How LICHT continues to surprise with a personal approach
Even in a candidate market where shortages are the order of the day, LICHT consistently manages to make the right match between (digital) marketing and communication professionals and their clients. The success factor? Genuine attention and expertise. Time and again, that starting point proves to be the difference between success and failure. They are certainly successful; LICHT is growing! Growth means you also have to organize things smarter. That was the reason for LICHT to start collaborating with UP. In a conversation with partners Stefanie Kollen and Maartje van Mackelenbergh, they discuss their success, the collaboration, and the future of their organization.
It remains a candidate market in which LICHT does a great deal for their professionals. That is how they make the difference in this market. No matter what, in economic boom or downturn, there is one thing they never let go of: working with attention to the human side and expertise. Stefanie explains: "We consider that very important, and it starts very early in the process. We only approach people for the right assignments, and we try to get professionals on board based on what they truly want. Sometimes you have to think outside the box to help candidates open doors they otherwise would never have seen and surprise our clients with an unconventional match."
Personal contact
Maartje states: "It comes down to personal contact. That human side and genuine attention to the person determines whether you make a difference in this market or not. Many people talk about it, but what makes it work? It really starts with the right people on our team. As a consultant, you need to be empathetic and take an interest in people."
Genuine interest and knowledge of the field
LICHT holds fast to these values and stays very true to itself. As a result, they experienced significant growth, even during the pandemic. However, that growth did mean they had to restructure their processes. Stefanie indicates that the larger you get, the harder it is to maintain that personal and genuine attention. "By restructuring a number of processes, we make things easier for ourselves, but we never let go of the personal attention."
Furthermore, LICHT believes that specialists want to talk to specialists. For this reason, their expertise is crucial for a successful mediation. "We consider this very important, and together we ensure that our knowledge is always up to date."
I believe that you must always remain visible on both sides, the client side and the candidate side . The labor market is constantly in motion ; it remains a cycle.
Maartje van Mackelenbergh
Owner/Partner
Automate processes with Marketing Automation
LICHT has automated a number of processes with the help of UP. But with care. Stefanie explains: "We have been able to automate a number of things through Marketing Automation. We run structured campaigns with the goal of determining the availability of professionals."
Efficient conversation with candidates
Maartje adds: "We consistently get incredibly good responses to those campaigns! We used to do all of this manually by calling, emailing, and messaging. The great thing is that it helps us, but it also allows us to help our professionals in a very targeted way. This enables us to stay in touch with our candidates very efficiently and keep them in mind for the right assignments."
The right rhythm
Working with Marketing Automation has had to grow, and it took some searching to find the right rhythm, both with candidates and clients.
"Initially, we focused on the prospect side with Marketing Automation, and now our focus is more on the candidate side: Recruitment Marketing Automation. I believe that you must always remain visible on both sides. The labor market is constantly in motion; it remains a cycle. You also see a difference here between interim and permanent staff. Recruitment and selection is currently very challenging due to the shortage, and that will continue. However, interim staff are more sensitive to economic fluctuations. Therefore, staying visible is important. You shouldn't let that slacken."
Building your brand
The campaigns that LICHT structurally runs with UP always have two key pillars: making connections by sharing substantive content. Think of the successful SCHITTER sessions for marketing and communication professionals and the LICHT sessions for heads and directors of marketing & communication. But also conveying their values, the LICHT DNA. That which makes them unique. By continuously reaching out to both clients and professionals, they are building LICHT as a brand. Maartje states: "We have insight into how a client or candidate behaves on an individual level. That behavior also tells us how much connection they have with us as an agency. We use Marketing Automation for an invitation process for a knowledge event or launch campaigns to inform our clients about a recently available professional. This makes things easy for you instead of having to call 300 people. With insight into behavior, we can approach people, but only when they are ready. For us, it is important that it always retains the personal touch, in line with our values. And we succeed."
The LIGHT DNA
Finally, Stefanie states: "That is why professionals ultimately choose us, because of the human side and the maximum development opportunities we offer. That needs to be clear from the outset, also in the content we share. You can claim to be warm and personal, but you actually have to do it. I know that our professionals, clients, and business relations feel this way. This isn't just a garnish we add; it is truly in our DNA. We believe in this so strongly!"
Stefanie Kollen
Owner/Partner
Maartje van Mackelenbergh
Owner/Partner