Consumer = Prospective Employee? The Influence of Organizational Products/Services on the Perception of the Employer Brand

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to analyze and explore different aspects influencing the employer brand perception of prospective employees. Exclusively focusing on the organization’s external target group of prospective employees, measurement items from the traditional branding literature are adopted to measure the employer brand. The second-order, three-factor model called the ‘external perception of the employer brand’ is used to explore the dual role of prospective employees as organizational consumers. Specifically this paper examines the relationship between product/service evaluation, industry sectors and consumer groups on the one hand and employer brand evaluation on the other hand. All constructs are expected to influence the employer brand evaluation either directly or indirectly. The hypotheses are tested using a sample of 347 prospective employees who were asked to evaluate two international operating organizations from different industry sectors. The model was partially supported and theoretical and managerial implications are explored.