In many developed economies, changing demographics and economic conditions have given rise to increasingly competitive labour markets, where competition for good employees is strong. Consequently, strategic investments
in attracting suitably qualified and skilled employees are recommended. One such strategy is employer branding. Employer branding in the context of recruitment is the package of psychological, economic, and functional benefits
that potential employees associate with employment with a particular company. Knowledge of these perceptions can help organisations to create an attractive and competitive employer brand. Utilising information economics and signalling theory, we examine the nature and consequences of employer branding. Depth interviews reveal that job seekers evaluate: the attractiveness of employers based on any previous direct work experiences with the employer or in the sector; the clarity, credibility, and consistency of the potential employers’ brand signals; perceptions of the employers’ brand investments; and perceptions of the employers’ product or service brand portfolio.

Employer branding : strategic implications for staffrecruitment

The current literature on business models lies mainly in the literature on strategy and competitive advantage and focuses on their role as descriptors of actual phenomenon, often by reference to taxonomic categories. In this essay we explore how business models can be seen as a set of cognitive configurations that can be manipulable in the minds of managers (and academics). By proposing a typology of business models, that emphasises the connecting of traditional value chain descriptors with how customers are identified and satisfied, and how the firm monetizes its value, we explore how business model configurations can extend current work on cognitive categorization and open up new possibilities for organisation research.

Business models: A challenging agenda

The aim of this paper is to present a systematic literature revision (SLR) that shows the relationship between the concept of employer branding (EB) and talent management (TM). Based on the EB model proposed by Backhaus and Tikoo in 2004, and the macro-contingent model for talent management introduced in 2019 by King and Vaiman, we intend both to analyse the theory correlating the EB concept and TM, and to identify TM dimensions that are reflected on the EB concept. A systematic literature revision was carried out using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews (PRISMA) protocol in order to identify and sum up the most relevant studies of the last 10 years concerning these topics. Findings show that scientific literature on the subject grew considerably in the last four years, reflecting the rising concern over the creation of an employer brand at the organisational level. EB explores talent attraction and retention particularly, though, unexpectedly, is also becoming a concept explored by nations to attract a qualified workforce. Analysing selected articles, we may conclude that EB is clearly considered as a tool within the largest process of talent management.

Employer Branding as a Talent Management Tool: A Systematic Literature Revision

In this article, we draw on psychological contract theory to examine the influence of employees’ experiences on their ‘employer of choice’ recommendation and on signalling theory to examine the inf...

Do Employment Experience and Attractiveness Rankings Matter in Employee Recommendation? A Firm-level Analysis of Employers:

PurposeThis article explores how internal communication impacts happiness at work and intrapreneurship through the dimensions of communication climate and communication in meetings.Design/methodology/approachLiterature analysis and quantitative empirical data collection are used to achieve this study's purpose. The study employed a non-experimental, cross-sectional, explanatory design. A questionnaire of closed-ended questions was used, adapted from validated scales for measuring constructs, and apply to 156 employees of industrial, service and commercial companies in the Northeast of Mexico. The analysis techniques used included exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modelling.FindingsIn the descriptive analysis of the data, the authors find that 57.7% of the sample is satisfied with the communication climate, 28.85% moderately satisfied, and 13.47% dissatisfied. Regarding the levels of happiness at work, high (71.15%), medium (21.15%) and low (7.7%) levels were found. In intrapreneurship, high (67.31%), medium (26.92%) and low (5.77%) levels were found. The exploratory factorial analysis showed that the instrument was adequate for measuring the variables. Good correlations were also found between the items that make up each variable. Finally, the relationship between internal communication, measured by the dimensions of communicative climate and communication in meetings, and happiness at work was verified using the structural equation technique. The latter has a positive impact on intrapreneurship.Research limitations/implicationsThis article has some theoretical and methodological limitations like any other academic work. They would be interesting to address in future research. In this way, it is possible to empirical examine the variables of intrapreneurship, internal communication and happiness (Ravina-Ripoll et al., 2021c). The first is the study's cross-sectional design and data collection by a non-probabilistic sample, carried out in a single source. Both aspects mean that our study is not free of corresponding biases; this may result in the findings of the present work not being statistically correct. The second derives from the absence in the literature of structural equation modelling studies that analyse the constructs that make up the object of this academic work in a multidimensional way. However, although an influence I show between the variables, it is recommended to take the data with discretion. There is still a need for more empirical evidence to support these relationships before generalised results can be presumed. Despite the remarkable progress made in recent years in the literature on the three dimensions of this article, few scientific studies examine inferentially how internal communication and intra-entrepreneurship influence employees' happiness at work in today's digital society. The authors of this academic work consider it attractive for future research to address the analysis of internal communication strategic management models. It is a robust driver of intra-entrepreneurship and employee happiness in organisations (Galván-Vela et al., 2022a). In conclusion, from this heuristic perspective, companies can improve, on the one hand, their competitive position in the market. Their managers must cultivate an organisational culture that emphasises internal communication as a catalyst for innovation, employee loyalty, and productive efficiency. On the other hand, companies will be able to invigorate their corporate image to face the significant challenges in the globalised economy, thus to become sustainable, humane, ecological intra-entrepreneurial corporations (Galván-Vela et al., 2021a). It may lead to a more social, inclusive, prosperous and egalitarian ecosystem. In this way, it makes the culture of organisations around the pillars of happiness management, social marketing and the Sustainable Development Goals shine (Galván-Coronil et al., 2021).Practical implicationsThis section does not attempt to argue that internal communication and intrapreneurship constitute two intangible resources that improve organisations' productivity and collective happiness (Lee and Kim, 2022). However, it is necessary to clarify that the results achieved in this academic study show two fundamental aspects. The first is to invite managers of companies in the post-Covid-19 era to cultivate a culture based on happiness management. It makes internal communication a fast vehicle that exponentially boosts intrapreneurship, among other things (Castillo-Abdul et al., 2021). To this end, their strategic management models must carry out a diametrical shift in their innovation and internal communication actions. On the one hand, it allows for building loyalty among their creative talent. It does this by creating an organisational climate that encourages interpersonal relationships, the spirit of teamwork, collaborative participation, and disruptive thinking (Thelen and Formanchuk, 2022). On the other hand, promoting an ethical, assertive and empathetic leadership style proactively stimulates the commitment, trust and passion for the work of all members of the company (Men and Yue, 2019). The second is to emphasise implementing a constructive, friendly and positive intra-organisational language. In this way, it is dynamising the collective happiness of its human capital through the figure of the Chief Happiness (Jiménez-Marín et al., 2021b).Originality/valueIntrapreneurship, internal communication and happiness at work are topics of great interest in academic agendas in recent years. It is basically because these three dimensions, individually or jointly, have positive effects on the productivity of organisations. However, no research flow evidences our theoretical model proposed in this article. Therefore, there is a need for future studies that advance the literature in the area of business. In this way, we will have more data on how these constructs affect the life of organisations in the post-Covid 19 eras.

