Exploring the Impact of Employer Branding on Intention towards Job Application: The Mediating Role of Social Media

Abstract

Research on Generation Z's career preferences and expectations is new because they are new to the labour market and have different personalities and interests than previous generations. This requires a different approach to recruiting and selecting jobs. HRD needs to understand the factors that motivate Generation Z to work and adjust the work environment to maintain its presence in the workforce. This research involved 172 respondents from Islamic universities in East Java. This study aims to explore the effect of employer branding on the intention to apply, which is mediated through social media. This study also uses SEM-PLS to answer the hypothesis. The finding is that Employer Branding can influence intention in applying for a job, but social media is not able to mediate the effect of employer branding on intention to apply; social media is at the same time new as an intervening variable.

The Influence Of Employer Branding and Social Media on Generation Z’s Job Application Intentions with the Mediating role of Company Reputation

“…This ultimately increases the company's attractiveness as an ideal workplace for Generation Z students, encouraging them to apply and join the organization. This study is supported by previous researchers, namely Khan (2024), Alifa & Sarasi (2023), and Erlinda & Safitri (2020), who stated that employer branding has a positive and significant effect on job application intentions. Kalińska-Kula (2021) also found that if a company succeeds in building positive employer branding, this can increase the attractiveness of the workplace for prospective employees and create positive magnetism that can encourage someone to want to be part of the organization.…”

“…The findings suggest that enhancing employer branding initiatives within a company leads to an associated increase in its reputation. This study is further corroborated by the findings of researchers Khan (2024), Silva & Dias (2022), Setiawan & Marginingsih (2021), who similarly emphasize the substantial impact of employer branding on a company's reputation. The research results of Verčič ( 2018) also show that organizations with strong employer branding have a higher reputation.…”