The Recruiting Process as an Attractiveness Factor: How Do

Companies Manage to Position Themselves Competitively as

Employers?

Jennifer Schietzel-Kalkbrenner

, Niklas Petelkau

, Dominic Strube

and Christian Daase

Berufliche Hochschule Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

Hochschule Wismar, University of Applied Sciences, Technology, Business and Design, Wismar, Germany

Institute of Technical and Business Information Systems, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany

christian.daase@ovgu.de

Keywords: Recruiting Process, Onboarding Process, Employer Branding, Skills Shortage, Human Resources Strategy,

Workforce Potential.

Abstract: The question of how companies manage to position themselves as attractive employers is one of the most

important strategic challenges for the future of all companies in times of demographic change and the

associated and constantly growing employment gap on the labor market. As various studies show how

important the right design of recruiting processes can be for this, the article is dedicated to the question of

how a conscious design of recruiting can support companies in combating the shortage of skilled employees,

especially in relation to Generation Z. The aim is to provide science-based recommendations to companies

that consider the current zeitgeist and are intended to make companies question their own approach to

recruiting. The theoretical foundations were developed as part of systematic literature research. More in-depth

and up-to-date findings were obtained through two expert interviews and an online survey of Generation Z.

The results show that companies need to do more today than they did a few years ago. A successful recruiting

process should build on a strong employer branding foundation and should be taken to a more personal level.

This includes knowing the expectations of candidates on the job market and authentically presenting yourself

to the outside world as an attractive employer. In addition to honest insights into the company through its own

employees as brand ambassadors and the implementation of the latest trends, such as mobile applications, the

onboarding process is particularly important. This begins directly with the signing of the contract and is ideally

characterized by the consideration of professional and social integration. This is becoming increasingly

important, especially for younger employees in today's world.

1 INTRODUCTION

Demographic change has been posing challenges for

politicians and companies for several years now. In

particular, the growing employment gap on the labor

market due to the declining number of people in the

labor force is a problem. In the period from 2020 to

2035, a loss of 7.2 million people in the labor force is

projected – and this for Germany only. A higher labor

force participation of women and older people as well

as the migration of foreign skilled employees are

https://orcid.org/0009-0009-3782-4963

https://orcid.org/0009-0001-4691-4049

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3017-5189

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4662-7055

much-discussed solutions, but according to the

Institute for Employment Research, these would only

mitigate the negative effects (Fuchs et al., 2021).

Even today, companies are unable to fill

vacancies or have difficulty filling them. According

to current forecasts, around two million jobs will

remain unfilled in Germany in 2023, which would

result in a loss of value-added amounting to EUR 100

billion. In addition, skilled employees will be needed

particularly in future-relevant occupational fields

such as the energy sector, but these are in short supply

Schietzel-Kalkbrenner, J., Petelkau, N., Strube, D. and Daase, C.

The Recruiting Process as an Attractiveness Factor: How Do Companies Manage to Position Themselves Competitively as Employers?.

DOI: 10.5220/0012630000003717

Paper published under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

In Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Finance, Economics, Management and IT Business (FEMIB 2024), pages 54-59

ISBN: 978-989-758-695-8; ISSN: 2184-5891

in many places (German Chamber of Industry and

Commerce, 2021). Against this backdrop, it is

becoming increasingly important for companies to

demonstrate their attractiveness as an employer.

Young employees in particular, including Generation

Z, have a wide range of expectations of their

employer. Among other things, they demand

sustainability, digital structures and a timely approach

via digital communication channels such as

professional networks. This makes it necessary for

employers to meet these needs and requirements.

Apprentices in particular should be a core issue from

a company's perspective, as a large number of training

places remain unfilled. One of the main reasons for

this is the lack of vocational orientation at schools,

which is intensified in particular by the increasing

number of apprenticeships. During the corona

pandemic, extracurricular career guidance programs

were also canceled, so that existing information gaps

have grown further (u-form testsystem, 2023).

