Knorr-Bremse
HVG Job Fair stand

Knorr-Bremse was recruiting engineers and IT specialists in a labour market characterised by extremely fierce competition for talent. The target group has high professional expectations and is looking for genuine design and creative roles, but often perceives the rail sector as less innovative than other industries.

Our task was therefore to ensure that Knorr-Bremse’s presence at the job fair would simultaneously increase brand awareness and appeal, showcase the scope of responsibility covering the entire design and manufacturing process, and encourage as many relevant applicants as possible to submit their CVs.

Instead of a traditional information stand, Progressive created an interactive employer branding experience. At the centre of the spectacular installation was a train, which invited visitors on a journey through the company’s operations. The ‘challenge’, ‘design’ and ‘result’ stations showcased Knorr-Bremse’s complex engineering tasks and areas of responsibility.

At the stand, we brought the brand’s innovative nature to life through AR and gesture-controlled solutions. A 3D brake system that could be rotated and zoomed in on appeared on a tablet linked to the design drawings, whilst our in-house developed, video-game-based gesture-control software presented the company’s technologies in an interactive way. The main message of the concept was that, at Knorr-Bremse, engineering work does not stop at a single task: employees can be involved in complex processes ranging from creative design to implementation.

The Knorr-Bremse stand, created by Progressive, both reinforced the company’s position as an innovative employer and created a memorable experience for candidates. According to feedback, the stand effectively conveyed the message about responsible, complex engineering work, whilst the interactive technological solutions generated a great deal of interest.

• 10,281 visitors attended the HVG Job Fair.

• More than 700 CVs were received, representing nearly three times the number of applications compared with previous years.

• The stand won first prize in the Stand by Me! competition.

The project demonstrated that target-group-specific design, integrated employer branding and interactive technology can, when combined, measurably increase the appeal of an employer brand.