24 Feb Personnel marketing – The employees as a target group

Employees are considered one of the most important resources for any company. In view of the war for talent^[1], they are also increasingly seen as an indispensable success factor. And in a market with increasingly interchangeable products and services, they offer companies the opportunity to differentiate themselves. This is precisely why new perspectives, such as those adopted in HR marketing, are becoming increasingly important. So this week we want to explain in more detail exactly what this is and what forms it takes.

Human resources and marketing?

Just as the name suggests, personal marketing combines the two disciplines of human resources and marketing. The mindset of marketing is transferred to human resources and the (potential) employee represents the target group. Any measures aimed at attracting and retaining qualified employees can thus be counted as personnel marketing.

The (potential) employee is therefore seen more as a customer of the company and must be wooed and enthused in the long term. The wishes and needs of the employees are brought to the fore and an orientation of the company towards them is required.

In line with the goal of attracting and retaining motivated as well as well-trained personnel, personnel marketing has three basic functions:

• The employer attractiveness is to be increased. By building an employer brand and highlighting its values, a company can set itself apart from the competition.
• Suitable and qualified employees should be found as efficiently as possible.
• Employees should be continuously inspired and motivated. This is the only way to create a bond with the company and achieve significant benefits.

Personnel marketing is therefore divided into two basic forms, which will be explained in more detail below: On the one hand, there is internal personnel marketing, which addresses current employees. On the other hand, potential employees are to be addressed through external personnel marketing.

Internal personal marketing

Let’s first take a closer look at inward-facing personnel marketing, which is aimed at employees who are already part of the company. This is particularly important because employees function like multipliers for your company. If they are satisfied and stand behind the company’s values, they will communicate this to the outside world. If the opposite is the case, this will also be quickly communicated to the outside world.

What is the goal?

The goal of internal personnel marketing is to retain qualified employees. These employees are to be tied to the company emotionally and in the long term. Consequently, it is the company’s task to build up a certain loyalty. Successful internal personnel marketing can also reduce the fluctuation rate and absenteeism, as employees enjoy their work more and are more motivated. In addition, you secure a lot of junior managers, which also saves recruiting costs in the long run.

To achieve these goals, there are various measures and instruments that can be used in internal personnel marketing:

The first impression

Already on the first day, during the so-called onboarding, a first impression of the company is created. If this is positive, it can be a good basis for increased commitment and motivation. So try to create a positive experience from day one through certain onboarding programs and welcome rituals.

The professional perspective

Ongoing, of course, you should ensure that your employees have the necessary equipment to do their jobs to the best of their ability. In other respects, there are also a number of job-related measures that can strengthen the bond with the company. These include, for example, general training and development opportunities, the variety of tasks at the workplace, and career opportunities. Incentives, i.e. any financial or material benefits, also fall into this category.

The personal perspective

Also, try to communicate the corporate culture and values to create an opportunity for identification on a different level. By holding regular team events, you also address the personal level and strengthen the relationships among employees. This can create a more positive working atmosphere, which also contributes to the satisfaction of your employees.

Conduct employee surveys again and again to stay up to date and to be able to respond to needs and wishes in the best possible way.

External personnel marketing

In addition to current employees, there is a second major target group in HR marketing: potential employees. In order to be able to address these adequately as well, external personnel marketing measures are applied.

What is the goal?

In external personnel marketing, the primary goal is to find qualified employees to fill vacancies and thus secure competitive advantages. Within the framework of this, a number of sub-goals then arise: For example, the level of awareness of the company must be increased in order to attract the attention of potential employees. The company’s image as an employer should also be positive, so an employer brand (corresponding to employer branding) is necessary. In this way, sufficient applicant potential can then be secured and suitable employees can be added to the team. Successful external personnel marketing can also reduce recruiting costs.

The respective goals therefore result in two essential fields that should be focused on in this subarea of HR marketing: the corporate image and the actual recruiting.

Image campaigns

Try to increase your level of awareness and the attractiveness of your company within the framework of image campaigns. Communicate, e.g. via social media, your website and also in job advertisements, the values of your company and thus credibly highlight the positive attributes.

Recruiting

There are also a variety of measures and tools that can be applied in the context of recruiting. In this step, you actively search for employees, pre-select through job advertisements and draw on a selection of applicants. You can also establish contact with applicants via the careers page of your company website, via social media or at university events. In subsequent interviews, it is of course then a matter of finding qualified employees who fit in with the team. At the same time, you should also use this opportunity to introduce yourself as a company. The entire application and recruiting process offers both sides the opportunity to get to know each other. This should also be used sufficiently by the company side.

Conclusion

Employees have long been considered an important resource for companies, but now they should also be viewed like customers. It is important to know their wishes and needs in order to achieve ongoing enthusiasm and conviction in the next step. It is also particularly important here that both internal and external personnel marketing are considered relevant and applied at the same time. Potential employees are accepted into the team and then carry their experience to the outside world. Since both sides are interlocked and influence each other, further benefits can be achieved.

^[1] The war for talents describes the increasing difficulty for companies to fill vacancies with qualified personnel. The term has arisen in the context of the shortage of skilled workers.