Filling 350 vacancies: a mission impossible?

15 September 2021- The tightness of the labour market that was already starting to assert itself before the Covid-19 pandemic hit, is back with a vengeance (+33,900 jobs in Q2 of 2021¹). Unilin Group, a global reference in interior design and the building industry with a strong Belgian anchoring, is raising the alarm on the tight labour market. In addition to last quarter’s record figures, the company is planning another round of investments in Belgium over the next two years to the tune of €160 million. In order to realise these lofty growth ambitions, Unilin Group is looking to hire no fewer than 350 new colleagues. Fully aware of the need to invest in its name awareness as an employer, Unilin Group is now launching its first international media campaign: the ‘Unimpossibles’. This major recruitment campaign is aimed at filling all 350 vacancies. Impossible? Not according to the Unilin Group.

The combination of last year’s sweeping renovations and the trend towards more sustainable living that has been gathering momentum for years, boosted the Unilin Group’s second quarter results (+67.8% turnover compared to Q2 2020). Despite these record figures the Unilin Group has voiced concerns about finding enough talent to support its growth. The company has its headquarters in the province of West Flanders, traditionally a very active region with a very tight labour market. As a result, Unilin Group has been confronted with the war for talent for many years. However, the competition for new talent has reached an all-time high. A survey by employers’ organisation VOKA has shown that 2 in 3 companies looking for new talent are experiencing even greater difficulties than usual to find suitable staff¹.

Unilin Group CEO Bernard Thiers: “Our main concern is finding enough fresh talent in the coming years. As we continue to innovate, we also continue to grow. Over the next two years we are planning €160 million of additional investments. These investments are essential if our research, development and production are to remain anchored in Belgium. Without additional strong talent we will not be able to realise our ambitious growth plans. Investments in our business culture and name awareness as an employer have become pure necessity.”

Investing in a strong employer brand

Remuneration and fringe benefits are no longer the be-all and end-all for prospective employees. They want to work for a company that defends values that match their personality.For potential employers, strong and positive name awareness is key to attract and retain talent. That is why a number of years ago the Unilin Group started placing a much stronger emphasis on employer branding through various recruitment campaigns and company-wide programmes such as The Happy Workout, which groups a variety of initiatives and actions aimed at fostering a strong, enthusiastic business culture.

Unilin Group devotes a great of deal of time and energy to the continued development of its staff. Staff can acquire new competencies in different training programmes in order to specialise or give their career a new direction. Also, under the motto ‘training is the new recruitment’ Unilin Group invests in the in-house training of people who have the right motivation but who have not yet acquired the right skills. For instance, if you’re interested to work as a forklift driver but you’re not licensed to drive one yet then despite your lack of experience you can enrol in a training course at Unilin Group itself in preparation of a job with the international company. Nowadays you can’t afford to sit around and wait for the right candidate to show up. If you want to get ahead Unilin Group is the place to be. Still, the challenge remains. Today there are 350 vacancies, including no fewer than 100 for operators, over 65 for engineers but also 35 for sales & marketing profiles.

Nick Leenaert, Talent Director for the Unilin Group, explains the campaign: “Unilin Group has a strong corporate culture centred around entrepreneurship, passion, excellence and respect. Our people can do anything they put their mind to. With ‘Unilin Unimpossibles’ we aim to raise the Unilin Group’s profile as an employer. Recent campaigns have focused on the southern part of West Flanders but now we are targeting talent from all across Belgium and even from abroad. Mission impossible? No. The ability to kick it up a gear just when things get tough is embedded in our corporate DNA. Never quit, just try harder! This typical Unilin spirit also reflects the vibe of our new campaign."

Check the campaign images and vacancies at unimpossibles.com.

¹¹ The National Accounts Institute (NAI)

² https://www.voka.be/nieuws/krapte-op-de-arbeidsmarkt-nu-al-nijpend-vlaamse-bedrijven