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Employer branding: employer attractiveness and the use of social media

Anne-Mette Sivertzen (School of Business and Social Science Buskerud University College Kongsberg Norway)
Etty Ragnhild Nilsen (School of Business and Social Science Buskerud University College Kongsberg Norway)
Anja H. Olafsen (School of Business and Social Science Buskerud University College Kongsberg Norway)

Journal of Product & Brand Management

ISSN: 1061-0421

Article publication date: 1 November 2013

46398

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this study is to investigate which factors employers should focus on in their employer branding strategies. The present study tested the employer attractiveness scale (EmpAt) and analysed relationships between dimensions in this measurement scale and the use of social media in relation to corporate reputation and intentions to apply for a job.

Design/methodology/approach

Electronic questionnaires were distributed to students at three higher education institutions in Norway. The proposed model is analysed on the basis of 366 responses related to three well-known Norwegian engineering firms.

Findings

The results indicate that several employer attributes are positive for corporate reputation, which again is related to attraction of potential employees. Specifically, the results suggest that innovation value, psychological value, application value, and the use of social media positively relate to corporate reputation, which in turn is positively linked to intentions to apply for a job. Psychological value, which is the strongest predictor, is also directly related to intentions to apply for a job. Furthermore, the validation of the EmpAt scale resulted in different dimensions than in the original study. New dimensions and a re-arrangement of indicators are proposed.

Originality/value

The research is original in the way it combines employer branding and social media, and this will be of value to employers in their recruitment processes.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

Revised paper submitted to the special issue of Journal of Product & Brand Management Post 8th Global Brand Conference of the Academy of Marketing's Brand, Corporate Identity and Reputation Special Interest Group (Oporto, Portugal)

Citation

Sivertzen, A.-M., Nilsen, E.R. and Olafsen, A.H. (2013), "Employer branding: employer attractiveness and the use of social media", Journal of Product & Brand Management, Vol. 22 No. 7, pp. 473-483. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBM-09-2013-0393

Publisher

:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2013, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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