High-potential recruiting with location disadvantage: How to attract employers to the province

When big corporations and hip big cities lure

What can motivate highly qualified applicants to hire small and medium-sized companies not far from the big cities? What do companies have to come up with and what does successful employer branding actually have to look like from the target group's point of view?

The fact is, many applicants only look for what they already know and hear about again and again. And these are large corporations, where they want to build cars - for many a childhood dream.

Unattractive sites

Or the big cities, especially Berlin, attract visitors. Working in the Black Forest, Franconia or Emsland? D rather not.

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The shortage in the race for the best brains have smaller, medium-sized companies - because their location seems less attractive and the employees in spe often do not even know the names of the companies, let alone know what they have to offer.

The boss has to do everything himself

I'm just thinking of a hotel manager in Hohenstein, Saxony, who is at the reception every day from 6 a.m. Reason: Qualified specialists are scarce in Saxony - not only in the catering trade. According to the “Future in Saxony” training initiative, small and medium-sized companies in particular have problems filling vacancies.

2011 was still advertised for 75 days, 2013 86 days. Reasons the initiative sees above all in the exodus of qualified workers. And so Silke Geike will probably still have to stand at the reception.

Funding for professionals

Even in South Tyrol companies complain about under-qualified applicants. With targeted funding, the region therefore wants to boost innovation and the economy. Companies hiring highly skilled employees can even reimburse half of their personnel costs through the region - for two years. This refers to graduates in technical-scientific disciplines with at least five years of professional experience.

But what attracts high potentials to the province? At the age of 29, Daniel Furth belongs to Generation Y and thus the target group for many personnel marketing measures. As he explained in the interview, job security and payment were the decisive factors for his move from Berlin to Würzburg. He is right on trend: for a study, the Universum management consultancy asked more than 5.000 young professionals what makes them a good employer. Answer: The salary, diverse work tasks and security are the most important for the respondents.

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Security as success

Companies only need to communicate these factors. But this is exactly where the problem seems to be. Last year, Martin Gaedt, managing director of YOUNNECT, caused a sensation with his book “Mythos Skilled Personnel Shortage”. His thesis: There is no shortage of skilled workers at all, many companies have never learned to present themselves and their jobs as an attractive brand. Dirk Ohlmeier, Managing Director of Ethos Human Recruitment in Berlin, confirms this:

“Take a company in a very rural region, which is also rather unknown to applicants, who only pays a 'normal' salary without special incentives and offers employees hardly any development prospects. No wonder she hardly gets any applications, ”explains the headhunter. There are also companies that scare off interested applicants. “One of my clients was unsuccessfully looking for a new manager for six months. When we presented the first candidates, the feedback was long in coming, the interview was delayed, ”reports Ohlmeier. The candidates were oriented elsewhere.

Companies are looking for the perfect candidate

The hesitation of the companies has reasons, as Axel Stadtelmeyer, managing director of the recruitment agency Young IT Professionals in Heidelberg explains: “Many are looking for the perfect candidate. However, headhunters often only postpone the problem, because the hard-found people are often quickly gone. Companies should invest in the further training of their employees and actively pursue talent management, then they do not need to search in the first place. ”

Optimal working conditions can make smaller companies with location disadvantages more attractive - Steffen Schoch, Managing Director of Wirtschaftsförderung Nordschwarzwald, also recognized this. "The traditional, owner-managed medium-sized companies are finding it increasingly difficult to compete for the best brains against the competition in the big cities," he states. Therefore, the companies themselves have to take action: "In our experience, family friendliness and the flexible organization of working hours and workplaces can be decisive criteria by which applicants choose a job."

Employers can score with family-friendliness

As with the fischerwerke in Waldachtal: It supports the construction of a children's house and offers flexible working time models with flextime and part-time work - if operational requirements make this possible. There are also remote workstations and home office solutions - but only with restrictions: “The latter are used for certain tasks depending on the situation. We generally value the presence of employees so that the exchange within the company is ensured.

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In this respect, the fixed teleworking positions are to be seen as exceptions that are created due to certain personal circumstances, ”says Helge Renz, head of the HR departments. It is still a long way from the complete flexibility that many applicants want. Steffen Schoch asked the companies in his region about home office regulations. “The topic has not yet arrived, many companies could not say anything about it. There are many exciting companies in rural areas that offer highly qualified jobs, ”he says.

A conclusion, which GenY representative Furth also agrees: “Companies should ensure attractive conditions and make this public. Then the qualified employees come on their own. ”

Questions to Generation Y: From Berlin to Würzburg?

Daniel Furth, 29, traded his job as marketing manager of a Berlin start-up against a job at Vogel Business Media in Würzburg.

Mr Furth, you have switched from a Berlin start-up to Vogel Bussiness Media in Würzburg. Why?

Because of the working conditions: unlike many startups, 30 offers a holiday of a year, a secure job and a well-defined hourly record. The higher salary, holiday pay and profit sharing are also factors.

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Is not that a completely different corporate culture?

Already: In Berlin, there was hardly an employee on 30, here I work with younger and older people, from whom I can learn. That's positive.

In addition, Vogel has been a family business since 1891, with strong regional roots and loyalty to its employees. Nevertheless, the company is innovative and my ideas are heard.

How has your way of working changed?

Above all, job security has improved: Vogel is not, like many StartUps, designed to be bought. And employees are not simply fired, but deployed elsewhere if possible.

The change from the capital to the province is not a problem?

No, I think Würzburg as a city even more beautiful. People know each other, life is more relaxed, there is a great cultural and leisure offer and a lively media scene.

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