An exploratory analysis of employer branding in healthcare

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how large, public companies in the health industry communicatively engage in employer branding on career homepages. Design/methodology/approach An exploratory content analysis of the career homepages (N = 42; 8,500) was conducted to analyze the communication of successful organizations in four realms of the public health-care industry to include Biotech (n =10), Managed Health Care (n = 8), Medical and Equipment Supplies (n = 12) and Pharmaceuticals (n = 12). Findings The analysis revealed the following ten major themes of content: Worldview, Stakeholders, Environment, Excellence, Dedication, Aid, Unity, Advancement, Distinctiveness and Industry/Organization. Additionally, the results revealed that health-care employer branding often communicated about Stakeholders, Industry/Organization and Advancement. Research limitations/implications The results of this study aid researchers in understanding the foundational content of employee branding efforts in the health industry. Practical implications The results assist practitioners in understanding how different health-care industries and organizations engage in employer branding on career homepages. Originality/value The results of this study function to both confirm previous findings related to employer branding and extend research on employer branding into the career homepages of organizations in the health-care industry.