issues vary by target group, which is why addressing each one with the corresponding nuances is so important.
A comprehensive social media strategy is a must, especially when trying to reach younger target groups.
What kind of impact do we want from our employer brand?
Alexander Stöckle — It’s about visibility and a high profile. Many people aren’t familiar with us – even here in the region. We want to change that. But success also needs to be measurable, whether in terms of recruiting costs or how quickly we fill vacancies.
Elke Renz — … or employee turnover and retention rates. Long-term identification is the name of the game internally. The strongest kind of communication is when employees are proud of what they do and recommend us. In fact, a good chunk of our recruiting is already based on recommendations – we want to boost that further.
The Koehler Group employer value proposition
At Koehler, we shape the future together with confidence and drive. We combine experience with a love of innovation and responsibility with entrepreneurial freedom. That’s how we’ve created a stable foundation for sustainable growth. We offer individuals who want to show initiative, put in the work, and shape the world a stable work environment with clear prospects, cutting-edge technologies, and a way to really get things done – for lasting progress.
A couple of years from now, how will you know that this new brand was the right step to take?
Alexander Stöckle — If we’re more visible, we’ll have achieved something important. To do this, we’re planning to keep expanding our channels: from social media, to career pages, to new formats such as podcasts and out-of-home ads.
Elke Renz — We have tons of great stories – now we need to tell them effectively within the context of our employer brand. If we manage to get the right people more easily and keep them in the long term, this step will have been successful. And this success will have been sustainable.
