EMPLOYER BRAND PROMOTION: DOES IT REALLY MATTER IN TRANSITION COUNTRIES?

Abstract

The employer brand refers to the reputation that an organisation has as an employer. The employer brand can be influenced by all the information that the organisation puts out about itself, as well as by all the actions it takes. A positive and strong employer brand has a direct impact on the attraction of quality candidates, their engagement, and retention of current employees. That is why contemporary organisations use all available communication channels to promote their employer brand, i.e. their values and unique culture. In contemporary business environment, the internet and social media represents the primary channel of communication with stakeholders, including job candidates. Additionally, continuous use of the organisation’s website can enhance employer attractiveness, support the recruitment process, deliver job-related information, and strengthen their image. The main purpose of this research is to explore the level of employer brand promotion via company websites in the context of transition countries. The aim of the conducted empirical research is to acquire new empirical insights in the fields of human resource management and employer branding. A total of 303 large companies from Bosnia and Herzegovina were included in the empirical research. The analysis was performed through a targeted search of the official websites of the observed companies. The collected data were analysed using descriptive statistics and analysis of variance. As expected, the data analysis indicated that organisations operating in Bosnia and Herzegovina do not recognize the importance of the organisation’s website in promoting the employer brand and establishing two-way communication with potential job candidates. Regardless of the fact that in the structure of large companies in Bosnia and Herzegovina dominated companies that require lower-skilled labour, employer branding is a useful management tool that contemporary organisations use in the labour market competition. In this context, the use of all available means of communication, including the company website, is the right approach that can attract quality job candidates.