Every firm is striving to get the best employer status. Such firms, therefore, focus on not only recruiting but also engagement of the talented human resource. The issue of employer branding and its effect on worker perceptions has attracted significant interests from various studies and researches. This research aims to find out the impact that employer branding has had on the engagement of employees. Different research has explored the pros of being “an employer of choice” and reports that the branding of leaders will positively contribute to the performance of the company. A comprehensive literature review of contemporary and significant contributions to the concern was performed, and different themes within employer branding literature were identified.
The subjects included the culture of the organization, training and induction, brand values, internal brand communication, brand values, benefits and rewards, and management of the employer brand. General evaluation of the literature review illustrates that employer branding is incorporated into the firm and the different employer features, together with the culture of the firm, holds value for workers and contributes to their employment in the organization. The findings plus some previous studies coherently conclude that employer branding does not have a specific impact on worker engagement.
Scope for future studies could involve the use of quantitative research, testing the designed ideal framework, and discuss in details the major themes identified within retail employer branding to recognize the brand with the most valued attributes. This study seeks to investigate and illustrate the underlying shifts in employer branding in talent attraction and engagement all over the world. The research strives to discover the way in which firms can attract potential talent and maintain the existing expertise using various employer-branding factors. The study looked at factors such as age, race, gender, and employment status of the current employers. The major findings of the study there are various aspects driving employer branding, and these values are identified in the order of importance.
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Competition of skilled labour has intensely increased in developed nations, and talented workers vote with their feet. Firms operating in very competitive markets should be alert and establish strategies so that they can become the employer of choice. In the recent past, “brand management" does not only mean creating the best client experience but also centres on internal marketing and branding. Researchers talk about employer brand management as the shaping energy behind the culture of a firm. Worker’s brand experience is incorporated in the firm’s Remarketing and control and involves how all the steps of worker’s experience is aligned with the ethics and ethos of the company (Sutherland, Torricelli & Karg, 2002). The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the process of what makes a person attracted to a particular organization to the extent that the person decides to apply for a job in that firm or accepts a job offer for that specific firm. In addition, the research aims to investigate whether the congruencies and incongruences in employee perception before and after joining the workplace have effects on their engagement.
The rationale of this research study stems from the fact that employees are now the most prized asset that any company can have, aside from the other physical resources and assets of the company. The reason for this assertion is that the employees are the ones that a company uses to turn their resources into valuable products and services for sale to their target markets. In this regard, without the right workers, a company risks losing its market competitiveness as well as running into gave losses that may lead the company into bankruptcy (Tanwar & Prasad, 2016). Such a situation would be characterised by wasted resources, lack of efficiency and effectiveness in the allocation and utilization of corporate resources, as well as poor market margins characterised by low sales volumes. The only way for the company to escape this business risk is by equipping itself with the right workers, which entails both attraction and retention of the best talents in the workforce.
The first step for the company to ensure that it attracts and retains the most skilled labour force in the market is through employer branding, which entail presenting itself to its potential and current workers as the best employer in the market. The results obtained from an effective employer branding strategy include attraction of the best talents in the job market, which the company requires to facilitate the achievement of its goals and objectives (Wilden, Gudergan & Lings, 2010). This is because these job seekers will be looking forward for an opportunity to work with the company because of its reputable employer brand reputation, and as such, would turn down other employment offers in anticipation to be hired by their dream firm. In the same regard, once these employees get hired by the company, they will not want to leave the company for another employer, at least until their retirement because they are fully satisfied with their current job positions. This is beneficial to the company in the sense that it gets to attract and retain the best workforce talent in the market, thereby gaining a competitive edge over other industry players.
