BCC 2026 · Business Case Challenge · WU Wien
Breaking the Stereotype
How Wiener Städtische can attract young talent to the insurance sector — and why the problem is not rejection, but invisibility.
"We don't just hire you — we grow with you."
Overview
Executive Summary
The central hypothesis, campaign focus and values guiding every initiative.
Central Hypothesis
Young people's disinterest in insurance careers is not rejection — it is ignorance driven by stereotypes. Wiener Städtische is already doing the right things. The problem is that young people don't know it.
"Autonomy without anxiety. Security to grow."
Company values
Diversity
You can be who you are
Language, channels and tone that reach young people where they are
Belonging
Why you are here
Sense of ownership. Short-term purpose (gamification) and long-term purpose (legacy)
Equality
We give equal opportunities
Recognition by milestones, not by tenure. Celebrated from month one.
3 integrated initiatives
01 Social Media — LinkedIn, karriere.at, Indeed, StepStone + video campaign
02 Purpose — Insurance enabling moments that matter
03 Retention — Gamification + Micro-recognition + Inclusion
New programmes added
Micro-Recognition Bonus System (early career milestone rewards: Week 1 badge → Month 12 €300) + Gamification Platform (4 modules, Gen Z UX)
Framework
Golden Circle: Current State vs. Proposal
Applying Simon Sinek's Golden Circle to Wiener Städtische's employer branding challenge.
Current State
WHY
No clear WHY. Stereotypes fill the gap.
HOW
Commission-focused. German only. Corporate tone.
WHAT
Jobs on own website only. Absent from LinkedIn, karriere.at, Indeed, StepStone and XING. No English.
Proposed State
WHY
Young talent and Wiener Städtische share the same values — they just never met.
HOW
Diversity + Belonging + Equality
WHAT
karriere.at · LinkedIn · Indeed · StepStone · Video campaign · Purpose · Gamification
What changes
Left: WHY is absent, HOW is commission-focused, WHAT is invisible to young people. Right: a values-driven WHY, Diversity + Belonging + Equality as HOW, and 3 concrete WHAT initiatives.
Diagnosis
Status Quo Analysis
What Wiener Städtische already does well — and where the critical gaps are.
What already works
Dedicated career page (guterjob.at) with its own visual identity
Active on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube
Jobbotschafter programme with real employees
50% women on Board of Directors (2021)
ERG networks: all colours (LGBTQ+) and FRiDA (women)
losleben app — most popular insurance app in Austria
kununu Top Company Award 2024 · 90% parental leave return rate
Critical gaps
Job vacancies ONLY on corporate website — absent from karriere.at, LinkedIn, Indeed, StepStone and XING
Website and careers 100% in German — excludes international students
Career content exclusively in German — excludes international students
Job ads focused on commission (Provision) — off-putting to students
LinkedIn: 10,652 followers — ratio of only 2.7× employees (benchmark: 10–15×). Zero postings on any external platform.
The Central Paradox
Wiener Städtische has a rich history of diversity and social purpose — but communicates all this in German, in static formats, on channels young people don't use when job-searching. The problem is not the company. It is the communication.
Digital presence vs. sector benchmark
Estimated score across 7 dimensions (0–100)
LinkedIn followers: Wiener Städtische vs. peers
Comparable Austrian companies (2024)
Where young people search for jobs in Austria & Europe
The most-used platforms — and where Wiener Städtische is invisible.
Top job platforms in Austria — monthly visits & WS presence
Sources: Similarweb, Semrush, Manatal (2024–2025). ✓ = WS posts jobs. ✗ = WS absent.
Karriere.at — local leader
4.5 million visits/month. Austria's #1 job platform for German-speaking professionals. Wiener Städtische does not post here.
LinkedIn — essential for young talent
57% of global job seekers use LinkedIn. The 18–24 age group is LinkedIn's fastest-growing segment (21.7% of users). WS has a profile but posts zero jobs.
Indeed — global reach, international students
300 million users across 60 countries. Primary channel for international students. XING (19M DACH members) and kununu (9M visits/month) complete the ecosystem.
The critical insight: candidates are lost before they ever apply
If a company doesn't appear on the platforms where young people search for jobs, it simply doesn't exist for that audience. There is no rejection — there is total invisibility. Wiener Städtische loses potential candidates at the discovery and consideration stages, long before any application. They never find the company, so they never apply.
Research
Target Group Analysis
Two student profiles this proposal aims to reach.
