Let's talk about... employer branding & type 1 diabetes
In our "5 questions with…" section, we introduce you to our PIABO colleagues and share their expertise in communication and PR strategies. Today, we would love you to meet Henric Abraham-Winter, Communications Consultant and employer branding specialist. We talked to him about the relevance of employer branding and his diabetes blog.
1. Henric, you have been working at PIABO for more than a year now. Besides start-up clients, you also work for family-owned and medium-sized companies. How does PR for such clients differ from start-up communications?
That depends very much on the medium-sized company and its internal structures. In some cases, we as consultants have to develop an understanding of the less flexible processes and take this into account in our project management. If it takes five people to read every press release, the feedback loops can become quite long. But there are also medium-sized companies that remain as agile as start-ups.
2. You're also an employer branding specialist. Could you briefly explain what employer branding means and why it is important?
It's quite simple: We have a shortage of skilled workers in many industries. This applies to nursing staff as well as developers, craftsmen, engineers and tax specialists. The list is endless. Since these highly qualified people can really choose their jobs, employers have to market themselves as the best place to work – this is where employer branding comes in.
As an agency, we help companies to find out what makes them stand out as an employer, what their strengths are, but also which areas they still need to work on in order to convince potential new employees. In the next step, we develop an authentic employer brand, which we can then communicate to the target audience using the tools of PR and marketing.
3. Can you share some tips and tricks that companies should use when it comes to employer branding?
When it comes to employer branding, it is first and foremost crucial to take a close look at the target group: What do developers expect from a good employer? Why did the engineers in the company actually decide to work for us? What do I offer my employees? This is the only way an employer can develop a brand messaging that really resonates with the potential employees.
Secondly, employer branding is not just about potential applicants. It's also about retaining employees who are already with the company and involving them in the employer brand. The best employer branding is of no use if the current employees are unhappy and, in the worst case, quit because another company with better conditions and a functioning culture has lured them away.
4. Not only do you write great articles for clients in the tech world and SMEs, but you also have your own blog, typeonejourney, about your life with type 1 diabetes. Why did you decide to write about this topic?
Every year, around 3,100 children and around 4,100 adults are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in Germany. That means there are a lot of people out there who are just now getting their diagnosis and are uncertain about what this means for them and their lives. With my blog, I would like to show them that everything is possible with type 1 diabetes – whether it's sports, travelling, or just the everyday work as a PR consultant. It is important to me to demonstrate that although we diabetics have our own unique challenges, we are by no means less resilient or less capable than other people.
I also think it's important to normalize the way the public deals with diabetes. Because even though many people are familiar with diabetes, they know surprisingly little about the disease. Very few can even explain the difference between type 1 and type 2. My aim is to break stereotypes and prejudices, and I am happy to do my part by doing some educational work.
5. The last question is a tough one: If you could be another PIABO employee for one day – who would it be and why?
I would love to swap places with our Performance Marketing Manager, Robert, for one day – he is currently working from Greece. Berlin Winters can be very dark and cold, so a vitamin D booster would be great.
