Improving the image as an employer. Fill vacancies. Spread important information. The public service faces communication challenges. Social media are therefore an integral part of the work of recruiting teams and PR departments. So what is public service doing on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube?
Whether in surveying technology, in kindergarten or in the gardening team: At the city of Heidenheim, employees seem to particularly enjoy dancing. This can be seen on the city’s TikTok channel, which also presents itself on other social media such as Instagram or Facebook. There are many reasons for this commitment in Heidenheim. And other public employers are also pursuing clear goals in their work on social media.
Strong employer brands in the public sector
What do those responsible for a medium-sized town in southern Germany expect from social media? “The strategy of our social media presence in relation to the job market is primarily to improve the image,” says Julia Habla, Heidenheim’s social media manager. The influencer Anna has established herself as a protagonist on Facebook and Instagram. With face-to-face reports on events and hiking routes around the city, she has become the face of the city administration. However, another platform offers the perfect conditions for improving the image: the rapidly growing video portal TikTok.
“The dance video of the gardener Leon drew particularly wide circles. The city was then able to fill the advertised position.”
“Authorities are increasingly struggling with a lack of young people, which is not least due to an outdated image. We’re trying to counteract that with humorous TikToks,” says Habla. Employees from different areas of the town hall contribute to the contributions, even the mayor takes part. To the
TikTok account of the city of Heidenheim follow more than 4300 people. Gardener Leon’s dance video drew particularly wide circles: more than 290,000 views, 22,000 likes and 320 comments. The city was ultimately able to fill the advertised position. A real recruiting success.
Social Recruiting bei TikTok
If you want to get young people excited about jobs, the best thing to do is go where they usually hang out. In addition to Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube, Generation Z can be found more and more on TikTok. “The platform enables a low-threshold opportunity for interaction between users who are ideally already interested in applying and the Berlin police as a potential future employer,” says Matthias Klein from the Berlin police’s social media team. The ongoing content promotes applicant loyalty in the process.
Will the police also take me with tattoos? Do I need a driver’s license? Answer in youthful speech
Employees, trainees and students of the Berlin police frequently asked questions on TikTok and explain the requirements of the job. The content for TikTok is produced by the specialist department for social recruiting, videos for YouTube are created by the social media team and external service providers. More than 360,000 people follow the account, and the posts have been liked more than four million times. In June 2022, the team received the German Prize for Online Communication as TikTok Channel / Campaign of the Year.
On behalf of science communication
An expandable image and the lack of young people are driving the public service into social media. However, there is another problem: More and more people are questioning scientific institutions and their work. Vaccination skepticism and climate denial challenge researchers and university communication teams. Rectorate speeches and strategy papers revolve around the topic of science communication all the more frequently.
“We try to convey medical expertise in a way that is generally understandable via YouTube. This is particularly important given the amount of fake news being spread.”
(Benjamin Waschow, University Hospital Freiburg)
Instagram posts about dehydration in summer. A TikTok video about the most common injuries during sex. YouTube shorts about Justin Bieber and Ramsay Hunt Syndrome. Supported by experts from the specialist departments, the Freiburg University Hospital addresses the broad masses: around 18,000 followers on Instagram, almost 22,000 subscriptions on YouTube and around 19,000 followers on TikTok. “We try to spread medical knowledge in a way that is generally understandable. This is particularly important in view of the large amount of fake news that is being spread,” explains Benjamin Waschow, Head of Corporate Communications and Press Spokesman. But that’s not all.
Social media: indispensable for PR & communication
Waschow’s team also benefits from the interaction with the community: “We always have immediate feedback on whether a campaign or action is well received or not. We very rarely have this kind of feedback with other marketing or PR campaigns.” It’s similar with the city of Heidenheim: Municipalities could publish on social media independently of newspapers, says Julia Habla: “This is how we manage to publish content quickly, efficiently, and in a way that is tailored to the target group without detours to the citizenry.” So social media have also become an indispensable tool for communication teams.
For public service, social media is more than just a nice-to-have. With targeted communication, employers can reach young people, those interested in a job and the general public. You can use it to position your own organization as a strong employer brand and expand the recruiting process. However, public service organizations are also concerned with educating people about scientific topics. And about improving your own communication.
Also read:
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