Effectiveness of employer branding on staff retention and compensation expectations

Abstract

Background: In a highly competitive, economically strained business environment it is essential for a business to balance the necessity of attracting and retaining top-performing employees and containing costs. Employee branding is a management tool that can serve to retain staff and reduce compensation levels. Aim: This study investigated the effects of employee branding on staff retention and compensation expectations. Setting: Five South African insurers participated in this research. Methods: Analysis of variance and correlational tests were used to test various hypotheses. Results: The analysis indicated that increased perceptions of employer branding relate to staff with greater reports of retention and lower levels of compensation expectations. Interestingly, demographic factors were not significant in the analysis, although trends were found in potential age differences and total years at an employer. Conclusion: Practically, the research provides a model to execute a successful employer branding strategy. The employer branding control cycle was developed to assist organisations to successfully execute an employer branding strategy. This model considers the design, implementation and monitoring phases of such a strategy.