The Effect of Employer Evaluations on Employer Brand Attractiveness: An Empirical Investigation

摘要

The research at hand grounds on the observation that knowledge on the strategic role of social media is in demand, especially when pursuing goals such as attracting qualified employees. Therefore, we investigate the role of user-generated content provided in the form of employer evaluations given by current or former employees. A discussion of relevant theoretical foundations helps understand the role of employer evaluations for labor market participants: First, the evaluation of fit is made through the signals that are transmitted through different informational sources such as employer evaluations. Second, employer evaluations can underline employer attractiveness on several dimensions that are relevant for the target groups' evaluation of the fit or misfit between their values and those of the organization. Third, the credibility of the signals received as a combination of those send actively by the organization or passively through the evaluations of current or former employees, is crucial for potential employees. They determine the psychological contract that is established upon hiring. Based on these considerations the goal of the research was to identify the influence of employer evaluations on employer brand attractiveness and to differentiate between the effect of positive and negative employer evaluations.