Competition in the labour markets has intensified because of liberalization and globalization, resulting in the increase in the war of talents. Besides, employment and engagement of new talent have been crucial in the development and growth of a firm. This is because human capital tends to create value for the organization and improves the performance of the organization. Employer branding has therefore recently drawn significant attention. Factually, it is essential to recognize the connection between employer brand and worker’s retention as a strategy of retention management (Botha, Bussin & De Swardt, 2011). As such, it is notable that employer branding plays a critical role in attraction and retention of talented people, and because only a few studies have investigated the connection between employer and workers' retention, there is a theoretical gap in this field, and this kind of relationship should be carefully investigated through research.
CHAPTER TWO: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
2.1. Introduction
The primary objective of the research study is to examine the impact of employer branding on the engagement and attraction of employees. The paradigmatic approach that best suits this undertaking is the qualitative methodology. The exploratory nature of the qualitative methods makes it an essential tool for investigating underlying opinions, thought patterns and motivation (Hammarberg Kirkman and De Lacey 2016, p. 499). It brings to light new trends at the workplace in the process of developing hypotheses that can aid quantitative research in the future. Moreover, it enhances a clear interpretation of the complex aspects of human behaviour such as attitudes, motivations, and intentions. In qualitative methodology, individual opinion rather than consensus is the basis upon which the conclusion is pinned. To draw conclusive meaning from personal opinions, qualitative methods employ in-depth interviews and focus groups. Therefore, with a qualitative research approach, this dissertation can succeed in ascertaining the effect of employer branding on employee attitude and motivation.
The methodology section of this study entails the research design, the appropriateness of the research design, the data collection, sampling procedures, a study of the population and the analysis.
2.2. Paradigmatic Approach
According to Kuhn, “the term paradigm refers to a research culture with a set of beliefs, values, and assumptions that a community of researchers has in common regarding the nature and conduct of research. A paradigm is a ‘worldview’ about how things work.” (Kuhn, 1974) As such a paradigm is the conceptual framework that dictates all aspects of a research study. The choice of a research paradigm is strictly influenced by concepts of ontology (belief systems about social reality), epistemology (theoretical frameworks in place), axiology (ethics and values) and methodology (the best approach for systematic inquiry) (Kuhn, 1974).
Positivistic paradigm is commonly for quantitative methodology. On the other hand, a constructivist or interpretive model generally assumes a qualitative method. However, many instances occur where a researcher may opt for interpretive paradigm over the positivistic paradigm when using a quantitative methodology. On a closer look at actual beliefs of a researcher, it is apparent there is a thin line between the subjectivist view of qualitative analysis and the realist view of quantitative analysis. This gives the researcher a higher degree of freedom to model their paradigmatic viewpoints that work best for the question under study. In the past, both quantitative and qualitative approaches were considered polar opposites resulting into ‘paradigm war’ (Thanh & Thanh, 2015). Nevertheless, the universal standpoint on the best methodology-paradigm fit has proven limiting and sometimes ineffective. Thus, with the freedom of choice, a researcher can now formulate their unique paradigmatic strategies based on the nature of the research question such as the theoretical perspectives of the topic, existing literature, and the ethics.
2.3. Research Design
The qualitative research approach comprises different methods that can be used. Using subjective interviews, the researcher investigates the impact of employee branding on shaping organizational behaviour. Consequently, the researcher opted to carry out semi-structured interviews as it enables the realization of depth by allowing the interviewer to enquire and expand the participants’ responses (Alshenqeeti 2014, p. 40). The researcher must maintain a checklist to ensure that all relevant areas were covered during the interview. Since there was at least one interviewee, similar questions bearing the same wording were asked to enable standardization. This approach was fitting as it allowed for the gathering of as much insight from the respondents as was possible.
The interviews were conducted on the phone, but the interviewer was only meant to guide the session thus allowing the interviewee enough time to respond to the questions. Each interview was scheduled for a maximum of one hour at this time was deemed enough. In the course of each session, after the respondent gave a response, a pause was allowed to give him or her more time to reflect and see if there were more details to share.
