Employer Branding as a Success Factor - Inclusion Is Key to Finding the Best Talents

On March 25, 2025, our webinar in which our experts answered the question of how companies can make their employer brand inclusive while remaining authentic, took place.

Insights into the importance of inclusion from different perspectives showed hands-on ways in which companies can use targeted employer branding to attract and retain talent in the long term.

Tip: Make inclusion visible – here’s how it works in practice

Inclusion becomes tangible when it is also visible externally. One way to achieve this is by actively reaching out to talents with disabilities – for example, through inclusive job platforms or by participating in career programs for people with disabilities.

Our experts Katharina Keilwert (Talent Brand, Inclusion & Diversity Lead, Accenture DACH), Kathrin Kerschbaumer (Lead Inclusive Recruiting D-A-CH, myAbility) and Michael Zakall (Talent Manager Talent Programs, myAbility) shared their extensive experience and presented concrete recommendations for action for an inclusive corporate culture.

The dialog held by Kathrin Kerschbaumer and Michael Zakall from myAbility also brought in different perspectives on the topic. 

They also gave simple recommendations on how companies can make their employer brand authentic and inclusive:

1. Be visible
Companies should actively communicate their values on all relevant channels: Website, career portal, job advertisements and social media. Authentic messages are needed instead of general diversity statements. A sentence like “People with disabilities are given preference if they have the same qualifications” is not enough to show genuine commitment. A clear positioning on DEI issues makes the difference and should be underpinned by concrete measures.

2. Use the correct external channels
Companies should make targeted use of platforms such as the inclusive job platform myAbility.jobs or the myAbility Talent® program to make inclusive job offers visible. Collaborations with relevant partners should be actively communicated and presented both on the website and on social media.

3. Use your internal potential
Employees can act as authentic ambassadors for inclusion and diversity. Companies should actively involve them in communication and make them visible. Videos, interviews and testimonials from the workforce create trust and strengthen credibility.

4. Be authentic
Employer branding must not just be a marketing measure - genuine conviction and lived values are crucial. Companies should openly share their vision for a diverse and inclusive future and stand by it.

5. Be accessible
Accessibility is a must: from the website to internal documents and communication. Companies should ensure that their content is accessible to all and that inclusion is put into practice.

6. Don't be afraid
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) is a continuous process in which companies can learn and grow. Perfection is not the goal - the important thing is to take the first step and continue to develop.

An interactive question showed how differently inclusion is practiced in the participants' companies - and how diverse the perspectives on employer branding are.

In her input, Katharina Keilwert showed how inclusive employer branding is understood as a holistic approach at Accenture: It is important to think about inclusion from the very first contact with potential applicants - and to make it visible and effective throughout their entire journey at the company. To underline the importance of the topic, she referred to figures from the Accenture study “Getting to Equal 2018: The Disability Inclusion Advantage” - including the fact that inclusive companies are twice as likely to achieve their financial targets.

The webinar clearly showed that inclusive and authentic employer branding is crucial for attracting and retaining talent in the long term.

Companies that make their values visible, use target group-specific channels and involve their own employees as ambassadors can clearly position themselves as attractive employers. However, it is primarily important to remain authentic. 

We would like to thank our experts and all participants for their inspiring insights and look forward to further discussions on this important topic!