Although the figures have recovered slightly

since 2021, the number of open training places is

higher than the proportion of applicants. Compared to

2021, the number of open training places increased by

nine percent to 68,900, while the number of unplaced

applicants fell by just under eight percent to 22,700.

These figures make it clear that training companies in

particular are facing the challenges described above

(Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung, 2023). The

recruiting process is of central importance in this

context. Candidates' first impressions of the potential

employer should be deliberately designed in order to

leave a professional impression on candidates

(Hausmann and Braun, 2021).

successful, this will result in additional work for

existing employees and rising recruiting costs in the

short term. In the medium and long term, a lack of

personnel jeopardizes the continued existence of a

company and leads to restrictions in innovation and

competitiveness (German Chamber of Industry and

Commerce, 2023).

Based on these findings this research aims on

answering the following research question (RQ):

RQ: How can a conscious design of recruiting support

companies in combating the shortage of skilled

employees, especially in relation to Generation Z?

In connection with this main research question, the

aim is also to answer which factors make recruiting

processes attractive from the perspective of

candidates, especially representatives of Generation

Z. Therefore, the article presents the findings from

two expert interviews, which provide practical

insights into the labor market and internal company

challenges.

2 METHODICAL

IMPLEMENTATION

The following section deals with the systematic

analysis of the design of the phases of the recruiting

process presented in fig. 1 from a scientific

perspective.

Figure 1: The recruiting process (Hausmann and Braun,

2021).

In this context, the phases "Review of incoming

applications and pre-selection" and "Decision-

making and rejection management" are not

considered. This is due to the fact that the two phases

only have a comparatively low potential for

increasing employer attractiveness in relation to the

recruiting process due to the lack of visibility by

applicants (Breaugh and Starke, 2000).

The recruiting process is divided into several

phases, starting with the preliminary phase of

personnel requirements planning. This is where the

current and future need for employees is identified,

both quantitatively and qualitatively. Quantitative

requirements planning covers the required number of

employees, while qualitative requirements planning

focuses on skills and qualifications. The creation of a

detailed requirements profile forms the basis for the

job advertisement.

The core process of the job advertisement

involves writing the job advertisement, whereby the

precise formulation and consideration of content such

as the job description, requirements profile and

The Recruiting Process as an Attractiveness Factor: How Do Companies Manage to Position Themselves Competitively as Employers?

company presentation are of particular importance.

The duration and channels of the advertisement also

play a role.

The screening of incoming applications and pre-

selection form another core process. This is based on

the previously defined criteria of the requirements

profile, whereby information from the personnel

requirements planning facilitates the review of the

application documents. Qualifications, the type of

cover letter and the overall impression of the

application are taken into account.

Conducting interviews and tests is another central

process in which selection interviews provide in-

depth information and knowledge is verified.

Detailed preparation for employers and applicants is

crucial. Tests, practical tasks as in the assessment

center and trial work are used for a comprehensive

assessment.

This is followed by decision-making and rejection

management, whereby the selected candidate is

informed by the manager and rejection management

is carried out for applicants who are not selected.

The follow-up phase of onboarding begins after

the contract has been signed and is aimed at the

professional and social integration of new employees.

This includes getting to know the team, familiarizing

them with areas of responsibility and familiarizing

them with company processes. The entire process

aims to attract qualified specialists, integrate them

successfully and thus contribute to the company's

long-term competitiveness.

In addition to theoretical aspects, two expert

interviews were conducted to analyze current

situations in companies. The first expert interview

was conducted with a personnel consultant in order to

gain an overall assessment of current developments in

the area of recruiting on the entire labor market. In the

second expert interview with a recruiter, current

challenges and internal company efforts and

developments were discussed (Negrin et al., 2022).