Profile A
Austrian student (native)
- Seeks purpose, social impact and work-life balance
- Bias against commission-based sales
- Unaware of Innendienst roles and insurance career paths
- Channel: LinkedIn, karriere.at, kununu and Indeed
Profile B
International / exchange student
- Requires English — language barrier is a dealbreaker
- Needs specific products: travel insurance, phone insurance
- High mobility and openness to new professional experiences
- 43+ nationalities already inside Wiener Städtische — the fit exists
Field research hypothesis
Over 60% of respondents have never considered working at an insurance company, but over 70% would find it interesting after learning about the real benefits and culture — confirming that the problem is information, not incompatibility.
Field Research Results (n=31)
Partial responses from MU Leoben students, April 2026. 94% international, 84% aged 18–25.
2.5/5
avg. attractiveness
Confirms hypothesis
58%
would NOT consider
scored 1–2 out of 5
74%
'Boring/Traditional'
dominant perception
81%
never saw WS on campus
Visibility = zero
94%
are international
Language barrier is real
What would make it more appealing?
Modern / startup vibe
55%
Tech paths (AI, Risk)
48%
High-tech tools & software
48%
Transparent entry salary
45%
Grad program + rotations
39%
What students say
"It's boring for me. I prefer to help people in a better way."
Electronic Engineering, Brazil
"Just not technical enough — I want AI, Risk Engineering."
Industrial Engineering, Mexico
"I don't really know this career — maybe help other people."
Materials Engineering, Austria
"The resilient nature of the sector and its fundamental role in the economy."
Computer Science, Brazil — scored 5/5
Hypothesis confirmed
81% never saw WS on campus. 94% are international students who can't access German-only content. The problem is not the company — young people simply don't know it exists, or what it offers.
Data
Company Data (2008–2024)
A financially strong company — but with an age structure that demands urgent action on young talent.
€3.6B
Premium volume 2024
+39% since 2008
3,913
Employees (2024)
28.9%
Staff over 50 years
Succession crisis
50%
Women on Board (2021)
Parity achieved
43+
Nationalities
90%
Parental leave return rate
Succession Crisis Alert
With 1,107 employees over 50 (28.9%) and 762 with more than 25 years at the company (19.9%), Wiener Städtische will face a retirement wave in the next 10–15 years. Attracting young talent is a strategic necessity — not just a diversity initiative.
Premium volume 2008–2024
In millions EUR, by segment
Employee age distribution
Current structure (2024)
Annual turnover by age group
% of staff leaving per year
Employees by type (2009-2024)
External sales vs. internal service
Salary ratio: avg. employee vs. Board
The gap is narrowing - an equity signal
Sales productivity (EUR M in premiums/salesperson)
+46% productivity growth since 2009
Proposal
The 3 Integrated Initiatives
Each initiative addresses a specific gap — together they form a coherent funnel from awareness to retention.
01
Social Media — Multi-platform + Versicherung von innen Campaign
Activate LinkedIn as the primary recruitment channel with inclusive, bilingual language (DE + EN). A short video series 'Versicherung von innen' on LinkedIn, Reels and TikTok featuring young employees — script based directly on field research. Accessibility built-in: automatic captions, audio description and transcripts on all videos. Multi-platform reach across different profiles, nationalities and abilities.
02
Purpose — The insurance that enables memories to be made
Young people see insurance companies as contract sellers. We want them to see WS as the company that enables people to live fully — without fear that an unexpected event destroys everything. That is what WS employees do every day. This initiative creates a dual campaign: external, for candidates (videos with real employees showing real impact); and internal, to reconnect every employee with the purpose behind their work.
03
Gamified Onboarding Platform
A digital environment replacing formal reports with interactive virtual experiences adapted to the language and habits of 18–35 year olds. Translates abstract insurance concepts into gamified experiences that build competence and belonging. See section 09 for full details.
Why this set of initiatives is different
Most employer branding campaigns communicate what the company wants the market to believe. This proposal starts from the opposite: first we listened to young people, then used real data and authentic voices to correct perceptions. The campaign does not invent a new image — it makes what already exists visible. And ensures that message reaches everyone — regardless of visual or hearing ability, language or background.
Social Inclusion of the Campaign — Universal Accessibility
The campaign is only truly inclusive if it reaches all people — regardless of visual impairment, hearing impairment, native language, nationality, race or any other characteristic. Every piece of communication is developed with accessibility as a requirement, not an option.
