In response to the skilled labor shortages, some industrial companies are leaving no stone unturned: e-sport competitions, a social presence on TikTok… Their mission: attract talent. Among them is the German fans and electric motors manufacturer Ziehl-Abegg. A conversation with Rainer Gill, the figure behind this unique recruitment strategy, sheds light on the process.
An alarming scarcity of qualified labor is a reality in the developed countries. In Europe, firms are facing difficulties in hiring and training personnel which aligns with the expectations of the market. Engineers, technicians, and IT professionals are being affected by this scarcity.
The labour shortage is poised to jeopardize the economy and growth of developed nations. The predicament features among the 10 supply chain risks for 2024 spotlighted earlier this year by market researcher KYU. The question remains – how to draw in talent?
No Fan, No Fun
German fan manufacturer Ziehl-Abegg has an avant-garde recruitment technique that dips its toes into esports. The idea isn’t out of the blue as Gill himself is an ardent gamer.
“Having produced fans for a century, we now face a wave of retirements amongst our older workforce. The need of the hour is to bring fresh talent onboard. However, enticing the younger generation remains a challenge as fan production isn’t perceived as exciting. In an attempt to captivate their interests, we decided to merge fan production with esports.”
Esports Team
The company’s esports team was established in 2020 and pitted in global tournaments against premiere teams from around the world with a view to appeal to young talents. Among other initiatives, they host tournaments open to external participation engaging in games like Rainbow Six Siege, Counter-Strike, and Rocket League.
An initial look at the strategy may seem baffling – mingling esports with fan manufacturing. But as Rainer clarifies, they are not oil and water:
“Think about it… if you play online, you require a data center. In such a center, thousands of fans are put to use. Similarly, wherever you’re gaming, you’re surrounded by fans. These surroundings reflect the perfect situation required to make the younger generation realize the role fans play in their lives. And it’s companies like ours that produce those fans.”
As surprising as it might be, this unique recruitment technique has proven successful.
“We had 20 open positions for apprentices and students in the IT sector. By February, all positions were taken. The number of CVs that came in was higher than the number of positions available; an achievement in itself! We received applications from numerous countries including Portugal, Italy, France, and Belgium. These are individuals who would have never considered applying to us. They now view our company as “cool” and are eager to join us.”
A fun fact: the company has arranged for gamer chairs to be furnished as office chairs for interns and IT personnel. Furthermore, every Thursday evening, colleagues engage in football or nine-pin bowling games.
TikTok
Besides, Ziehl-Abegg has established its presence on TikTok, a platform popular among the youth. They’ve amassed 106,000 followers and their videos have been viewed over 90 million times.
“We produce videos that aim to entertain. Our focus doesn’t lie on fans or the industry; we stray from infotainment. Who would want to watch videos about fans? We already have a wide audience base consisting of colleagues, customers, suppliers, and competitors. To reel in others, we need to create varied forms of content. The end goal is to create a positive image for the company.”
In a video posted on the company’s TikTok page, we see employees, both male and female, donning a suit and a yellow tie just like Rainer; the video has collected 720,000 views. Another video themed on Christmas has reached 4 million views.
Pressing TikTok Europe for statistics, the company claims to be the most successful B2B company on TikTok.
However, when the account came into existence in 2020, Zhiel-Abegg faced ridicule:
“People called our efforts insane. It was not a smooth start, but the pay-off has been rewarding. Not a single €1 was spent on this!”
Rainer showcased the statistics comprising the average age of their viewers. Majority of them are between the ages 18 and 34. An ideal pool of prospective recruits for the company.
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Hannover Messe
During the Hannover Messe, Ziehl-Abegg will be showcasing their new fans and electric motors. Many of these new fans incorporate biomimicry elements.
“We draw inspiration from nature. This fan imitates the shape of the humpback whale. This one resembles an owl. And this one, the eagle.”
Visitors will be given the opportunity to compete against Ziehl-Abegg teams in the online game Rocket League, with a chance to win prizes.
They will be located at Hall 11 Booth C71/1.
Other Companies
Ziehl-Abegg isn’t the only B2B firm that’s making use of social media platforms widely used by the young demographic for a bigger outreach. The French nuclear power company, EDF, also has a presence on TikTok to get in touch with younger audiences.
The company collaborated with TikTok influencer Quentin (with 1.2 million followers) to produce a video detailing the function of a nuclear professional at one of EDF’s power stations. The idea is to amplify the allure of EDF for the younger audiences, especially considering the acute skill shortage in the nuclear industry.
The video (in French) was posted on Quentin’s TikTok page on November 7 and has already received 16,000 likes.