How can young people be inspired to pursue vocational training in the skilled trades? (Photo: © Wavebreak Media Ltd/123RF.com)
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Digital Crafts - Theme specials
February 2019
Crafts 4.0: In times of skilled labor shortages, companies must find new ways to recruit trainees, because today young people are primarily active on social media.
Skilled trades businesses in Germany are receiving fewer and fewer applications for their apprenticeships. According to statistics from the Federal Employment Agency from October 2018, around 14 percent of apprenticeships in the skilled trades nationwide remained unfilled last year. A new way to find apprentices is to search on social networks – after all, these have become part of everyday life for many young people. However, many companies are struggling with this step: According to a Bitkom study from September 2018, just 24 percent of human resources managers in small and medium-sized enterprises use social networks to fill vacancies. These figures represent a great opportunity for skilled trades businesses: Those who now engage in social networks are more likely to be noticed due to the small number of competitors.
Creative training marketing
But where is it particularly worthwhile for skilled trades businesses to look for apprentices? Facebook remains the market leader among social networks, with 32 million German users. Also popular – especially among young people – are Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, and Tumblr. Those who creatively use these platforms as part of their training marketing can generate awareness among young people about apprenticeships within their own company.
Since most social media channels primarily function via images or videos, a photo or video diary is a good starting point, for example, in which trainees present all aspects of their profession or their own company. You can also focus on unusual products, great projects, or funny anecdotes. Your own publications should not, however, give the impression of an advertising campaign, but rather be informative and entertaining at the same time. Important ingredients are therefore humor and the occasional touch of self-irony – both of which create sympathy among the target audience. This is, of course, a balancing act that every company has to explore for itself: your own professionalism or competence should never be questioned. A successful example is the video from the Sterz glassworks in Langen, which used a Facebook video to search for two trainees in 2018 – and received almost 40 applications. The clip has been viewed over four million times to date.
If you're making your own videos, don't overdo the length: Some platforms limit the length of each clip to 10 to 60 seconds. Consistency is much more important, ensuring that new and interesting content is regularly available. Photos or videos don't have to be glossy: On social networks, authenticity is the key. Another important thing to remember: Many videos are watched without sound while on the go, so as not to disturb others. Therefore, it can be helpful to add appropriate subtitles to videos. There are various easy-to-use apps available to help you achieve this.
Operations management
Craft policy
Craft policy
Anyone who decides to become active on social media should develop a clear concept in advance that covers all important requirements. In addition to the planned goals and responsible persons within the company, this plan should also include all legal requirements that must be observed. Among other things, all provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) must be adhered to. It is important, for example, that social media apps do not have access to the address book of the smartphone or tablet, so that contacts cannot be read. If you want to play it safe, you should purchase an additional device that is dedicated exclusively to social media and is not used to store personal data.
While engaging in social networks is generally free, it still costs something – namely, time. On the one hand, it takes time to regularly produce new and interesting content, and on the other, it takes time to interact with users. Social networks thrive on exchanges, mutual "liking" and commenting on each other's content. Those who can't or don't want to invest this time will not achieve great success on social networks. Therefore, building a social media presence makes especially sense if you're regularly looking for new trainees.
To strike the right tone on social media right from the start, you should involve your own trainees or young employees right from the idea development stage. They are often very familiar with social media communication and are happy to support your company in this area. To increase awareness of your own channels, you should also promote them intensively, for example, on your website, in email signatures, or in advertisements. Over time, your own social media will become increasingly well-known – and reach more potential trainees.
Checklist: Apprentice communication on social media
1. Create a concept: What goals should be achieved? And with what means: text, photos, or videos?
2. Which social media platforms are best suited for this? YouTube, for example, is particularly well-suited for videos, Pinterest and Instagram for photos, and Facebook for videos, photos, and text.
3. Define responsibilities: Who manages the social media channels? Who is responsible for text and photos? Who answers comments and questions?
4. Find a language style: Your texts should sound neither overly formal nor overly juvenile, but rather relaxed and authentic. The informal "du" is generally used when addressing people on social media.
5. Build your image: What is your company philosophy? How can you convey it through your social media posts?
6. Develop content: What content is suitable, for example, photo/video diaries from trainees, special projects, interviews or insights into your own company?
7. Select protagonists: Continually feature employees, and especially trainees, on your social media channels. This way, young readers get firsthand information from people they consider particularly credible.
8. Limit length: Attention spans on the internet are usually very short. Therefore, texts and videos should be short and compelling from the start to prevent users from clicking away.
9. Evoke emotions: On the internet, content that is emotionally touching, entertaining, or simply funny is primarily shared and forwarded.
10. Plan updates: How often and when should new content be uploaded in the future? Develop a concept with creative ideas.
11. Start interacting: Connect with other users. Comment on other people's texts, photos, and videos. Answer questions or participate in professional discussions or educational topics.
12. Observe laws: Always comply with all legal requirements, such as the GDPR, copyright law, and the Telemedia Act, when conducting online activities.
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