Open Access

Cara Jansen

• The German labour market today is shaped by demographic change and talent shortage. With the rise in competition, more attention has been brought to employer branding, which can help companies gain a competitive advantage by being perceived as a more attractive employer among employees and potential candidates. Alongside demographic change, studies simultaneously reveal a shift in values. This shift is leading to a change in perceptions of work and organisational culture. These changes show particular evidence of an increased demand for work-life balance and flexibility. Additionally, it has been proven that the COVID-19 pandemic has put further emphasis on options for working from home. Hence, remote work becomes increasingly relevant for a candidate’s decision process when choosing an employer. Therefore, this thesis intends to conduct research aimed to yield clarity on how firms currently communicate working from home or working remotely as part of their employer branding strategy. Based on the findings of the study the thesis seeks to include recommendations for companies on how to approach communication of this matter. The research consists of a content analysis of career websites by companies listed in the DAX and MDAX. The results prove that the majority of DAX and MDAX companies have indeed reacted to the increased demand for working from home. In the study, four communication strategy types are identified, which help to understand how firms approach communicating their remote work options. Each communication strategy type shows a different degree of importance in communicating remote work options. The study further detects relationships between these communication strategy types and a company’s overall projected employer image. Based on this relationship, a recommendation is given. The recommendation seeks to assist companies in deciding how to incorporate the subject of working from home into their employer branding communication.