With Ausbildungsradar to the employer’s association’s talent pool

About HessenChemie

310 member companies with 105,000 employees form the strong foundation of the employers' association HessenChemie. Its work is primarily shaped by the medium-sized structure of the member companies, a broad range of services and, of course, collective bargaining policy.

Training is a thematic focus of the association's activities, because companies owe their competitiveness to highly trained scientists, engineers, technicians and skilled workers.

In order to secure this competitiveness in the long term, the chemical industry will continue to need a sufficient number of highly trained skilled workers in the future. For this reason, HessenChemie supports its member companies in securing young talents, e.g. through early support, strengthening of STEM subjects in schools, the young talent campaign Elementary Diversity and now also through Ausbildungsradar.

Start of the project

"Strictly speaking, the development of Ausbildungsradar wasn’t a long process," Jürgen Funk, Managing Director at the Employers' Association HessenChemie, recaps the project. "After the idea was born, we immediately got started and 'just did it'. Six months later, the platform was up and running, and we were able to convince our members of the new tool."

Podcast on Ausbildungsradar

An article tips the scales

When Holger Hiltmann (Merck, Head of Apprenticeship Programs Commercials) wrote about the practical example of Philipp, a student with a long search for an apprenticeship, in an article in the magazine Personalführung, Jürgen Funk could not let go of the topic.

"I couldn't stop thinking about the many potential skilled professionals we have actually convinced of our industry, but who migrate to other industries because of a rejection. We have campaigns, such as Elementary Diversity, whose goal is to show the training opportunities in the chemical industry and to inspire them. We can't just lose applicants who have already been convinced by us."

Together with an AdHoc working group consisting of company representatives and HessenChemie staff, the goal is to find a solution to this problem. The start-up Praktikumsjahr is tasked with developing a DSGVO-compliant platform.

The requirement: The platform must be able to be integrated into the companies' existing recruiting processes without additional effort, so that suitable candidates can be easily recommended to other members.

Development start & platform

he concept and approaches of Praktikumsjahr are convincing. Together with the start-up, the Ausbildungsradar platform is developed in close consultation with the member companies.

Jürgen Funk is enthusiastic about the final results: "We have created a fantastic opportunity here for companies to counteract the shortage of young professionals. The motto 'from practice to practice' is evident in all functions and processes."

In the employers' association itself, the platform is well received. More than 30 % of the training member companies registered within the first three weeks.

Ausbildungsradar's advantages

The advantages of the platform arise on both sides of the application process: companies can contact suitable candidates interested in the sector in a time-efficient manner and, ideally, invite them directly to an interview.

In addition, in case of a rejection, the image of the company is strengthened, because a recommendation is better than a rejection. Pupils who have been rejected can still find their dream job through a recommendation in Ausbildungsradar. The recruiting process is optimised - a win-win situation for all involved.

Website Ausbildungsradar HessenChemie

As a central contact point for applicants, parents and companies, a separate information page has been set up. If applicants have been recommended to Ausbildungsradar, they can find answers to the following questions here: What is the Ausbildunsgradar process like? How does it work exactly? Who is behind it, and what other possibilities are there?

Find out more on the HessenChemie information page on Ausbildungradar.

In addition to the texts, exciting explanatory videos were produced for applicants and companies, which present Ausbildungsradar in an understandable and entertaining way. The member companies were also supported with flyers and sample texts for operational use.

For the first companies to sign up, there was the offer of personal onboarding. Questions and best-practice approaches to Ausbildungsradar could be addressed personally in a 30-minute call.

Learn how Merck uses Ausbildungsradar and recommends talents to member companies.