Mapping intrapreneurship through the dimensions of happiness at work and internal communication

Based on attribute research in marketing, importance-performance analysis (IPA) provides a useful analogy to examine employer branding concepts. The purpose of this paper is to use IPA to evaluate employees’ perceptions of important employer value proposition (EVP) attributes and their corresponding psychological contract fulfillment scores. IPA is applied to 40 EVP attributes and their corresponding EVP dimensions – “Economic Value”, “Development Value”, “Social Value”, “Work Value” and “Employer Reputation.” Further, the paper examines the difference between highly engaged and less engaged employees in their relationship to importance and fulfillment of the five EVP dimensions.,Data were drawn from information technology-business process management employees (n=520) in India through a questionnaire survey. The IPA matrix was used to plot the importance and fulfillment scores. Independent samples t-test was used to assess the difference between high and low engagement scores.,The results indicate that several EVP attributes fall within the “Concentrate Here” quadrant that requires more focus. With respect to EVP dimensions, social value needs focus; economic value received “Low Priority”; and work value and employer reputation are identified as “Potential Overkill.” The findings also suggest that, organizations should engage employees across all dimensions, by both prioritizing and fulfilling their obligations promptly.,The study highlights the need for HR practitioners and academicians to draw insights from attribute research in marketing to effectively devise the employer branding strategy of individual organizations.,This paper is the first of its kind to apply IPA to EVP attributes, which contributes to the growing literature on employer branding.

Importance-performance analysis as a tool to guide employer branding strategies in the IT-BPM industry

This study aims to expand the emerging body of literature on employer branding from the current employee perspective. It proposes that effective integrated communication helps an organization fulfill its employer value proposition or employment value proposition (EVP). A firm that fulfills its brand promise in terms of EVP will derive employee-based brand equity (EBBE) benefits. Integrated communication is effective when employees experience coordination and consistency in brand communication. This influences their perception of psychological contract fulfillment (in terms of EVP attributes), which results in positive employee behavior in the form of EBBE benefits.,The study draws insights from the signaling theory and psychological contract literature which is based on the social exchange theory. The literature on integrated communication, employer branding and internal branding was reviewed to propose the relationships between the variables of interest. Data was collected using a questionnaire survey on 520 employees from the information technology (IT)-business process management industry in India, which is a customer-oriented industry known for its exemplary employer practices.,The findings suggest that integrated communication effectiveness impacts the perceived fulfillment of EVP attributes and EBBE. Again, the fulfillment of the relational value dimension of EVP attributes partially mediates the relationship between integrated communication effectiveness and EBBE.,This study is one of the first to explore employees’ perception of integrated communication effectiveness and fulfillment in terms of EVP attributes as antecedents to EBBE.

Relationship between integrated communication effectiveness and employee-based brand equity – mediating role of psychological contract fulfillment

Employer brand strategy design and implementation are crucial for any organization, given the challenge of talent attraction and retention. Employer branding creates a sustainable relationship betw...

A Comprehensive Framework for Implementing an Effective Employer Brand Strategy

Purpose: The study attempts to extend the current scholarship in the field of employer branding. Integrated communication is about consistent communication that is synergistic through multiple communication channels. Employer branding activities that involve multiple internal communication channels aim to attract employees. The study proposes that the perceived impact of effective integrated communication in employer branding shapes employee attitude and hence employee attraction. Employee perception of the choice of communication channels is also proposed to have an impact on employee attraction. Design/methodology/approach: An exploratory qualitative study in the form of interviews and a preliminary survey was conducted in the first phase. The main study involved a questionnaire survey to empirically test the proposed hypotheses. The respondents were information technology–business process management (IT-BPM) employees (n = 520) in India. Findings: The direct and interaction effects of integrated communication and usefulness of communication channels on employee attraction within the organization were empirically validated to suggest a positive impact on employee attraction. Originality/value: The study extends the current body of knowledge on talent attraction to include present employees. Similarly, the study on integrated communication and its impact on employee attraction is an important addition to the literature on employer branding, internal communication and talent management, given the present coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) situation. © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited.

R. Deepa

Papers

Importance-performance analysis as a tool to guide employer branding strategies in the IT-BPM industry

Relationship between integrated communication effectiveness and employee-based brand equity – mediating role of psychological contract fulfillment

A Comprehensive Framework for Implementing an Effective Employer Brand Strategy

Is my employee still attracted to me? Understanding the impact of integrated communication and choice of communication channels on employee attraction