Observed Signal · Nov 6, 2017 · Hiring · Source: OnlineMarketing.de · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Positive
Employee Development at Wunderman: Interview with Ines Zehner
Wunderman, one of the world's largest digital agencies with around 10,000 specialists globally, discusses its approach to recruitment and people development in an interview with Ines Zehner, Talent Acquisition Lead. Zehner oversees recruiting and employer branding for Wunderman's offices in Frankfurt, Munich, Berlin, Cologne, and Düsseldorf. The agency uses a broad mix of sourcing channels—career pages (Wunderman.de, KKLD.net), traditional job ads, social networks, university partnerships, career fairs, and active sourcing—with employee referrals via an 'Employee gets Employee' program and occasional external partners for specialized roles. The interview outlines a highly structured, multi-stage hiring process with uniform questions to enable candidate comparisons, thorough introductions to roles and culture, and fast, reliable communication. Some positions include employment tests with small case studies. Wunderman highlights employee development as a core philosophy and notes Centers of Excellence in Marketing Automation and Artificial Intelligence, plus Ramp-ups across international centers within the WPP network.
Insights into recruitment practices at a major global adtech/marketing agency; relevant to industry talent pipelines.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Wunderman is among the five largest digital agencies globally, with about 10,000 specialists.
- Ines Zehner serves as Talent Acquisition Lead for recruiting and employer branding across Frankfurt, Munich, Berlin, Cologne, and Düsseldorf.
- Recruiting channels include career pages on Wunderman.de and KKLD.net, job ads, social networks, university partnerships, career fairs, and Active Sourcing, plus 'Employee gets Employee' referrals.
- The hiring process is multi-stage and structured, using the same questions for all candidates, with Skype/phone/in-person interviews and occasional employment tests.
- Employee development is a core philosophy; Centers of Excellence exist for Marketing Automation and AI, with ramp-ups in international centers within the WPP network.
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