Employer Branding: A Critical Review and Future Research

Abstract

In the last two and half decades, employer branding as a discipline has grown significantly in terms of literature, events and awards. Also, according to various surveys and reports, employer branding has consistently appeared as one of the top human resource/talent trends in the last 5 years. The relationship between employer and employee has observed a paradigm shift in a dynamic and competitive talent market, and the standardised employee value proposition is longer valued. Increased use of social media, multiple communication platforms and the proliferation of third-party employer branding (TPEB) have posed new challenges for communicating an organisation’s employer brand. This article reviews significant literature to identify key emerging research themes and propose future research questions. Also, we make critical comments on the improper use of employer branding terminology and academic and practice silos.

Talent Management and Generation Z: A Systematic Literature Review through the Lens of Employer Branding

“…Employer branding (EB) has been proposed as an effective organisational strategy that differentiates an organisation from other competitors and allows it to gain competitive advantages in the labour market (Lievens and Highhouse 2003;Saini 2023). It is a concept in which marketing principles, particularly branding theories, are applied to the HRM.…”

“…It is also distinct from internal branding, which is more related to the company's brand awareness, especially when future employees apply to work for the company. EB is related to the differential effect that knowledge of the company's brand has on employee responses as a result of internal brand management (Saini 2023). In other words, EB can contribute to implementing internal branding in an organisation.…”