Employer branding

Strong demand for expert staff has been the hallmark of competition on the reinsurance labour market in recent years. The economic crisis did not bring any relief in the year under review. In certain cases both the time required to fill vacancies and the costs of recruitment increased. The demographically-induced decline in graduate numbers will exacerbate the situation going forward. Hannover Re accepts these challenges and is developing measures to ensure that it continues to succeed on the recruitment market.

With a view to formulating a targeted strategy in the “War for Talents”, it was first necessary to obtain valid information on the relevant target groups for Hannover Re (university graduates in the disciplines of economics and mathematics with an international orientation). We commissioned a company specialising in this field to conduct a nationwide study. Data was collected on the expectations directed towards a future employer, the preferred media used by jobseekers and the current image of Hannover Re. The findings also included a competition analysis broken down into industries and rivals with whom Hannover Re is competing on the labour market.

The external survey was supplemented by an internal workshop carried out with employees of our company in order to identify the qualities that – from an insider's perspective – set Hannover Re apart.

The combination of the results of the internal and external surveys gave rise to an “employer value proposition”, i.e. an answer to the question of why a qualified candidate should join Hannover Re rather than a competitor and, what is more, an answer that is tailored to specific target groups. The following criteria, among others, emerged as crucial strengths of Hannover Re – and at the same time as important requirements on the part of jobseekers:

• Hannover Re offers attractive jobs and further training activities.
• Colleagues are cooperative and ready to help.
• The working environment is modern, flexible and offers individual development opportunities.
• Hannover Re is growing strongly and is internationally positioned.

Going forward, we shall foreground these aspects in our presentation of Hannover Re as an attractive employer.

Our new profile combines images of nature with catchy adjectives and stimulating job titles that bring out the company's dynamism, diversity and modernity. What is more, the appeal of the tasks available at Hannover Re is made even clearer through in-depth job descriptions. Image advertising and job adverts, our employment fair stand, careers website and brochures have all been modified to fit the new look.

In order to embed the project more deeply into the company and leverage our staff's strong identification with Hannover Re, we decide to use only our own employee photos and quotations in the Internet and in brochures. Hannover Re stepped out with its new look for the first time in November 2009 at Germany's most prestigious recruiting fair, the graduate job fair ("Absolventenkongress") held in Cologne.