Visual Impairment
Audio description on all videos. Alt-text on images and infographics. WCAG AA contrast compliance on all digital materials. Plain text version of all reports and documents.
WCAG 2.1 AA
Hearing Impairment
Captions on all videos (DE + EN + other languages). Full transcript available. Sign language version (ÖGS/ASL/other) for key pieces. No audio-only content.
ÖGS · ASL · LIBRAS
Different Nationalities & Languages
Base communication in DE + EN. Videos with subtitles in additional languages (PT, TR, SRB, HR) reflecting the 43+ nationalities inside the company. Diverse employees from all backgrounds as the faces of the campaign.
43+ nationalities
Race, Ethnicity & Diversity
Diverse cast of ambassadors and video protagonists — representing different races, ethnicities and backgrounds. Neutral and inclusive language in all job listings. Stories that reflect diverse life and career profiles.
ERG all colours · FRiDA
♿
Materials adapted for PwD
📝
Transcripts in all formats
🌐
Multilingual (DE, EN + others)
🎬
Diverse employees from all backgrounds
🤝
Sign language in key pieces
Initiative 02 — Purpose
Purpose — The insurance that enables memories to be made
This is not a marketing campaign. It is a shift in perspective about what it means to work in insurance — and why it matters, both for those already inside and for those who don't yet know the company.
The narrative shift
Today, young professionals see insurance companies as contract-selling businesses. We want them to see Wiener Städtische as the company that makes it possible for people to live fully — without fear that an unexpected event will destroy what they've built. Without insurance, people don't take the trip, don't start the business, don't buy the house. With the right insurance, they live. That is what WS employees do every single day — and they should be proud of it.
21%
of employees engaged globally
Gallup, 2026
90%
say meaningful work is a top-5 motivator
WorkTango, 2026
7.5%
annual turnover of employees under 30
Wiener Städtische, 2025
What the campaign does
For external candidates
Shows that working at WS is about impacting real lives — not selling policies. Videos featuring real employees telling how their work made possible a family's first big trip, a business launch, or the calm of someone who lost everything in a fire. Content in DE + EN to reach the 43+ nationalities inside WS.
For current employees
Internal campaign that reconnects employees with the real impact of their work. Every policy signed represents a person who will be able to take that trip, launch that business, or have the security to raise their children. The work is not trivial — it is what allows people to live without fear.
Success cases — purpose-driven employer campaigns
Microsoft — "Empowering Us All"
Purpose-centred employer brand campaign
Replaced corporate communications with authentic employee stories showing how their work impacts people worldwide. The 'Skills for Jobs' initiative redefined the narrative from 'tech company' to 'company that develops people'. Result: significant increase in quality applications and global recognition as top employer — directly tied to purpose-driven messaging.
Salesforce — "Equality for All"
Purpose + diversity as employer brand
Salesforce built its employer brand around real social impact — the 1-1-1 model (1% of product, equity and employee time donated). Result: rated above 4.0 on Glassdoor, recognised as Best Place to Work for multiple years, attracting candidates who already align with the company's values before applying.
Patagonia — "Don't Buy This Jacket"
Radical purpose narrative = real result
By communicating the company's PURPOSE rather than its products, Patagonia saw sales grow 30% in the 9 months following the campaign and reach $1 billion by 2017. Most relevantly for WS: Patagonia became one of the world's most desired employers, with candidates queuing to work there precisely because the company has a clear, lived purpose.
What WS can apply directly
Microsoft, Salesforce and Patagonia did not invent new values — they made existing ones visible. Wiener Städtische already has: 50% women on the Board, 90% parental leave return rate, 43+ nationalities, nearly 200 years protecting Austrian families. The problem is not what the company does — young people simply don't know. This campaign does not create a new narrative. It delivers the real one — to the right channels, through the voices of those who already live it.
Initiative 04 — Retention
Gamified Onboarding Platform
The initiative that sparked the most interest: replacing formal reports with interactive experiences that build competence, belonging and purpose from day one.
Why it works — what global data tells us
Gamification is not a trend — it is applied behavioural science. Companies that gamify onboarding consistently report lower turnover, higher productivity and employees who reach full potential faster.
50%
faster to full productivity
Deloitte Leadership Academy
47%
lower employee turnover
Deloitte, gamified onboarding
74%
higher job satisfaction
Gallup, 5,000 workers · 2023
83%
candidates prefer gamified companies
TalentLMS, job candidates
Platform prototype — desktop view
How the WS Learn platform would work in practice. Inspired by the George app (Austrian bank) and Duolingo's aesthetic.