2.5. Formulating the Research Questions
Furthermore, the researcher had prepared 21 questions to ask during the interview (refer to Appendix A). Some aspects were helpful in the formulation of these questions. To start with, it was important that all questions be aligned with the research topic. Secondly, employer branding needed to measured. A strong employer brand is created by the experience of employees, as well as their value proposition. Measuring of employer branding would thus entail looking at the congruence or incongruence of the reality and expectations that the employee had. Thirdly, it was necessary to measure attraction, and it entailed seeking the reasons persons had chosen to apply. Lastly, the measuring of engagement was important as well, and the questions to be asked were based on the Utrecht Work Engagement Survey (Schaufeli and Bakker 2003, p. 5). The research exercise occurred in three different stages: the pilot stage to test the methods, the actual data collection, and the data analysis phase.
The following table categorises the questions based on what they are supposed to measure.
Table 1: Categorisation of Questionnaire Questions
The Meaning Attached to Employer Branding
Perceived Employer Brand before Joining the Company
Perceived Employer Brand after Joining the Company
Feeling of Attraction to Work for the Employer
Feeling of Engagement at the Current Organization
QUESTION 1
This question gauges the level of understanding of the interviewees on employer branding including the different elements.
Q5 and Q6
Question 5 seeks to determine the expectations held by the subjects on employer branding before they began working with their current company.
Q6 asks the subjects whether they identified with organisation’s vision, identity and culture before joining the organisation
Q2, 3 4
Q2 determines the perception of the subjects after joining their current company. Q3 tests how strong the employer brand is promoted. Q4 seeks to find out the subject’s opinion regarding how the employer brand is perceived differently both internally and externally.
Questions 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13.
These questions seek to interrogate the subjects on all the factors why they chose their current employer. The includes: reputation(Q10), prestige(Q9), competitors(Q13), factors for choice(Q12), brand image(Q11)
These are questions 14 to 21
Measures factors of engagement such as vigour, dedication, opportunity for further career development
2.6. Research Design
The researcher opted to carry out semi-structured interviews as it enables the realization of depth by allowing the interviewer to enquire and expand the participants’ responses (Alshenqeeti 2014, p. 40). Workers are the most suitable source of information on how the presence or absence of employer branding and the perceived employer brand affects them. Semi-structured interviews were thus appropriate in the collection of information.
2.7. Pilot Stage
The pilot stage of the study was carried out amongst a small section of the initial subjects. The institution was selected due to its flexible policy that permits researchers to conducted research activities within their institutions with minimal bureaucratic inhibitors. Furthermore, they do not limit the participation of their employees in such exercises. During the pilot study, ten volunteers were interviewed. Selection procedures that were utilized were majorly based on convenience due to the tight working schedules and the minimal time available for the pilot study. Nonetheless, the researchers made sure that employees from different age groups, gender, years of experience, and ethnicity were represented in the pilot sample. The pilot phase was meant to fulfil the following goals:
i. To preview main aspects of branding that influence employees attitudes. This enabled the researchers to emphasize the most significant factors that affected employee happiness instead of the mild ones.
ii. To provide the ideal opportunity for testing the reliability of the different data collection instruments during the actual data collection. For instance, the phone call recorders were tested for their ability to record over-the-phone interviews in an audible manner that allowed for further analysis.
iii. To enable the researcher, recognize the key variables involved in the complex relationship between employer branding and employee motivation behaviour and attitude,
iv. To enable the researchers, develop the preliminary hypothesis that would guide the following activities within the research process
2.8. Instrumentation
The study utilized various tools to collect data. The Smartphones provided the platform over which the interview took place. Specialized features of the phone such as video calls enhanced that the exchange between the researcher and the respondent was optimal. The social media mobile applications such as WhatsApp enhanced further follow-ups on the subjects. At the same time, the Smartphones used by the researchers had voice-recording features that enabled phone call recording during the interviews. The researchers further needed a mobile application to aid in the transcription of the recorded phone calls, especially where the subject had heavy accents. The data obtained was then sent to a desktop computer for analysis.