The expert interviews were evaluated in the form

of a qualitative content analysis based on (Mayring,

1994). The aim of the analysis procedure is to

summarize, explain or structure texts, which is to be

ensured by a systematic, rule-based approach to text

analysis. The structuring procedure was used to

analyze the expert interviews. A specially created

category system and associated guidelines served as

examples and coding rules to concretize the

individual categories. The material from the expert

interviews was thoroughly reviewed and assigned to

the appropriate categories. These assignments and

unassigned text components were then evaluated,

which led to the refinement of the categories.

Through this iterative process, the categories were

gradually refined in order to gradually identify the

essential material components (Mayring, 1994).

In the interview, the participants emphasized the

variety of reasons that motivate employees to change

employers. In addition to private factors, monetary

incentives and the desire for professional satisfaction

play a decisive role. For Generation Z in particular,

social integration and an appealing, uncomplicated

job application are of great importance. The labor

market has changed considerably, with employees

increasingly willing to change jobs. Companies are

facing various challenges such as inadequate

employer branding and problems in the selection

process. The interviewees recommend greater

involvement of existing employees, authentic

communication and a target group-oriented design of

the recruiting process, adapted to the expectations of

Generation Z. Above all, open and honest

communication and prompt feedback are crucial. The

respondents see recruitment consultants as a

supportive partner for companies in order to better

understand the needs of candidates and optimize the

recruiting process.

In addition to the results of the expert interviews,

the findings of an online survey have been

incorporated into the recommendations for employers

to optimize their recruiting process. The questions are

based on the findings already obtained from the

literature research and the expert interviews and

therefore provide deeper insights into the needs and

wishes of Generation Z towards employers as well as

their experience with recruiting processes.

3 DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS

The following analysis refers to generation

representatives aged 16 and over. The population N

therefore comprises all people born in Germany

between 1996 and 2007. According to figures from

2020, this number amounts to around ten million

people in Germany.

The number of participants in the online survey

was 255. Two participants answered the control

questions incorrectly and were therefore excluded

from the sample. 50 participants could not be

assigned to the previously specified age range of

Generation Z and were therefore also excluded. This

results in a total sample n comprising 203

representatives of Generation Z.

The online survey consisted of an introduction, a

main part with questions in five sections and a short

acknowledgement. The introduction informed the

FEMIB 2024 - 6th International Conference on Finance, Economics, Management and IT Business

participants about the purpose of the survey, the

anonymity of the answers and the estimated comple-

tion time of five to ten minutes. The main part included

sections on socio-demographic characteristics, job

advertisements, application processes, job interviews

and onboarding. The questions were grouped

thematically to make it easier for participants to focus.

The final question allowed participants to share

positive experiences in the recruiting process.

Table 1: Confidence Regarding Salary Expectations.

Question Response

Option

n in %

Confidence in Salary

Negotiations

Very

confident 34 16.75%

Rathe

agree 118 58.13%

Neutral 27 13.3%

Rather

disa

ree 18 8.87%

Not

confident 6 2.96%

Correlation: Work

Experience and

Confidence in Salary

Expectations

Rank

correlation

(Spearman)

0.2111

Correlation: Interview

Experience and

Confidence in Salary

Expectations

Rank

correlation

(Spearman)

0.0553

The results shown in table 1 indicate, that the

value 0.2111 indicates a positively significant

correlation between work experience and confidence

in salary negotiations. This implies that with

increasing work experience, confidence in salary

negotiations tends to rise. The value 0.0553 shows no

significant correlation between interview experience

and confidence in salary expectations. This suggests

that interview experience is not significantly

associated with confidence in salary negotiations.

It is important to note that due to the small sample

size, the interpretability of the correlation coefficient

is limited. Participants showed mixed opinions about

the use of HR consulting services. Referring to Table

2, a group of 70 (34.48%) and 37 (18.23%)

participants showed agreement, while 45 (22.17%)

and 28 (13.79%) were rather skeptical. A total of 23

(11.33%) participants were undecided.

