Brave New Work

The current debate on the world of work is characterized by the digital transformation and the associated new demand for freedom.

In the age of digital change, generations - whether X, Y or Z - are already being defined every ten years. For HR decision-makers and marketers, the media often emphasizes how profound this change is. Modern technologies such as the internet have radically changed the way, when, where and how we work. However, increasing freedom is also leading to a growing need for support, structure, belonging and stability among employees. From the point of view of marketeers and HR managers, the question is therefore not so much what differentiates the respective generations, but rather what connects us all. Because what unites us lays the foundation for identification, which is the key to successful HR management.

1. people, not millennials

In theory, employer branding is simple: everyone is looking for an employer that matches their individual expectations, with whom they can identify and where they can develop personally. The search is therefore based on human needs. This has been a good design approach not only since the digital transformation and user centricity. But what does this mean in concrete terms? In addition to the classic Maslow's needs pyramid, Tony Robbins offers a practical behavioral model - very much in the spirit of self-actualization. It shows what people generally strive for and what shapes their actions:

2. growth through identification

Transformation processes are always based on the existing corporate culture and this shapes everything without exception. From the briefing to the result, from the scope to the depth of the desired change. It therefore makes sense to consult external forces and trust that everything is in good hands. After all, it is difficult to solve new problems with old thinking. In the best case scenario, desire and reality are not incompatible and responsibility for results is lived within the company and not passed on to the consultants. All measures are managed centrally, work together and internal and external factors are evaluated in a differentiated manner.

At the beginning of a positioning process, we often encounter a multitude of analyses, studies and market research results that describe the status quo in all its facets. What this means in concrete terms from the company's perspective and what consequences can be derived from it all too often remains unclear. If this ability to differentiate is lacking, the focus quickly shifts to the outside world.

Looking outwards is good and right, and it also provides valuable impetus when it looks beyond one's own nose. But it cannot replace looking inwards. Focusing mainly on external perception when positioning yourself is like asking your friends: „How would you like me to be so that you like me?“. An absurd question in interpersonal terms, and yet this is exactly how most companies proceed. Understanding that you are generally liked for who you are also goes hand in hand with the realization of being rejected by some. This self-awareness is crucial when it comes to turning a company into a brand. Because strong brands are always built from the inside out.

Patrick Wachner

3. purpose only with meaning

Every strong brand is based on a great idea and great ideas are worth sharing. Those who face up to the process of reflection usually find something that drives them - a goal, a purpose, a goal. In the brand world, the term „purpose“ is often used for this. Purpose offers employees, applicants and customers alike a high potential for identification, because people are happy to support great ideas. They create relevance and meaning.

Communicating your purpose as a company makes sense if certain criteria are met - and there are quite a few: The target image should be authentic, concrete, desirable and at the same time socially relevant. Once the foundation has been laid, it can be expanded in terms of communication - both internally and externally. This creates a competitive edge that cannot be copied, and identity becomes a resource for the company.

Agreeing on a purpose and achieving it is not easy. In our consulting practice, we have learned one thing: any vision is only as good as what you make of it. Does the company management really mean what it has formulated or is it just another item on the to-do list? Purpose only makes sense if the vision is clearly formulated and is understood as the highest maxim for action.

4 The value of credibility

At the moment, employer branding is often limited to irrelevant social media profiles with snack content and stock photos or chatbots that like themselves. This creates an image of the new world of work that is in no way inferior to a US college party.

What remains after the flood of images is the hangover afterwards. Discomfort, emptiness and a growing need for connection and substance. Digital natives are not the only ones with a keen sense of how to decode a message and assess its credibility. The latter arises from an awareness of what you stand for and who you like to surround yourself with. What connects us in depth are shared values. On this basis, messaging and content formats can be developed that enable a genuine dialog, strengthen the brand and generate resonance, and subsequently attract the right talent.

5. mission instead of marketing

Despite all the strategic consistency, the path to a strong brand can certainly be fun. In today's big race for bright minds and capable personnel - just like in marketing as a whole - it is primarily about being meaningful and creating communicative desire. The aim is not to satisfy a need, but to awaken a desire in potential applicants. This is not achieved by conveying arguments, but rather through the skillful use of symbols and stories. This is why we create a (brand) world that is more than the sum of its parts - more credibility, more differentiation and more value.