Success cases — corporate gamification
Global companies that implemented gamification in training and onboarding — with measurable, verified results.
🎓
Deloitte
Leadership Academy · Global consulting
Training completion time
−50%
Daily returning users
+46.6%
New hire turnover
−47%
Badges, leaderboards and status symbols in the leadership programme. Clear professional growth paths — same model proposed for WS Learn.
☁️
Salesforce
Trailhead · CRM · Global
User engagement
+32%
Knowledge retention
+60%
Employee satisfaction
80%+
Trailhead: badges and points across learning trails. Users learn by doing — exactly the model proposed for WS Learn.
🦉
Duolingo for Business
Corporate L&D · Language training
DAU growth (year-on-year)
+36%
Churn reduction (2020→2024)
47%→28%
Global daily active users (2025)
47.7M
Streaks, social leagues and loss-aversion notifications. The same daily habit-formation model — applied to corporate insurance learning.
SAP — Gamification for Learning (10,000 sales reps)
+15%
sales quota attainment
−24%
onboarding time
80%
internal satisfaction
SAP gamified sales training with points, rewards and team challenges. Direct evidence that gamification works in a financial services corporate context — highly relevant for Wiener Städtische.
The corporate gamification market
+300%
Hilton: job applications via gamified recruitment
97%
Fortune 500 companies use gamification
83%
candidates prefer gamified companies (TalentLMS)
$30.7B
gamification market size by 2025
Gamification is mainstream. Hilton tripled applications using it in recruitment. Being the first Austrian insurance company with a gamified onboarding platform would be a real competitive differentiator.
Platform architecture — 4 modules
01 The Lobby — Design & Identity
Minimalist WS-red interface. Personalised greeting, customisable dashboard, single Daily Mission in generous typography. Inspired by Austrian bank George app.
02 The Practical Journey — Experiential Learning
Instead of PDFs, interactive decision simulations with realistic fictional clients. Correct choices: green highlight + satisfying sound. Incorrect: friendly coaching messages that teach rather than penalise.
03 Engagement Mechanics — Microinteractions & Dopamine
Responsive buttons, rounded checkboxes, discreet confetti on completion. Circular progress bars and streaks inspired by Duolingo's habit-formation model — making daily learning a natural routine.
04 Ethical Gamification — No toxic competition
Hyper-competitive individual leaderboards replaced by Team Challenges that unlock company donations to social causes. Achievement Tree based on Self-Determination Theory: Autonomy, Competence, Belonging. Every module ends connecting learning to real customer impact.
Micro-Recognition Bonus System
Current systems reward tenure. Young employees feel excluded when the benchmark is 20+ years of service. The proposal: recognition at early career milestones — integrated directly into the gamification platform.
| Milestone | Achievement | Reward |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Complete gamified onboarding modules | Digital badge + welcome kit |
| Month 1 | First policy signed | €50 bonus + team celebration |
| Month 3 | First renewal converted | €100 bonus + leaderboard badge |
| Month 6 | First client referral activated | €150 bonus + senior recognition badge |
| Month 12 | Full first year completed | €300 bonus + growth review |
Equality in practice
A 22-year-old who joined last month and signed their first policy earns recognition equivalent in significance to a veteran's annual award — just at a different scale. Progress is visible, celebrated and incremental. No one waits years to feel seen.
Impact
Impact Logic & KPIs (12 months)
How each initiative generates measurable impact — and how success will be measured.
| Indicator | Metric | Baseline | Target (12 months) | Initiative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LinkedIn followers + platform presence | Absolute volume | 10,652 | 20,000+ | 01 |
| Applications via digital platforms | % of total | ~0% | >30% | 01 |
| Applications in English | Volume/month | Not tracked | +50/month | 01 04 |
| Young applications (18–27) | % of total | — | +25% YoY | 01 |
| Video campaign reach | Total views | — | 500K views | 01 |
| Sector perception | % considering insurance careers | — | +30 p.p. | 01 |
| Work engagement (internal eNPS) | Quarterly pulse survey | Baseline to define | +15 pts eNPS (12 months) | All |
| Employer NPS (students) | Survey score | — | +20 pts | All |
| Young retention (≤30 yrs) — Turnover | Annual turnover rate | 7.5% | <5% | 03 |
| Gamification DAU | Daily active users | — | >60% new hires | 03 |
| Inclusion — Views with audio description / transcript | % total views + PwD applications | 0 / 0 | >5% of views use accessible format + 10 PwD applications/month | 01+04 |
Attraction funnel: from awareness to hire
Each stage mapped to one or more initiatives
Roadmap
Implementation Roadmap (12 months)
From the lowest-cost, highest-immediate-impact initiatives to the long-term strategic actions.
