As the largest psychiatric care center in their region, OPZ Geel (Public Psychiatric Care Center) plays a crucial role in mental healthcare. But the organization also knows how to clearly distinguish itself as an employer. In this edition of Talentalks, they share how they develop their employer brand and which concrete approaches make a difference in practice.
🔹 What makes your organization unique as an employer?
"We are a government institution, which means we can offer employees benefits that are less common elsewhere. Staff especially value our broad package of fringe benefits and the flexibility to create their own schedules or work remotely."
"Additionally, we place great importance on workplace learning and personal development, so colleagues can continue to grow. All of this makes us an attractive employer for healthcare professionals."
🔹 How do you show your uniqueness to candidates or in campaigns?
"We use multiple channels: social media, our own job site, the VDAB website, and our employees sharing positive stories. On social media, we don’t just post vacancies but also highlight activities and events happening at OPZ. This gives candidates a sense of the warm atmosphere here. It works: our reach grows, we gain more followers, and our vacancies are shared more often."
"We also adjusted our job postings to what candidates find important. For example, we made them shorter and easier to read using bullet points and tailored them to appeal to a younger audience."
🔹 What feedback or market responses confirm that your approach works?
"We have the image of a warm, professional employer with many benefits, and we hear this from candidates as well. Internships are crucial for us: those who have a positive internship experience often choose to stay. The feedback from employees and candidates confirms that our approach works and provides valuable input to further strengthen our employer branding in the future."
This article was made possible thanks to the expertise and contribution of OPZ Geel.
📌 Discover how organizations work with HR and recruitment
In Talentalks, our clients share their experiences on topics such as recruitment, onboarding, technology, and culture.
This series provides inspiration and practical insights — directly from the experiences of our clients.
