Desperately seeking talent! But how can companies convince and retain potential candidates in the current battle for skilled labour? Well, Düsseldorf`s employer branding experts know that for many employees it is not so much social benefits that matter, but appreciation, opportunities to help shape the company and the chance to grow personally.

Sundermann & Palm has been the expert for paints, wallpapers, floor coverings and tools for exactly one hundred years. As a wholesaler, the company primarily supplies painting companies and other commercial and private customers with utensils. A hundred years during which colours and materials have changed. The basis for the success of "SUPA", however, remains the same: a close relationship with the customer.

Almost 8 million people with severe disabilities live in Germany - that corresponds to over 9 per cent of the total population. Inclusion is therefore no longer a niche topic, but should be on the agenda of every company that takes diversity and social participation seriously.

Rarely have HR managers and recruiters had such a challenging job. The reason being that the baby boomer generation is retiring and is followed by much smaller generations. The inevitable consequence is that the labour force in Germany is shrinking. According to the study "Future. Work. Today. A guide to the world of work in 2030", conducted by the Düsseldorf based job platform Stepstone together with the Handelsblatt Research Institute, there will be around ten million fewer people in employment in Germany by 2050 alone than there are today. We are therefore looking at a time in which people will become a critical economic factor. This makes efficiency and smart ideas in the labour market all the more important today and in the future - we have once again selected three of them for you. Here are the start-ups AIMMO, netsome and yakha.