Diversity employer branding: 5 communication strategies for more diversity in the company

How can companies use diversity employer branding to attract a diverse range of talent and leverage the strengths of their employer brand? The answer lies in an inclusive corporate culture and communication that highlights different life experiences. After all, diversity means much more than just different generations or genders. Social background, migration history, educational paths, disabilities, and individual experiences also shape the perspectives that people bring to a company.

A diversity-focused employer branding strategy can be particularly crucial when competing for skilled workers. It helps companies reach new target groups, break down barriers in recruiting, and build an employer brand that more people can identify with.

But how can diversity become a credible part of employer communication? And how can you specifically reach people from diverse backgrounds? We’ll show you five communication strategies you can use to make diversity visible and tangible in your employer branding sichtbar und erlebbar macht.

What is diversity employer branding?

Diversity employer branding refers to a company’s strategic positioning as an employer that recognizes diversity, promotes equal opportunity, and creates an inclusive work environment. The goal is to attract people from diverse backgrounds, recruit them to the company, and retain them over the long term.

This is about more than just showing a diverse range of faces on the careers page. What matters most is that the values communicated are also reflected in day-to-day work.

Diversity employer branding therefore brings together three key areas:

• Diversity Recruiting: Targeting people with diverse experiences, educational backgrounds, and life circumstances, and create fair opportunities in the hiring process.
• Inclusive corporate culture: Creating a work environment where employees feel they belong and can thrive, regardless of their background or identity.
• Authentic employer communication: Highlight real stories, concrete actions, and values put into practice, rather than using diversity merely as a marketing message.

A successful diversity employer branding strategy thus bridges the gap between the internal reality of the company and its external perception as an employer.

Why is diversity in employer branding more than just gender and age?

When companies talk about diversity, the focus is often on gender and generations. Many HR departments are particularly concerned with reaching Gen Z and Gen Y, as the kununu recruiting study illustrates.

However, anyone who reduces diversity solely to these characteristics overlooks a large portion of potential talent.

A comprehensive diversity strategy includes, among other things:

• Social background: People from non-college-educated families or with limited financial resources.
• Ethnic Background and Migration History: Applicants with diverse cultural backgrounds, family histories, and international experiences.
• Educational Backgrounds: Talented individuals with vocational training, career changers, those who have pursued continuing education, or those with non-linear career paths.
• Disabilities and Chronic Illnesses: People with visible and invisible disabilities, as well as varying needs for an accessible work environment.
• Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity: People with different sexual orientations and gender identities.
• Age and life stage: entry-level professionals, experienced professionals, and people in various family or career situations.

Why should companies also take social background and educational paths into account?

Not everyone starts their professional life under the same circumstances.

Those who come from families with a college education may benefit from family networks, financial support, or more natural access to certain career paths. Others must first work to earn these opportunities.

Here’s an example: Students who finance their studies with several part-time jobs may take longer to graduate. Unpaid internships or semesters abroad are often not a realistic option in such cases. However, this says little about that person’s professional skills, motivation, or potential.

Nevertheless, traditional recruiting requirements can put such talent at a disadvantage.

In terms of diversity employer branding, this means that companies should not only communicate that everyone is welcome, but also demonstrate that there are different paths to professional success.

An employer brand that highlights people with diverse educational backgrounds and life stories sends a clear message: Here, your skills and perspectives matter—not just your resume.

Why is diversity employer branding important for companies?

Diversity employer branding can help companies expand their pool of applicants, enhance their employer brand, and bring new perspectives to their teams. This presents an opportunity—especially for medium-sized companies and specialized B2B firms—to reach target audiences that have hardly been addressed until now.

This is because diverse teams bring a variety of experiences and perspectives to the table. In an inclusive work environment, this diversity can help teams view problems from multiple perspectives, develop innovative solutions, and better understand the needs of different customers.

This is also relevant for marketing and PR.

