The client was an international cyber security company with companies in the USA, the UK and Germany. Information security is a narrow, specialized skills market in which both technical and consulting staff are in high demand.
Crisis situation following the loss of experienced staff
The company had to overcome a crisis situation following the departure of senior executives and the loss of other highly qualified staff. It was faced with the challenge of retaining experienced employees on the one hand and recruiting new specialists on the other. The HR Manager was mandated in the role of project manager. His task was to build up the employer branding and develop professional HR marketing tailored to the target group. He also had to introduce a stringent recruiting process and reduce the current fluctuation rate.
Employer brand as an effective internal and external tool
The company's own employees are the best recruiters. Based on this experience, the manager developed a concept for building an employer brand that works both internally and externally. Employees want to be proud of their work and the company. However, if there is no success in the short term, the perspective becomes even more crucial. The manager therefore took the first major step of changing the practice of annual appraisals. Instead of the usual performance appraisal content, the annual appraisals are now development meetings in which managers give employees a binding outlook for the next three years. This measure meant that experienced employees stayed on and gradually took on more responsibility themselves. At the same time, word of this unusual model for the cyber security sector spread throughout the industry, resulting in external applications.
Employer branding videos for the homepage and social media
At the same time, the company's homepage was redesigned with employer branding in mind. In short videos, experienced and new employees explain briefly and concisely why they enjoy working for the company. The company also distributed these videos via its social media channels. This helped more and more specialists to perceive the company as an attractive employer or to become aware of the company in the first place.
Employee referral program set up
After aligning HR marketing with the target group and selecting suitable recruiting channels (Xing Talent Manager, LinkedIn, Facebook, online job boards, Group/GmbH homepage), the manager initiated an employee referral program. The employee program developed into a driving force and contributed around 30 percent of new hires. The program was not only aimed at long-serving employees, but was also introduced to new employees during the onboarding process. The ratings on the Kununu review platform showed a positive trend.
Recruiting processes accelerated
One of the key aspects of a successful employer brand is efficient application management processes. From the applicant's perspective, quick responses are of the utmost importance. This is all the more important when sought-after specialists also have very good chances with competitors. This is why the HR Manager worked with managers and recruiters to develop a binding timeframe for the process. Candidates now receive at least one telephone interview within a week of submitting their application and a personal interview within 14 days.
Number of employees more than doubled
The company had lost more than half of its workforce (65 out of 120 employees) before the mandate began. By the end of the HR manager's contract, 107 new employees had been gained. The company reached a level of more than 160 employees. The loss of skills was absorbed and adapted to the new portfolio.
As HR project manager, the manager was able to make a significant contribution to the success. His generalist perspective and expertise in designing an employer brand as well as professional HR marketing and recruitment processes were key to this. He was also able to familiarize himself very quickly with the complex requirement profiles of the technical and advisory positions.