Direct contact by the employer proved to be

effective in arousing the interest of the majority of

participants. Approximately three-quarters, 73

(35.96%) and 82 (40.39%), respectively, indicated

that their interest would increase strongly or very

strongly. Regarding the openness of the social

environment towards certain professions and dealing

with negative experiences of family members, friends

and acquaintances in the application process, a

significant proportion of participants agreed with the

statement that negative experiences in their close

environment would deter them from applying.

Participants' feedback regarding mandatory cover

letters and their impact on employer attractiveness

was mixed. A small majority agreed (43; 21.18%) or

somewhat agreed (68; 33.5%), while 45 (22.17%)

were undecided, and 22 (10.84%) and 25 (12.32%)

participants (somewhat) disagreed.

Table 2: Results on the Use of Headhunter Services and

Direct Employer Contact.

Question Response

Option

n in %

Use of

Headhunter

Services

(

Rather

)

ree 107 52.72%

Undecide

23 11.33%

(Rather)

Skeptical 73* 35.96%*

Direct

Employer

Contact

Stron

Interest 73* 35.96%*

Very Strong

Interest 82* 40.39%*

Neutral 23 11.33%

Low Interest 22 10.84%

Handling

Negative

Experiences in

the Application

Process

(

Rather

)

ree 135* 66.5%*

Undecide

45 22.17%

(Rather)

Disagree

47 23.15%

Influence of

Mandatory

Cover Letter on

Employer

Attractiveness

(Rather) Agree 111 54.67%

Undecide

45 22.17%

(Rather)

Disagree

47 23.15%

*. Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed).

4 RESULTS

The participants who had positive onboarding

experiences were asked about particularly positive

aspects. The answers of the 29% of participants who

had a special experience were divided into six

categories: "Onboarding on the first day",

"Onboarding in the first few months", "Applicant

management", "In the selection process", "Contact

outside the central application process" and "General

characteristics of the process". The positive

experiences include aspects such as social integration

on the first day, support programs in the first few

months, transparent applicant management, presence

of the line manager in the selection process, diverse

contact opportunities outside the central process and

recruiting process. Clear structures and communica-

The Recruiting Process as an Attractiveness Factor: How Do Companies Manage to Position Themselves Competitively as Employers?

tion of the corporate culture throughout the entire

process are also important.

Based on the surveyed expectations of Generation Z

in recruiting, the following recommendations can be

made:

Personal Recruiting:

- Focus on interpersonal relationships.

- Authentic presentation of the corporate

culture with photos, videos and interviews.

- Get to know the team in person before

accepting.

Digital Communication:

- Set up company accounts in social networks.

- Use of digital channels for insights and job

advertisements.

- Active sourcing and investment in career

websites.

Transparent Communication:

- Communication of career opportunities,

salary and benefits.

- Transparent presentation of salary ranges.

- Highlighting benefits in discussions with

applicants.

Appreciation in Onboarding:

- Efficient induction through internal process

documentation.

- Emphasis on social integration on the first

day of work.

- Appreciation through small gestures and

welcome gifts.

Quick Feedback and Transparency:

- Efficient communication between

candidates and employers.

- Avoidance of delays and loss of

applications.

- Increased transparency through applicant

portals.

- Fast feedback, ideally within two weeks of

the interview.

The RQ on the targeted design of recruiting for

Generation Z is answered as follows on the basis of

the results: The recruiting process must clearly

communicate career prospects early on, both in job

advertisements and in personal exchanges. Good

contact with colleagues and managers in the first few

weeks of work is crucial. The simplicity and speed of

the application process are particularly important for

Generation Z, as they prefer digital platforms.

Employers should proactively reach out to potential

candidates, including through messaging features on

professional networks. Although the expectations of

Generation Z do not differ significantly from other

generations, adapting the recruitment process to

current developments in the world of work offers an

advantage for employers as it allows them to address

a broader target group (Said, 2022).

