Human Resource Management – NBS 2P3Y
Employer branding is now recognised as an important part of the HR Toolkit. Critically evaluate the ways in which organisations can use employer branding to stimulate recruitment.
Word Count: 1486
Date Submitted: 28/11/12
With the ever-increasing competition between rival organisations in their respective markets, it is becoming vital for firms to explore all options available to them to gain a competitive advantage. Firms are continually searching for - and finding - new ways of gaining the upper hand. Naturally, the best employers want to have the best employees working for them, in order to have the best possible product or service produced or delivered on behalf of them. It is seen as “winning the war on talent” (Ulrich 1997) as ultimately the most attractive company will get a higher amount of interest shown to their business. Employer attractiveness can be defined as “the envisioned benefits that a potential employee sees in working for a specific organisation” (Berthon et al., 2005), and to ensure that their business appears attractive to potential employees, they can use employer branding.
Employer branding can be defined as “a targeted, long-term strategy to manage the awareness and perceptions of employees, potential employees, and related stakeholders with regards to a particular firm” (Schneider, 1987). This demonstrates that businesses deliberately take action to alter their brand image not only for consumers to pay for their product or service but to also to make them appealing to all stakeholders of the business, including both potential and existing employees. Through this appeal of working for a specific business leading to an employee being recruited to work there, the employee receives a “value proposition” as they believe in what they will experience and gain as a result of working there (Backhaus and Tikoo, 2004).
When thinking of...