2.9. Data Collection
For the best outcome, the research comprised of both primary and secondary data. The qualitative nature of the study necessitated reliance on primary sources more than secondary sources. The primary data provided the much-needed first-hand information that formed the basis of the study. The chief primary source involved conducting interviews with the respondents to ascertain their opinions concerning employer branding. Meanwhile, the secondary sources represented the underlying theoretical frameworks and works from different authors that expound on employer branding.
The data to be used in this paper was collected from the interviews of 9 employees who were randomly selected. The intended sample had been 15 persons, but 6 of them dropped out at this stage due to various reasons. These interviews were conducted via phone calls and recorded for purposes of comprehensive data collection. The usage of over-the-phone interviews instead of the workplace interviews ensured that the employees were more comfortable. It was also less costly as the interviewer would not have to travel to each interviewee’s office.
The intended target had been fifteen persons, but six of them dropped out at this stage. For the nine that agreed to take part in this study, the session continued, and the interviewer indicated that recording had commenced. A particular guideline was followed to ensure that all the questions were asked thus ensuring that the interviews were successful. Several questions were thus prepared and asked during each session (refer to Appendix A). Once the session was done, the tape recorder was stopped. The interviewee was then thanked for his or her input besides being asked if he or she had any questions. Finally, each of them was asked for a referral to any other employee that would likely welcome the idea of taking part in the study.
2.10. Sampling Procedures
Snowball sampling was done in this study. The researcher knew of two employees that would not object to taking part in the interviews. Once the interview questions had been dealt with, the researcher asked for a referral. The researcher would then follow up with every new person, and the interview was then conducted. Each new respondent requested more referrals. This step of asking the respondents to refer other people was repeated until the desired sample of 9 participants was achieved.
A particular procedure was also followed whereby the researcher established a specific eligibility criterion that needed to be followed. Firstly, each interviewee needed to be between 24 years and 30 years. Secondly, each respondent needed to be an employee. Thirdly, it was important that each person to have worked for his or her current employer for at least three months to ensure that he or she had adequate knowledge about the organization. Lastly, it was necessary that the employee be willing to participate in the interview. Any person that failed to meet any of these conditions was exempted from the study.
Snowball sampling has some unique advantages that made it convenient for the study. In research scenarios where the reputation of the organization is under scrutiny, very few employees agree to be interviewed for fear of the potential ramifications — the fear that criticism of the employers may lead to severe consequences. The aforementioned fear for participation can result in the shortage of interviewees thereby hampering the research study. Snowball sampling mitigates the issue through restoring the confidence of the participants on the benefits of the study and reassuring them of their confidentiality.
The disadvantage of snowball sampling is that determining the sampling error becomes problematic. The chain referral that characterizes snowball sampling effectively places the researcher at the backseat while making key sampling decisions. Consequently, the researcher is unable to tailor-make a sample that suits the specific needs of the researchers. However, for this research, such risks were insubstantial due to the relatively small sample size. The researcher exercised due diligence in assessing the suitability of each participant and weigh the bias in the responses. Since the projected advantages far surpassed its disadvantages, the researcher chose snowball sampling for this study.
2.11. Population
The target population refers to the group of individuals that the research endeavours to investigate their behaviour pattern and make meaningful conclusions out of the findings. A sample is the representative portion of the population that is subjected to analysis by the researcher. The population for this particular experiment entailed nine subjects who volunteered to offer information. All of the subjects were taken from different countries across Europe. Subject 6 was a 30-year-old Norwegian currently working in Norway. Subject one was of Spanish origin currently working in Spain. Subject 2 was a 23-year-old Spaniard currently employed in Spain. Subject 3 was 30-year-old Spaniard currently working in the UK. Subject four was a 29-year-old Spanish national currently working in Spain. Subject 5 was a 24-year-old Spaniard currently working in Switzerland. Subject seven is a Spanish national currently working in the UK. Subject eight is a 25-year-old Polish national currently working in Spain. Subject 9 is a 32-year-old Irish working within the UK.
