The Munich startup Social Bee has recently launched a provocative advertising campaign across Germany. The temporary employment agency aims to actively integrate recognized refugees into the labor market and society. The Munich-based company's thesis is that refugee experiences create soft skills. The goal: Through the awareness campaign, Social-Bee wants to encourage companies to hire refugees.
“I don’t need pity, I need a job,”
says Zeray G. into the camera. And:
"I survived on a boat with 85 people. I'm a team player."
“Soft skills can come the hard way”
Together with Naser A., Bangalie K., and Qutayba N., he is the face of the Social-Bee campaign. The four protagonists share their personal refugee stories and their strengths – thus highlighting that applications from refugees deserve more attention. Because, as the campaign slogan states: 'Soft skills can come the hard way.'
With over 2,200 billboards and four films across Germany, the Munich-based social enterprise's project aims to draw attention to a glaring problem: More than 500,000 refugees in Germany are looking for work. Social-Bee's current campaign therefore aims not only to make job searches easier for refugees but also to encourage a change in thinking.
"The experience can turn into a strength. Once you have that in mind, you'll have to keep thinking about it. Even the next time you sit across from an applicant with a refugee background."
explained Maximilian Felsner, Co-Founder of Social-Bee, the idea behind the campaign.
Relieve companies of the fear of bureaucratic hassle
Co-founder Zarah Bruhn added:
"Many refugees tell us what they went through and how difficult it was. Yet they also say how proud they are of having made it. Most of them have emerged incredibly strong. Which can be a real opportunity for the job market."
The campaign draws attention to so-called “soft skills,” which are attributed to the harsh experiences of fleeing. Qutayba N. of days of interrogation by the Serbian police and then says confidently: “I am stress-resistant.”
However, many employers often don't even get to the point of getting to know the skills of refugees. Business owners are often afraid of the bureaucratic hassle that comes with hiring them.
Temporary work with a social focus
To effectively solve this problem, Social-Bee is reinventing the temporary employment model in a socially responsible way. As an intermediary employer, the social startup hires refugees for a maximum of one and a half years and employs them at its partner companies (e.g., Würth, Vollcorner, Krones). Social-Bee complements this with an integration program including German courses and more.
The goal is to prepare the refugees for the German labor market and to secure a placement with the client company or other employers as quickly as possible. Social-Bee itself also sets a good example for its internal employees: Trainee Mohammad A. from Afghanistan has been an integral part of the recruiting team since September 2017.
The campaign was realized pro bono in collaboration with director and photographer Olli Waldhauer, who has personally traveled refugee routes for other projects. Through dialogue with the four refugees, statements emerged that unvarnishedly reveal what it truly means to be a refugee and how difficult the path to Germany is.
No pity!
In Munich, these posters can be found in many places. They and the accompanying videos are intended to encourage the general public to rethink their approach.
“Refugees should not be viewed with pity, but as the strong personalities that many of them are,”
Zarah Bruhn summarizes the overall goal of the project.
“The more refugees get a chance on the German labor market, the better.”
Entrepreneurs and refugees can find all videos about the campaign and further information on the own campaign website.
