What strengths Michael Steuler sees in the new employer brand promise

My path with Steuler

The Steuler Group opens up new perspectives for individual development - this is one of the many insights we have gained in the process of developing our new employer brand. Since the end of August, the new promise Arrive. Vorankommen. is now also visible to the outside world.

For Michael Steuler, Managing Director of the Group, these are the first steps on a very promising path.

We had the pleasure of talking to him about his understanding as an employer:

Michael Steuler | Managing director

Dear Mr. Steuler, thank you for taking the time! What motivated the company to tackle the topic of employer branding and get to the heart of it in a promise?

Everywhere in the economy you hear about the competition for young talent and we also feel the challenge of inspiring new people to join us - it is not for nothing that there is even talk of a real battle for the best talent. More than 2,500 employees work in our Group and many have been with us for several decades, some of them in the second or third generation. Our employee survey showed that more than 80% would choose Steuler as an employer again. Impressive, isn't it? I was at least pleasantly surprised, even though I know that many of them really enjoy working here. So we realize that our Steuler Group has a lot to offer as an employer that we ourselves were not always so aware of. In addition to a wide range of benefits, there is above all a particularly strong sense of togetherness, a family atmosphere despite the size of our company and a special pride in the knowledge gained over generations. At the same time, we felt that we were not yet communicating this visibly enough to the outside world. That is why we took the essential first step towards changing this with the development of the employer brand and our first large-scale campaign.

So what significance do you see in the campaign for the company?

The process that lies behind us is unique in the history of the Steuler Group - we conducted cross-divisional surveys, gathered knowledge and worked together to find out what makes us special. Our promise, Arrive. Moving forward, sums it up succinctly in two words. The campaign is our chance to demonstrate these characteristics, which already felt good in our large group of project participants, throughout the company and beyond. It is a new self-image and if we carry it together, then we can also show this more clearly to the outside world and find the people that we need professionally on the one hand and who share our enthusiasm on the other - as the question in my campaign motif also says.

Since you are referring to your campaign motif: you are a person who does not like to be the center of media attention - what convinced you to personally present yourself as the face of the employer brand?

As a family business owner, I know how important it is to have trust in your counterpart in order to make a decision in good conscience, in addition to all the rational reasons. This has always been the case in business, it was no different for my great-grandfather than it is today and it is also important when choosing an employer. That's why I, who have borne the name of the company since birth, also have a responsibility to personally stand up for what we promise. What used to be enough in personal conversations has changed so much due to the changes in the media world that the pressure to be seen has increased considerably. That's why I can't escape it the way I would as a private individual in everyday life. For the company, I am visible as a person because - and this is the most important reason: in the course of our process, we have worked out how much additional potential there is in this path and in the Steuler community. I want to contribute to this myself - to set a good example, so to speak.

What defines the Steuler community for you?

When I think about it, the last few months leading up to the campaign that has now been published have once again shown what I perceive in our group: People show a deep connection to what they do and go about it with a passion that I think goes beyond what you would expect in a typical company - not only in their individual departments, but also for each other and ultimately for the entire Group. In addition to this cohesion, I think what sets us apart is the way in which our community is both down-to-earth and forward-looking. I think this combination is due to the fact that we have always kept our roots as a regional family business at heart. Everyone here knows where they come from, and it is precisely this that gives us the strength and courage to look ahead and help shape the industry step by step together. It is this mixture of tradition and progress that makes our community so strong and unique.

How will the new employer positioning be integrated into the company's daily processes and decisions?

From now on, we want to promote precisely the balance between the good feeling of having arrived and joint further development in a more focused way. In our onboarding processes, we want to pay even more attention to personal integration into the team and repeatedly create opportunities for employees to exchange ideas and experience events that bring people together - allowing them to “arrive” at Steuler. We offer secure and future-oriented jobs in an international company. At the same time, individual growth is a top priority for us. Established formats such as targeted development meetings will focus even more consciously on the current wishes and potential of individual colleagues - for all divisions and locations. In this way, we want to ensure that all colleagues feel that they have arrived, that we act as one Steuler Group and that we “progress” both personally and as a company.

What personal significance does the new employer positioning have for you?

In addition to the enormous potential to position us as an attractive employer in the regional competition, it also has a very personal significance, as it reflects exactly what our family business has been about for generations. As a fourth-generation managing director, this company is not only my professional home, but also an integral part of my life. It is invaluable to me that we carry and pass on the knowledge and experience that has grown over the years in our community. I have had the pleasure of accompanying so many people on their career paths. Our positioning expresses what drives me: to create an environment in which people feel safe and inspired at the same time. Even my great-grandfather had the insight that satisfied people work better and more successfully. As an employer, we provide the support they need to make their own decisions and have the resilience to go their own way, even in challenging times - that makes me proud.

We are very pleased to hear this and thank you for the interview and your openness. Thank you very much!

Will your story be one of those that make the Steuler Group what it is today? Find out more here in our careers section and find out how you can shape your own path with us, too.