Let’s imagine a company is developing an international advertising campaign. The creative team consists exclusively of people with very similar social and cultural backgrounds. An unfortunate choice of words or a discriminatory image might go unnoticed.

Different perspectives within a team can help identify such blind spots early on.

Of course, diversity alone does not protect against communication errors or social media backlashes. However, when combined with a culture of open feedback, awareness-building, and clear approval processes, it can help make campaigns more thoughtful and inclusive.

The benefits of a credible diversity strategy in employer branding can be summarized in four points:

1. Larger talent pool: More people feel drawn to the opportunity and consider applying.
   
2. A Stronger Employer Brand: Embracing diversity and equal opportunity creates opportunities for employees to identify with the company.
   
3. New Perspectives: Diverse experiences can enrich creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving.
   
4. Employee Retention: An inclusive work environment can foster a sense of belonging and job satisfaction.

It is crucial, however, that diversity not stop at public image. Those who promote diversity must also foster it within the company.

How does storytelling support successful diversity employer branding?

Storytelling brings diversity to life in employer branding by highlighting real people, individual career paths, and personal experiences.

After all, a statement like “Everyone is welcome here” sounds appealing. But it only becomes truly convincing when applicants realize what that actually means.

How does a female colleague from a non-academic family background experience her career advancement? What kind of support does an employee receive who has switched to software development from a different field? And how does a manager foster collaboration in a team with diverse cultural perspectives??

Stories like these give a human face to abstract corporate values.

This is particularly relevant for medium-sized B2B companies. Whether it’s software development, mechanical engineering, or logistics: the more specialized the industry, the harder it often is for outsiders to imagine what day-to-day work is like.

Personal stories provide context here. They show not only what tasks people take on, but also who is behind the job titles.

One example from the construction industry is STRABAG, whose employer branding communications serve as inspiration for showcasing different job profiles and people. In our comprehensive construction report, we demonstrate how storytelling can be used specifically in the construction industry.

Our tip: Don’t just share success stories with flawless résumés. It’s the detours, challenges, and personal turning points that make people relatable. It’s important that employees be able to decide for themselves which aspects of their story they’d like to share.

5 Communication Strategies for Successful Diversity Employer Branding

How can you implement diversity employer branding in practice? The following five strategies will help you authentically engage diverse target audiences and embed diversity in your employer brand for the long term.

1. Target Audience Analysis: Understanding Different Talents and Their Needs

A diversity-focused target audience analysis examines which people a company has reached so far, which groups are underrepresented, and what barriers potential applicants face.

After all, not all talented individuals look for jobs on the same platforms, respond to the same messages, or have the same expectations of their employers.

Before you plan your recruitment communications, you should therefore take a closer look.

Some helpful questions are:

• Which people are already applying to work with us, and which ones are we barely reaching?
• Which requirements in our job postings might unnecessarily exclude talented candidates?
• Which career paths and qualifications have we not given sufficient consideration to so far?
• What values and working conditions are important to different applicants?
• Through which channels can we reach people outside our existing recruiting networks?

Practical example: A software company is looking for developers and requires a college degree in computer science in every job posting. However, people with relevant training, a career change, or practical project experience might also be suitable.

A competency-based job posting can broaden the pool of applicants without lowering the technical requirements.

The choice of communication channels also plays a role. In addition to LinkedIn and traditional job platforms, partnerships with vocational schools, professional communities, or educational initiatives, for example, can be beneficial.

2. Diversity Storytelling: Telling Real Stories Instead of Generic Messages

Authentic diversity storytelling shows how employees from diverse backgrounds experience their day-to-day work lives and what opportunities for growth are available to them.

Instead of just claiming to be diverse, you can demonstrate it through personal stories.

Formats that give people room to express their own perspectives are particularly effective:

• Employee Profiles: Colleagues talk about their career paths, their responsibilities, and their personal experiences.
• Video Interviews: Employees share what they value about their work and the challenges they have overcome.
• Behind-the-Scenes Content: Insights into teams and workflows shed light on a company’s culture.
• Career Stories: From career changers to executives, these stories highlight a variety of career paths.

