Personnel marketing agency - strategic classification, formats and developments

No – ARTS HR Lovers is not a traditional personnel marketing agency. We see ourselves as a strategic HR partner with a holistic approach that views personnel marketing as one of many effective building blocks in HR work.

Our focus is on human capability management: we support companies in identifying individual potential, developing it strategically, and deploying it in a targeted manner – across all phases of the employee lifecycle. Personnel marketing is part of employer communication, but not an isolated service area.

What sets us apart: We do not view personnel marketing as an isolated measure, but as an integral part of recruiting, HR consulting, HR services, RPO, or active sourcing. Our goal is to anchor HR as a genuine value-adding factor in the company—not only visible, but effective.

In short: we do not offer standardized campaigns or advertising services – instead, we develop HR strategies in which personnel marketing also plays a role when it makes sense.

Personnel marketing encompasses all measures aimed at positioning a company as an attractive employer and appealing to suitable talent. While traditional personnel marketing has long focused on reach and visibility, the focus today is on relevance: content, channels, and formats must be tailored to the target group—and to the company's culture. It is always important to closely integrate employer branding, recruiting, and internal HR processes.

An overview of the most important developments:

Personalization and microtargeting:
Algorithms, platform data, and first-party data make it possible to tailor campaigns to specific target groups—even addressing individuals based on their behavior and interests. This is particularly effective for social ads and retargeting.

Job content instead of job ads:
Applicants want to understand what to expect – beyond empty phrases. Visual formats, real voices from within the company, and concrete insights into everyday working life are increasingly replacing generic ads.

Platform diversity and channel shift:
Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube—these social media platforms are gaining importance as recruiting channels, especially among younger target groups. LinkedIn remains relevant for professionals, while Facebook continues to lose reach (source: Trendence HR Monitor 2024).

AI-supported content generation and delivery:
Whether programmatic job advertising or automated text variants – AI helps to create and distribute content more efficiently. A clear data strategy is a prerequisite.

Conversational recruiting:
Chatbots, WhatsApp recruiting, and messaging platforms offer low-threshold contact options – especially for target groups with low application motivation or mobile usage preferences.

Purpose communication instead of benefits show:
Values, attitude, and social relevance are becoming more important. Companies need to show what they stand for – not just what they offer. This applies to both social media content and the tone of career pages.

Candidate experience as a key criterion:
From initial contact to feedback: The quality of the experience helps determine whether applicants decide for or against a company. HR marketing must create the framework here – through clear communication, fast processes, and transparent expectations.

TikTok is increasingly being used as a channel for training marketing and recruiting young talent. The platform enables authentic insights, fast reach, and high interaction—provided that the content is implemented in a way that is appropriate for the platform. Important: TikTok is not a replacement for traditional channels, but rather a supplement for specific target groups (especially Gen Z).
Examples of formats: Day-in-the-life videos, employee introductions, mini FAQ clips, challenges related to everyday work.

The classic job advertisement is losing importance. Instead, content is being thought of in a modular way – adapted to the target group, channel, and context of use. New formats include:

• Storytelling formats (e.g., “Why I work here”)
• Video ads with short statements or work environments
• Snackable content for social media (e.g., in carousels or reels)
• SEO-optimized job profiles on career pages with a clear structure and added value (e.g., FAQs, salary information, development opportunities)

Today, job advertisements must not only inform, but also convince—within a few seconds.

The career website remains the central hub for all HR marketing activities. It must be technically up to date (mobile-optimized, SEO-compatible, GDPR-compliant) and relevant in terms of content.

Important factors include:

• Authentic content (e.g., employee interviews, team photos, insights into everyday life)
• Clear application process with low bounce rate
• Target group-specific navigation and landing pages (e.g., for trainees, IT specialists, career changers)
• Integration of applicant management systems and tracking tools

Today, career websites are no longer “About Us” pages, but dialogue-oriented platforms.

Yes – perhaps even especially so. Small and medium-sized companies rarely have the reach of big brands, but they can score points with clarity, authenticity, and proximity. The decisive factor is not the budget, but the fit between the message, channel, and target group.

It is particularly important for SMEs not to view personnel marketing as a campaign, but as part of their overall HR communication – from onboarding to employee retention.

Important key figures are:

• Reach and engagement (e.g., clicks, likes, shares, dwell time)
• Cost-per-click (CPC) and cost-per-application (CPA)
• Conversion rate from page visit to application
• Time-to-apply and time-to-hire
• Quality of applications (e.g., fit, interview rate)
• Feedback on the candidate experience (e.g., via short surveys)

It is crucial that not only reach is measured, but also impact. What counts is not how many people saw it, but how many felt addressed.

Posting job ads is technically easy, but challenging in terms of content. If you want to be visible and relevant today, you need more than just a title and three bullet points. The key is how well the ad fits the target group – linguistically, visually, and in terms of content.

At ARTS HR Lovers, we advise companies not only on the placement of job advertisements, but also on their impact. We don't think of job advertisements in isolation, but always in the context of employer branding, recruiting strategy, and candidate experience. In many cases, we also use active sourcing to expand our reach in a targeted manner.

HR marketing never works in isolation. It influences—and is influenced by:

• Recruiting (e.g., through clear candidate personas and consistent communication)
• Active sourcing (through a strong employer brand and relevant content)
• RPO (recruitment process outsourcing—through brand-appropriate process management)
• HR services (e.g., through a consistent employer experience during onboarding)
• HR consulting (e.g., in the development of leadership culture and values)

The better personnel marketing is integrated with these areas, the stronger its impact – both internally and externally.

• Target groups are not clearly defined.
• Measures follow technology, not strategy.
• The employer value proposition (EVP) is not tangible or is not lived out.
• Too much focus on aesthetics instead of relevance.
• Content is too generic or interchangeable.
• No tracking or controlling of measures.

Credibility, consistency, and user centricity are more important today than reach at any price.