Bastian Schneider on the Ostschweizer Personaltag 2019: Being attractive for the right employees

Bastian Schneider has been advising companies on strategic and operational brand management in numerous industries in Switzerland, Germany and Austria for many years. He regularly writes professional articles on the topics of brand management and employer branding and gives expert lectures to companies, at universities and at conferences. Bastian Schneider was formerly a consultant at the Institute for Brand Technology in Geneva and a partner of NOHETO! Unternehmens- und Managementberatung in Witten. He studied economics at the University of Witten/Herdecke and is a trained banker. With Brand Leadership Circle (BLC), which belongs to Hotz Brand Consultants, Bastian Schneider is currently in the midst of a real transformation process. BLC was a printing company that began to transform itself step by step into a creative ecosystem for brand-oriented management with 130 employees about 15 years ago. In the process, they quickly realized that they had to actively involve those affected in the process. Clear orientation, but also the tangible handover of trust and responsibility, was particularly crucial in order to develop future strength. He actively passes on the experience he has gained in the process - including at the Ostschweizer Personaltag 2019 in June and here in this interview.

Bastian Schneider, how did you earn your first money?
With my father, at the age of 15. For an entire summer, I was "allowed" to cut down, dismantle and clear away countless trees in the garden together with my brother - for 8 Mark 50 an hour.

What was your first employer and why did you choose it?
My first real employer, after studying economics, was the Institute for Brand Technology in Geneva - for me at the time the authority on brand management and the only ones who seriously and seriously combined the subject of brands with the subject of corporate management. I had read many of the publications and found myself in the brand-technical view and the basic attitudes. It was clear to me at that time: I wanted to become a brand engineer! Towards the end of my studies, I sent out just one application. To Geneva. On my own initiative. There was no job advertised. But it worked out! In December 2004, I flew from Cologne to Geneva for an interview. Three months later I was able to start - and from there I realized exciting brand projects in Switzerland, Germany and Austria for many years. Today, I am still grateful that this worked out. I was able to learn a lot - and that's how we, my family and I, came to Switzerland in the first place.

Which company, apart from your own, has the greatest appeal for you, the best image - and why?
Quite clearly: Lego - and that's been the case since I was a little boy. "Inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow" - I can still identify very well with this purpose. But the question of an employer's charisma is one of those things. In many cases, the image of the company's product outshines the image of the company as an employer. Just because a product is sexy or a brand is in at the moment doesn't say much about what the company is like as an employer. What it's really like to work for this company. Every day. False or exaggerated expectations before applying then give way to great disappointment after starting work - with correspondingly high employee turnover. This is a major reason why some companies need to professionalize their employer branding. As a brand consultant, I have been able to look behind the scenes at some companies. Time and again, you meet employees there who immediately get the feeling: This fits, they are at exactly the right company for them. The pot-and-pan principle in action. A productive win-win situation. I think we should work to promote this "matching" and not think so much about the general appeal.

How can an employer stand out in the competition for skilled workers in the digital age?
The secret is "self-selection". It's not about being attractive to all potential employees. It's about being attractive to the right employees. For the people who fit the company, its culture and its entrepreneurial ambition. Companies are as different as people - and this should be taken into account. What triggers enthusiasm in one person is an absolute no-go for another. There is no right or wrong. There is only "fit" or "don't fit". Bold profiling versus generic noise without effect. In the competition for skilled workers, this means: Recognize your special features - and highlight them in your communication. What makes our company unique as an employer? What can we promise - and really deliver? What do we fight for? What inspires us to give our best every day? A company should answer these questions clearly and confidently in its own way. And thus lay the foundation to successfully participate in the "war for talent". In order to be able to attract the people who are right for you. The best way to do this is by taking advantage of the new digital possibilities and communicating in an increasingly data-driven, system-supported and automated way. Qualitatively better applications, more efficient recruiting processes and a higher average seniority will be the result.

What are employer values that will always exist and remain important?
From a brand perspective: only your own.

Bastian Schneider is a speaker at this year's Ostschweizer Personaltag. More information