The Language of Job Advertisements as Part of Employer Branding

Abstract

The article offers the analysis of job advertisements as part of employer branding from a Critical Discourse Analysis perspective. It gives the insight into how the companies attract prospective employees by creating a positive image of the company, which appeals to the target audience. The authors study online job advertisements with the intention of specifying which linguistic and visual means help create the brand of the company at the stage of recruitment. As part of CDA method, a wide range of social, economic and psychological contexts are taken into account when carrying out the analysis. The coding process of the analysis is performed at the descriptive and interpretative levels. The authors explore the structure of a typical online job post highlighting the unique characteristics of each element. The article focuses on the strategies and tactics employers use in Employer Description section in order to target the best candidates who share the same values, win acclaim for the company, and form its distinct image. Particular emphasis is placed on the outlining the primary components of successful employer branding and their linguistic expression. Extra consideration is given to the impact of prevailing social values on the choice of strategies implemented in the job advertisements. The authors consider the specifics of COVID-19 pandemic context and its reflection on recruitment.