Many companies already have a powerful advertising medium for recruiting skilled workers, but it's often not used consistently: their own company website. (Photo: © alphaspirit/123RF.com)
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February 13, 2020
Crafts 4.0: The internet is the number one source of information for trainees and skilled workers. Employers need to present themselves optimally online. This includes an appealing website.
The shortage of skilled workers in the skilled trades will continue to worsen in 2020: There are already around 250.000 vacancies, and there's a shortage of up to 20.000 apprentices annually. Therefore, companies need new strategies to secure the best skilled workers and inspire young people to pursue apprenticeships in the skilled trades.
Many companies already have access to a particularly powerful advertising medium, but they often don't use it consistently: their own company website. There, you can usually learn a lot about products and services—but hardly anything about the company as an employer. This means that skilled tradespeople are missing out on valuable opportunities. Today, most employees are already being sought online:
According to the statistics portal Statista.de, almost 78 percent of all employers posted their job openings on online job boards in 2019. Job seekers then automatically click through to the company's homepage – but if no meaningful information is available there, the chances of receiving an application plummet.
Implementing the necessary additions to your own website is usually quick and easy: There should be a dedicated menu item for "Careers" or "Job Openings ." An additional, prominently placed button on the homepage will help applicants referred from job boards find the right path even faster.
In addition to current job postings, the subpages can also provide an overview of various career fields within your own company – from trainees to management positions.
It comes across as particularly appealing and convincing when current employees present their own field of work. Combined with social media platforms like Facebook or Instagram , this approach can achieve even greater reach, especially among younger people.
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When advertising job openings, companies should ensure they not only state their requirements for applicants but also offer concrete incentives. In times of skilled labor shortages, the playing field has been completely reshaped: These days, employers must present compelling arguments to attract candidates – because experienced professionals can choose their boss from the multitude of available positions.
Phrases like "interesting projects" and "performance-based compensation" are no longer enough for companies to compete for top talent. Therefore, it's crucial to make a compelling case on your online career pages right from the start: What sets your company apart from the competition? What values are upheld within the organization? And what are the concrete benefits for employees?
This concept of presenting oneself as an attractive employer is also called employer branding . At the same time, companies should go into more detail on their career pages to convince new employees.
For example, what specific offerings do they offer in terms of occupational safety, hardware and software, or working time regulations? What is their unique selling point as a regional employer? Is there a company health management program? And how is their corporate philosophy lived and implemented on a daily basis?
More on the topic of employer branding
To stand out from the competition, companies should highlight their passion for skilled trades on their career pages, as well as highlighting their company's unique characteristics—for example, outstanding successes as an employer, long-term employee service, or competition wins. Applicants are also often interested in facts and figures, such as the number of apprentices or master craftsman graduates.
But social skills are also often more important to prospective students than one might think, for example membership in examination boards, volunteer activities or supporting regional sports teams and schools.
A dedicated button for simple online applications is also crucial. And once enough employees have been recruited, companies shouldn't immediately take their career pages offline, but rather think about the future: It's usually advisable to permanently advertise speculative applications and internships – because it's possible that a suitable person will be urgently needed as early as next month.
Employer branding not only strengthens your attractiveness as an employer externally , but also fosters employee loyalty internally . By answering the following questions, you demonstrate to potential candidates what your company stands for. Professionally preparing the content for your online career pages is an important step in optimizing your employer brand.
Potential applicants, skilled workers, and trainees can often be attracted by selected, yet special benefits. This way, you can successfully retain employees in your company for the long term. Ideas for possible benefits include:
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