Months 1–2 (Now)
Research & Audit
Complete field survey · Audit all platforms (LinkedIn, karriere.at, Indeed, StepStone) · Map demographic data · Validate with HR
Months 2–3
Asset Building
Activate LinkedIn + karriere.at + Indeed + StepStone · Bilingual job templates DE+EN · First campaign videos · University mapping
Months 3–4
Launch
Jobs on LinkedIn + karriere.at + Indeed + StepStone (DE+EN) · Video campaign · Onboarding beta
Months 5–12
Operation & Iteration
Weekly KPI monitoring · Continuous content production · Expand university partnerships · Data-driven adjustments · Scale gamification to all new hires
Month 12+
Evaluation & Scale
Impact report · Evaluate KPIs against 12-month targets · Decision on expansion to other Austrian regions
Central message of this proposal
The barrier between young talent and Wiener Städtische is perceptual, not structural. The company offers: 50% women on the board, 43 nationalities, 90% parental leave return rate, LGBTQ+ network, nearly 200 years of social purpose and steady financial growth. None of these assets are communicated where young people are. Our proposal does not invent a new narrative — it delivers the real narrative to the right channel, through the voices of those who live it.
"We don't just hire you — we grow with you."
Viability
Budget Forecast & Project Viability
The 3 initiatives were designed to maximise impact with progressive investment. Social Media and Purpose are low-cost and high-immediate-return.
| Initiative | Component | Est. cost (Year 1) | Type | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 · Social Media | Job postings: karriere.at + StepStone + LinkedIn Ads | €8,000 – €15,000 | Recurring | 🔴 Imediato |
| Video production (Versicherung von innen) — 6 episodes | €6,000 – €12,000 | One-off | 🔴 Imediato | |
| Social media management (weekly content) | €12,000 – €20,000 | Recurring | 🔴 Imediato | |
| Accessibility (captions, audio description, transcripts) | €2,000 – €4,000 | Recurring | 🔴 Imediato | |
| 03 · Purpose | Internal employer brand campaign (purpose & impact narrative) | €5,000 – €10,000 | One-off | 🟡 Médio prazo |
| Communication materials in multiple languages | €2,000 – €5,000 | One-off | 🟡 Médio prazo | |
| 03 · Retention | Gamified onboarding platform development (MVP) | €30,000 – €60,000 | One-off | 🟡 Médio prazo |
| Micro-recognition bonuses (milestones: up to €600/employee/year) | €600 × novos contratados | Variable | 🟡 Médio prazo | |
| Platform maintenance & support (per year) | €8,000 – €15,000 | Recurring | 🟡 Médio prazo | |
| TOTAL ESTIMATED YEAR 1 — 3 initiatives (excl. gamification platform) | €35,000 – €66,000 | |||
| TOTAL INCLUDING GAMIFICATION PLATFORM (MVP) — 3 initiatives | €65,000 – €126,000 | |||
Why the investment is viable — the return logic
Avoided turnover cost
€10,000 – €30,000 per employee
Estimated replacement cost of one young employee (recruitment + onboarding + productivity loss). Reducing turnover from 7.5% to 5% in a team of 200 young employees = 5 employees retained = €50,000–€150,000 saved per year.
Referral acquisition cost
€10 – €20 por apolice
The ambassador programme costs €10–€20 per activated policy — versus €100–€300+ per candidate via recruitment agency. 3–5× cheaper than paid advertising. Each policy generates recurring revenue through annual renewals.
Comparison: cost vs. immediate impact
Initiatives 01+02 = high impact, low cost
The Social Media and Purpose initiatives can launch with €20,000–€30,000 in Q1 — with no software development required. Impact on visibility and applications is immediate. The gamification platform (highest cost) can be phased in from month 3 onwards.
Viability conclusion
For a company with €3.6 billion in premium volume, an investment of €44,000–€144,000 in Year 1 represents less than 0.004% of revenue — less than the cost of hiring a single professional via a headhunter. The ROI is justified by turnover reduction alone, which can generate savings of €50,000–€150,000 per year.