2.12. Background of the Interviewees
The researcher comprised of nine subjects all of whom differed in age groups, job grades, experience and occupation. Three of the participants were in their mid-twenties while the rest were in the thirties. Some of the participants had only a few years of experience, and as such, had lower job grades while others had more than ten years of practice under their belts. The fact that the respondents worked for different multinational corporations proved a vital aspect of understanding employer branding. The sample group consisted of employees of organizations that spearheaded intensive employer branding campaigns as well as organizations that carried out little employer branding activities. The difference in the years of experience amongst the employees helped demonstrate how employer-branding perception differed with duration at the workplace. Employees that were new in the job market had more expectations on the employer branding than their more experienced counterparts who had embraced the undesirable conditions. On the other hand, the interviewees were from different geographical backgrounds that ensured the study was a complete representation of the impacts of employer branding on employees regardless of the locality.
2.13. Validity and Reliability
The validity of this method was guaranteed in the approach used. The interviewee was allowed to talk most of the time while the interviewer was only meant to post the questions thus making sure that the latter’s attitudes did not influence the former in any way. Additionally, no leading questions were asked. The method is also reliable as similar findings can be achieved if another researcher was to post the same questions to workers.
Ascertaining rigor for this qualitative project is a complex undertaking since no standardized threshold for measurement exists. The tests for measuring validity and reliability in quantitative research are inapplicable to this project. There exists an ongoing debate on whether such techniques for evaluation such as validity and reliability can be useful for qualitative research. However, the credibility of these qualitative findings can still be tested through a systematic process on inquiry. The first step entails developing workable strategies that can facilitate such measurements of credibility. For instance, the researchers accounted for the personal bias that may have led to inaccurate results. Providing a reasonable room for such error ensures that the findings are a more accurate reflection of the reality.
Secondly, the researchers ensured consistency in data interpretation in congruence with the flow in decision making — the clarity in thought processes as portrayed within this work further function to enhance its credibility. Moreover, responses from the subjects were represented in a comprehensive description that preserved their authenticity. The work of this research was completed after extensive consultation with other researchers who have conducted studies in the same file to gauge the reproducibility of the data and to compare findings to identify anomalies and also minimize bias. On the other hand, the researcher invited the participants to review the transcripts and comment on the conclusions of the work. Though this, the subjects were able to inform the researchers whether the findings are the actual representation of the employer branding as perceived by the employee.
2.14. Ethical Considerations
This research was done in a manner that ensured compliance with ethical standards. Firstly, consent was necessary before each interview session could go on whereby each of the interviewees had to give written consent that was sent it the respondents through email. The written consent form contained the terms and conditions that each respondent had to read, understand then accept. The terms and conditions encompassed all the international ethical standards that characterize all qualitative research. Also, the consent form highlighted the nature of the information required by the researcher findings.
The confidentiality clause within the form stipulated that the all the sensitive information collected from the client would not be disclosed to any other party unless under an order form the court. On the other hand, the identities of the respondents offering any information deemed to be controversial would be disguised to offer maximum protection during the release of the results of the study.
Each interview session began warmly with exchange of pleasantries to create a good rapport between the interviewer and the interviewee. The interviewer emphasised to the interviewee that his or her participation in the researcher study was purely voluntary, and as such, had to request his or her consent before proceeding further with the interviews, whereby the interviewees gave their verbal approval (Saunders, Lewis & Thornhill, 2009). In addition, each interviewee was made aware that the interview was being recorded for purposes of data collection and analysis, and as such, their contributions would be handled with confidentiality. Furthermore, the interviewers also assured the interviewees of maintaining their anonymity when publishing their contributions to the research study.