Practical example: A logistics company introduces a team leader who, after completing an apprenticeship in the warehouse, has gradually taken on leadership responsibilities.

This story doesn’t just illustrate career progression. It also conveys to potential applicants that an academic career is not the only path to a position of responsibility.

Important: People should not be reduced to individual characteristics of diversity. The focus should be on their personality, their skills, and the story they themselves wish to share.

3. Inclusive Visual Language: Making Diversity Visible Across All Communication Channels

Inclusive visual language depicts diverse people in a realistic and respectful way, without resorting to stereotypical roles.

After all, images tell stories even before anyone has read a single line of text.

If a company’s careers page features only young people without visible disabilities, it can unintentionally give the impression that other life experiences are rarely represented there.

That’s why it’s worth taking a critical look at your visual employer branding.

In particular, verify:

• Do your photos show people of different ages, genders, and backgrounds?
• Are employees portrayed in a variety of professional roles, rather than reinforcing common stereotypes?
• Are people with disabilities also visible without being reduced to their disability?
• Do you use authentic photos from your company, or mostly generic stock photos?
• Are your images and digital content as accessible as possible—for example, through descriptive alternative text?

Practical example: In its employer branding campaign, an industrial company features not only male engineers, but also female technicians, apprentices, international professionals, and people with diverse career paths.

Ideally, the scenarios are based on real teams and reflect the actual corporate culture.

After all, compelling images do more than just grab attention. They help applicants envision themselves as a potential part of the company.

4. Diversity PR: Communicating Social Commitment in a Credible Way

Diversity-PR macht das konkrete Engagement eines Unternehmens für Vielfalt, Chancengerechtigkeit und Inklusion öffentlich sichtbar.

The prerequisite for this is that the messages are backed by concrete actions.

A company that advocates for diversity on social media but ignores discriminatory structures internally risks losing credibility. This disconnect between communication and reality is often referred to as “diversity washing.”

That’s why your PR efforts shouldn’t start with big promises, but with verifiable examples.

Possible approaches include:

• Partnerships with organizations that support people who face barriers to entering the job market.
• Mentoring programs for underrepresented talent.
• Partnerships with educational initiatives and networks for career changers.
• More accessible application processes and inclusive recruiting events.
• Transparent communication about progress already made and current challenges.

Practical example: A medium-sized manufacturing company is partnering with a local initiative to develop a program that helps people with a migrant background enter technical professions.

Instead of simply issuing a press release to announce the launch of the project, the company is following the initiative over the course of several months. Employees and participants share their experiences, successes, and challenges.

This is how credible PR is created—PR that not only generates attention but also documents tangible changes.

5. Internal Communication: Bringing Diversity to Life in the Workplace

Internal diversity management and an inclusive workforce form the foundation for a credible employer brand.

After all, even the best recruiting campaign loses its impact if new employees don’t experience the culture they were promised in their day-to-day work.

That is why diversity, employer branding, and internal communication must go hand in hand.

Key measures include:

• Awareness-raising: Training sessions and open discussions about prejudice, discrimination, and inclusive collaboration.
• Transparent career development opportunities: Clear criteria for promotions, professional development, and leadership positions.
• Employee Participation: Opportunities for employees to share their experiences, criticisms, and suggestions for improvement.
• Inclusive Communication: Clear, respectful, and as accessible as possible information for all colleagues.
• Clear Responsibilities: Points of contact and reliable processes for addressing discrimination.

During implementation, HR, management, the communications department, and, if applicable, the works council should work closely together.

Storytelling in internal communications can also help ensure that diversity is not perceived as an abstract corporate goal.

Here’s an example: In a series of internal interviews, employees from various departments share when they felt particularly supported at the company and what they hope for in the future.

