RWE is a multinational energy company, operating out of 28 global markets. With a 125-year history, it is now undergoing a transformation to become a leader in the green energy era. Its ambition by 2040 is to be climate-neutral, and it needed a universal employer brand that would accelerate this journey – attracting thousands of new hires and increasing retention. However, this also had to overcome a backdrop of climate change, political instability and a cost-of-living crisis, as well as the fact that RWE operates as four separate companies.

The company decided on six key objectives, then embarked on a four-month research project that included six employee workshops, 14 leadership interviews, an online employee community and many hours of reviewing data. Externally, Havas supported RWE to look at competitor communications, recruitment partnerships and the overall market context. The strapline ‘our energy has impact’ was born, underpinned by three core pillars of ‘our belief inspires us’, ‘our actions drive us’, and ‘our teamwork encourages us’.

Havas and RWE established a consistent messaging structure including the word ‘from here’, showing that impact can be made from anywhere. Visuals included an ‘impact print’, intended to reflect people’s contribution, or collective impact. HR and recruitment teams received playbooks and guides, while line managers and teams could access a four-video training series introducing the new employer brand. It has also been embedded into events, such as the two-day onboarding experiences for graduates. External campaigns included case studies which were widely shared across social media platforms. Objectives were all met, including an impressive increase in visitors to the careers site, an increase in traffic from social media and a hike in applications compared to previous campaigns.