Overall, however, it can be stated that the

expectations of Generation Z do not appear to differ

significantly from those of other generations. Rather,

the current developments on the labor market and the

associated changes in employee expectations seem to

reflect part of the social development. This finding

could prove to be an advantage for employers, as

although the recruitment process in many companies

needs to be adapted to current developments,

employers would be able to apply the same processes

to a much broader target group than Generation Z.

5 LIMITATIONS AND

CONCLUSION

Implementing the recommendations for improving

recruitment mentioned in the previous section can

help to make companies more attractive to Generation

Z and retain potential employees during the

recruitment process. However, limitations must be

taken into account. The study was limited to

participants from Germany, so the results are only

transferable to other countries to a limited extent. In

international companies, the application of such

measures should be limited to individual regions,

taking cultural differences into account. Generation Z

represents only a portion of potential employees, and

other generations have different requirements of

employers.

The study sample was comparatively small,

which limits the generalizability and reliability of the

results. Nevertheless, clear language and references in

the questions largely ensured validity. It is emphasized

that the recruiting process is only one part of the

corporate image. In order to increase attractiveness in

the long term, companies should analyze the whole

process and take measures in the areas of recruiting,

marketing and communication. Clear and

unambiguous communication is particularly important

in order to prevent possible misinformation and

misjudgements on the part of potential employees,

given the rapid spread of information. Further research

should improve the study and the calculations by using

a larger population.

FEMIB 2024 - 6th International Conference on Finance, Economics, Management and IT Business

REFERENCES

Breaugh, J. A., & Starke, M. (2000). Research on Employee

Recruitment: So Many Studies, So Many Remaining

Questions. Journal of Management, 26(3), 405–434.

Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung. (2023). Berufsbildungs-

bericht 2023. https://www.bmbf.de/SharedDocs/

Downloads/de/2023/berufsbildungsbericht-2023-

kabinettfassung.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=2

Fuchs, J., Söhnlein, D., & Weber, B. (2021).

Demografische Entwicklung lässt das Arbeitskräfte-

angebot stark schrumpfen. https://doku.iab.de/kurzber/

2021/kb2021-25.pdf

German Chamber of Industry and Commerce. (2021).

Fachkräftemangel – mit gravierenden Folgen.

https://www.dihk.de/de/themen-und-positionen/fachkr

aefte/beschaeftigung/fachkraeftereport-2021/fachkraef

temangel-mit-gravierenden-folgen--61818

German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (Ed.). (2023).

Trotz schwieriger Wirtschaftslage: Fachkräfteeng-

pässe nehmen zu. https://www.dihk.de/de/themen-und-

positionen/fachkraefte/beschaeftigung/trotz-schwierige

r-wirtschaftslage-fachkraefteengpaesse-nehmen-zu-89

118

Hausmann, A., & Braun, O. (2021). Recruiting in

Kulturbetrieben – Leitfaden für die erfolgreiche

Personalgewinnung. Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden.

Mayring, P. (1994). Qualitative Inhaltsanalyse. https://

www.ssoar.info/ssoar/bitstream/handle/document/145

6/ssoar-1994-mayring-qualitative_inhaltsanalyse.pdf?

sequence=1&isAllowed=y&lnkname=ssoar-1994-may

ring-qualitative_inhaltsanalyse.pdf

Negrin, K. A., Slaughter, S. E., Dahlke, S., & Olson, J.

(2022). Successful Recruitment to Qualitative

Research: A Critical Reflection. International Journal

of Qualitative Methods, 21, 160940692211195.

Said, A. (2022). Impact of Recruitment Processes on Work

Turnover & Job Satisfaction. Journal of Positive School

Psychology.

u-form Testsysteme. (2023). Azubi-Recruiting Trends 2023.

https://www.testsysteme.de/studie

The Recruiting Process as an Attractiveness Factor: How Do Companies Manage to Position Themselves Competitively as Employers?