Employer Branding: The Metaverse at Blum

The Blum Group, a leading global family business specializing in the manufacture and sale of furniture fittings, has launched a revolutionary project: the “Metaverse of Apprenticeships”. It aims to increase the attractiveness of apprenticeships in the company and to appeal to young people with an affinity for digital technology in particular.

• The challenge: Tackling the shortage of skilled workers through in-house training.  

• The goal: To attract and qualify around 90 pupils for an apprenticeship.  

• The implementation: Integration of an interactive 3D environment on the career website as part of a comprehensive recruitment campaign.   

• The result: 793,754 digital out-of-home contacts from the entire campaign and 93 new apprentices.  

Like many companies, the Austrian Blum Group faces a major challenge: a shortage of skilled workers and a high level of competition for talents. In order to solve this problem and also to increase the time spent on the website, it was necessary to find new and creative ways to address and attract potential trainees. As part of an employer branding campaign, the intention was to recruit the appropriate young talents for the company. In addition to various channels such as Google Ads, Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok, the website is the most important point of contact for conveying information. In the process, a consistent and appealing communication approach had to be ensured.

Adapting to a new generation  

The Metaverse will massively change the way we interact digitally in the future. Janine Blum, responsible for marketing and communication, understood this early on and set the family business on the path to the future. The company decided to test the new technology first with a young, digitally savvy target group.  

The campaign's main target group is young people aged 12 to 14 who are interested in technical professions. They generally have a high affinity for digital media and represent Generations Z and Alpha. They are part of a fully networked online community in which both virtual and personal contacts are equally important. Blum was aware that the target group switches between the real and virtual worlds very quickly. They jump from one channel to another, absorbing and filtering information.   

The aim was to present the wide range of eleven different high-tech careers in a hands-on and interactive way. With such a broad range of choices, it can be a challenge for young people to find the apprenticeship that matches their interests and strengths. For this reason, games and quizzes should help young people to find the right career for them and give them an initial insight into the company. After the potential trainees had the chance to get a virtual taste of working in the company in this way, the next step in the Candidate Journey involves trial days in the “real” company. 

The decision to work with rooom was made after extensive research. rooom's GDPR-compliant platform convinced the team with comprehensive solutions that were perfectly tailored to Blum's needs.

The Metaverse comprises two main areas: a lobby and a training center. A highlight in the lobby is the virtual assistant, an AI-supported avatar based on the director of training Robert Kaufmann, that guides users to the different information areas.   

In addition, an existing 3D model of an animated kitchen has been seamlessly integrated. In the virtual training center, guests can expect avatars of the trainers, mini-games and a comprehensive range of information. This is designed to make it easier to decide on the right career. Watch the video to get an impression of the look and feel of the 3D experience:

Before the 3D content was integrated into the career website, there was a test run in Virtual Reality (VR) format at a job training fair. The interactive experience helped Blum to be recognized as an attractive and innovative employer. At the event, young people were also able to take part in a raffle and win a set of VR headsets by taking an AR photo with the director of training.

Initial results show a positive response, especially among younger users. Surprisingly, desktop access was higher than mobile access, even though the platform was optimized for mobile usage. The avatars of the trainers, which are based on real staff creating a personal level, attracted particularly many clicks.

“The permanent integration of the 3D experience on our website enables continuous engagement and interaction,” says Janine Blum.

One of the lessons learned was the realization that navigating through virtual worlds is not yet part of everyday life, even for Generation Z. A video tutorial or guided tours could be helpful in making the experience even more user-friendly. The fact that content changes from time to time is not a problem: adjustments and updates can be made independently and easily at any time using rooom's 3D Space Editor. Future projects could, for example, focus on the further development of gamification elements.   

The Metaverse at Blum is a pioneering project that shows how innovative solutions can help to overcome the problem of talent shortage. Together, we have taken a significant step towards a digital and interactive future that will benefit both the company and the young talents in the long term.