Stories like these allow people to relate to them, foster dialogue, and can support processes of change.

It is crucial not to publish only positive experiences. Critical perspectives also deserve a voice so that communication can truly contribute to improvements.

How can the success of diversity employer branding be measured?

The success of diversity employer branding can be assessed based on recruiting metrics, perceptions of the employer brand, and employees’ actual experiences.

After all, diversity communication isn’t just about looking good—it’s about bringing about real change over the long term.

The following metrics, for example, are suitable for measuring success:

Section	Possible Key Metrics
Recruiting	Number and diversity of qualified applications; reach of various recruiting channels
Employer Brand	Brand Awareness, Perception of Inclusion, and Employer Attractiveness
Employees	Employee turnover, sense of belonging, and job satisfaction
Career Development	Access to continuing education, internal transfers, and promotions
Communication	Reach, interactions, and qualitative feedback on diversity contentReichweite, Interaktionen und qualitative Rückmeldungen zu Diversity-Inhalten

It is important to collect data on personal diversity characteristics only within the legally permissible framework, on a voluntary basis, and in compliance with data protection regulations. Not every form of diversity can be meaningfully represented by numbers.

Anonymized employee surveys and qualitative interviews can also provide valuable insights.

Our tip: Before you launch your diversity employer branding campaign, define the goals you want to achieve. This is the only way you’ll be able to assess later whether your messaging is actually reaching new people and aligns with your company’s culture in practice.

Conclusion: authentic diversity employer branding starts with the people

Diversity employer branding is much more than just a colorful recruiting slogan or a statement of commitment to diversity on the company’s website.

The goal is to recognize different life experiences, break down barriers, and foster a genuine sense of belonging.

For small and medium-sized businesses and B2B brands in particular, diversity-focused employer branding offers the opportunity to reach new talent and set themselves apart from other employers through a credible corporate culture.

The five most important factors for success are a thorough target audience analysis, authentic storytelling, inclusive visual language, credible diversity PR, and internal communication that embeds diversity into everyday work.

Als Agentur für PR, Brand Storytelling und Employer Branding sind wir überzeugt: Die stärksten Arbeitgebergeschichten entstehen dort, wo Menschen nicht in ein vorgefertigtes Bild passen müssen, sondern ihre eigenen Perspektiven einbringen können.

An employer brand isn’t made credible by promising diversity, but by the stories and experiences of the people who shape it every day.

Those who bring these stories to light while also ensuring equal opportunities within the company lay the foundation for a more diverse and stronger employer brand.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions About Diversity Employer Branding

What Does Diversity Mean in Employer Branding?

Diversity in employer branding means taking into account the diversity of employees and applicants in the employer’s positioning. This includes, among other things, gender, age, social and ethnic background, disabilities, sexual orientation, and diverse educational and career paths. The goal is to create a credible employer brand that conveys equal opportunity and a sense of belonging.

What are the benefits of diversity employer branding for companies?

Diversity employer branding can broaden the applicant pool, increase employer attractiveness, and support employee retention. Diverse perspectives can also enhance creativity and problem-solving when companies simultaneously promote inclusive collaboration.

How can companies promote diversity in recruiting?

Companies can promote diversity in recruiting by drafting job postings that are sensitive to potential discrimination, reducing unnecessary formal requirements, utilizing various recruiting channels, and making selection processes as fair and transparent as possible. Authentic employee stories also help attract people from diverse backgrounds.

Why is storytelling important for diversity employer branding?

Storytelling makes diversity visible and relatable. Real stories from employees show how different people shape their career paths and experience the company culture. This makes it easier for potential applicants to identify with a company.

How Do Companies Avoid “Diversity Washing” in Employer Branding?

Companies avoid “diversity washing” by communicating only those values and initiatives that are reflected in their day-to-day work. This requires specific diversity goals, transparent progress reports, employee involvement, and a willingness to openly address challenges.