In this regard, the above procedures show that the researchers were keen on upholding ethical principles of research, which focused on protecting the human subjects used as participants in the research study. As such, the above protocols ensured that the researchers upheld the principles of confidentiality and privacy of the research participants by keeping their identities anonymous, the principle of informed consent by requesting them to participate voluntarily in the research study, as well as the principle of beneficence, which entailed reducing all the risks due to participants. It embraced racial diversity in the choice of participants and also ensured gender parity. Minority groups such as the LGBTs were also afforded a chance of representation. Lastly, the researchers emphasized the principle of justice, which enhances the impact of the research on the community.
CHAPTER THREE: ANALYSIS & FINDINGS
After all the eight interviews were completed, the researcher transcribed each of the sessions. Transcription entails reproduction of the recorded data as a written account (Saunders Lewis and Thornhill 2009, p. 485).With the eight different documents, the researcher then conducted a thematic analysis as it helps in deducing clear themes from the qualitative data. This step entailed categorizing data whereby categories were developed with meaningful information attached to each of them (Saunders Lewis and Thornhill 2009, p. 492). Here, the researcher took up the role of doing the analysis. The first step entailed proofreading to ensure that no vital information is overlooked. Secondly, initial codes were created. Coding involves grouping data based on the similarities of ideas, opinions, and behaviour thus making it easier to determine patterns. Thirdly, the codes are integrated into predominant themes. Fourthly, the researcher confirmed that the themes were related to the research topic and that they made meaningful contributions to gaining a better understanding of employer branding. The identified themes then structured the findings (Shah, 2011). The themes will help in seeing the cause and effect relationship between perceived employer branding, the independent variable, and the feeling of attraction and feeling of engagement, the dependent variables.
3.1. The Meaning Attached to Employer Branding
Employer branding was interpreted differently from one subject to the other. Nevertheless, all of the nine subjects associated employer branding with either some monetary benefits or conducive working conditions. According to subject two, employer branding entails the advertising and offers that each company uses on its current and potential employees to present it as an excellent place for one to work (Claes & Heymans, 2008). Several elements of employer branding were also shared. Firstly, there is the culture, which is influenced by a company’s objective. A focus on innovation, change, or optimal engagement of employees tends to affect the aspects that the employer promotes.
Subject 4 describes employer branding as personal marketing to improving professional business. The employers further elaborate on various aspects of employer branding such as working benefits and physical benefits. The rest of the subjects demonstrate the same comprehensive knowledge. However, the responses from the subjects also demonstrate a high expectation on employer branding. For instance, subject 1 shares an opinion that employer branding should provide the conditions that make the employees feel proud to be part of the company (Backhaus & Tikoo, 2004). Subject 1 explains, “I think social media is very important to have good Employer Brand and working conditions, like leaving early, providing health insurance, the possibility of bringing your pet to your office.” The high expectations that these employees place on employer branding are often in sharp contrast to the existing realities at their workplace, except for a few cases. It is this incongruence or congruence of expectations that dictate the employees’ level of job satisfaction.
Secondly, there is the economic value that employees derive from employer branding efforts. The economic value encompasses competitive remuneration: salaries, bonuses, health cover, high job security, and retirement benefits. The subjects demonstrate that an individual is often attracted to the employer that offers above average remuneration. Subject 3 says, “I guess it’s a combination of salary and other benefits you get…”
Thirdly, diversity value plays a significant role in employee choice of an employer. Diversity value is measured by the level of job satisfaction that employees harness from their tasks. It is an element of employer branding that is enhanced through specialization and division of labour and through delegation of duties. Subject 6 emphasizes the immense importance of having more challenging and exciting work tasks for the constant motivation of the employee.
3.2. Perceived Employer Brand before Joining the Company
Every subject had a different perception before and after being absorbed to labour market. The perception before joining the employer was mainly informed by the self-promotional aspects of employer branding. The researcher found out a direct correlation between the brand image and employee attraction. As such, employees were attracted to employers with the reputation for being the best place for ambitious emplo
