ÖBB Annual Report 2023

181 Group Management Report Österreichische Bundesbahnen-Holding Aktiengesellschaft Consolidated Financial Statements | Group Management Report 136 Continued strong demand for personnel was also met by an increased external presence on the labour market. In 2023, the motto of the year was “Always On” as an employer. This not only means presence in terms of advertising campaigns, but also at potential customer touchpoints. Employer appearances of this kind include, for example, careers fairs, events of various sizes, school partnerships, cooperation with the AMS and other educational institutions as well as various university partnerships. The content of ÖBB’s careers website has also been optimised for the best possible findability in order to achieve long-term success on the market. The digital employer branding campaign “Always On” was also launched in February 2023. In contrast to previous campaigns, which were visible on as many media channels as possible over a short period of time, this campaign focussed on purely online formats throughout the year. The online display of job profiles on desktop and mobile devices was adapted to the search behaviour of potential applicants. The digital format made it possible to make adjustments to the playout frequency during the year depending on demand planning and to reach the desired target groups in concrete terms. In the period from January to September 2023, for example, the online campaign helped to achieve an average increase of approx. 46% in applications for the advertised occupational groups (compared to the same period in the previous year). This tangible success therefore justifies a continuation of the “Always On” campaign in the coming year. In August, the current image campaign focused on the new self-image for climate-friendly mobility with the self-confident question “AND WHAT ARE YOU DRIVING?”. The most natural response should be to think of a climate-friendly mobility offer from ÖBB. The next step was to further develop this self-image in the way employees are addressed, without losing the meaningful component and thus the current USP on the labour market in the wording. This derivation was successful using the question “AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING?”. ÖBB awards, certifications and distinctions ÖBB’s strong positioning and its far-reaching measures are also recognised externally. For example, they rank among the country’s leading employers and won the coveted “Employer Branding Award” in gold with this year’s campaign. The major national successes in 2023 also include awards such as the overall victory of the Quality Award “Best Employer in Austria” as part of the Market Institute study. ÖBB has been awarded the Kurier “Favourite Employer” seal of approval for four years now and also achieved first place in the “Transport and Logistics” industry ranking in 2023. Numerous activities on social networks are also proving successful. ÖBB is one of the “Top Companies 2023” on LinkedIn and is therefore one of the 25 best employers in Austria for professional development. A recommendation rate of 75% has been recorded on kununu over the last two years. Trend, kununu and statista also award the “Top Employer” seal of approval every year, which ÖBB received again in 2023, in 1st place in the Vienna ranking. These and numerous other awards and certifications once again confirm that ÖBB is one of the most attractive employer brands in Austria. Strategically orientated employer branding The year 2023 marked an important milestone in the strategic direction of Group-wide employer branding. The start of the “100 years of ÖBB” anniversary year saw the Group-wide employer branding programme pick up speed in the first quarter and build on the strategic course already set. This development led to more intensive integration and coordination with Group Recruiting. An employer branding dashboard was then set up as part of the bundling of HR. It enables internal stakeholders to track ongoing employer branding measures transparently and in real time, depending on the target group and purpose. This transparency helped to make co-operation with the defined interfaces within the ÖBB Group more efficient and coordinated. ÖBB’s future Group-wide activities continue to aim for the most standardised implementation possible. At the same time, individual adjustments are to be made in close cooperation with the specialist departments within the subgroup companies. In this way, ÖBB can ensure the best possible approach for its target groups and retain employees in the long term. In the anniversary year 2023, more than 150 event days were used to test various approaches and measures under the motto “Always On” in order to be even better coordinated for the coming year. The immense number of measures taken by ÖBB made it possible to get closer to a wide range of target groups and gather direct feedback for planning for 2024. Overall, it has been demonstrated that Group-wide and coordinated employer branding is of great importance in order to consolidate ÖBB’s position as an attractive employer throughout Austria and to retain talent in the long term. MR136 |