Employer Branding:

A Study of Its Relevance in India

Vikram Kapoor*
Some quote employer branding to be an indispensable strategy; others term it as a mere fad. This
paper aims at ascertaining the relevance of employer branding in India and whether it is merely
superficial or there is something more innate to it. A descriptive research, this paper, by means of
a structured, non-disguised questionnaire, seeks insight into this very niche and occidental concept
of employer branding in India. By using both deductive and inductive elements, the paper identifies
top three parameters and factors in a myriad of areas related to employer branding like factors
pertinent in developing the employer brand, attributes considered most important in attracting new
talent to the companies, challenges in managing an employer brand, metrics considered useful for
measuring the ROI for a companys employer brand, factors an employee considers important about
working with his company, communication media considered important for communicating the
employer brand, activities considered important in enhancing the employer brand, and finally
benefits arising from implementing employer brand. The dramatic changes in the workforce trends
and the immense competition in the labor market has made it imperative for companies to develop
strategies to differentiate themselves; the panacea to this problem is employer branding. Employer
branding undoubtedly is a significant precept of modern management, one that offers a fine blending
of the science of marketing with the art of enlightened human relations management. It is also one
of the strongest bulwarks ever against the scourge of unbridled employee attrition.

Introduction
Employer branding is one of the few long-term solutions to the shortage of talent
problem. Whereas most employment strategies are short-term and reactive to job
openings, building an employment brand is a longer-term, proactive solution designed to
provide a steady flow of applicants. Employment branding is the process of placing an
image of being a great place to work in the minds of the targeted candidate pool.
Employer branding is an occidental concept, used to define the strategic work with
becoming an employer of choice. It is about continued marketing, which does not end
with a signed contract. Workers can be brand ambassadors for their workplace.
At the heart of employer branding is the need to understand what it is like to work
for an organization, and what drives employees desires to keep working for that
organization. If an organization wants its employees to live up to the company brand
promise, it clearly needs to understand what drives their sense of engagement or
commitment. By focusing on employer brand, companies can better understand the
attributes which are likely to attract new recruits to a business, allowing them to adapt
their recruitment strategy accordingly.
*

Freelancer, Flat No. 13, Jaycee Apartments, A/38 Lake Gardens, Kolkata, India. E-mail: brandvikram@rediffmail.com

2010 IUP
. All Rights
Reserved.
Employer
Branding:
A Study
of Its Relevance in India

51

However, being an employer of choice entails more than success in recruiting and
retention. Employees should choose not only to join the company and stay with it, but
also to identify with its vision and values and give it loyalty, commitment and
performance.
Employer branding undoubtedly is one of the most important precepts of modern
management, one that offers a fine blending of the science of marketing with the art of
enlightened human relations management. It is also one of the strongest bulwarks ever
against the scourge of unbridled employee attrition.
However, the irony lies in the fact that it happens to be one of the haziest idioms of
modern management, least understood often by the very persons vested with the
responsibility of implementing its basics. This is particularly relevant in respect of what
employer branding is notfor instance, a corporate image building exercise. It is also an
area which has seen the least amount of original studiesa sprinkling of them in the UK
and Australia, the mecca of modern management, and certainly none of consequence in
India. This research project, therefore, proposes to take a fresh look at employer branding,
especially with respect to its role and relevance in India.

Literature Review
The Dictionary of Business and Management defines a brand as: A name, sign or symbol used
to identify items or services of the seller(s) and to differentiate them from goods of
competitors. However, this definition has been claimed to be incomplete as signs and
symbols are only a part of what a brand actually is. A comprehensive definition of a brand
is: A brand is a collection of perceptions in the mind of the consumer. This definition
makes it clear that a brand is very different from a product or service. Branding is a
strategic decision, as it is designed to not only highlight what a brand means, but also how
it is different from its competitors. Branding
Figure 1: Brand Pyramid
provides consumers with a reason to buy
and is thus much more than just giving a
brand a name and signaling to the outside
world that such a product or service has
Brand
Vision,
been stamped with the mark and imprint
Purpose,
Values
of an organization. Branding is not about
being on top of something, but within
Brand Tone, Codes,
something (Kapferer, 1997).
Personality, Style
The companys ultimate goal is
undoubtedly to generate sales and profit.
But brand purpose is something else.
Specifying brand purpose consists in
(re)defining its raison detre.
Major brands can be compared to a
pyramid (Figure 1). The predicament is
52

Brands strategic image

features materializing into
products, communications and
actions
Products
A B C D.........................................
Source: Kapferer (1997)

The IUP Journal of Brand Management, Vol. VII, Nos. 1 & 2, 2010

that consumers view this pyramid from bottom up, i.e., they start with what is real and
tangible. The wider the base, the more the consumer is skeptical that all these products
emanate from the same concept and carry the same brand essence. Brand management
resolves this issue by starting from the top, i.e., what is intangible like brand vision,
purpose and values.
The concept of branding which was initially confined only to products and services
was extended to ideas, events, places, employers and even to ones self. Ideas like the Hello
Kitty campaign, events like Olympics, places like India, UK, etc., started being branded.
The concept of branding has become an all-pervasive one, ruling the roost everywhere.
The demographic, economic, sociopolitical and technological shifts are driving five
workforce trends:
Smaller and less sufficiently skilled
Increasingly global
Highly virtual
Vastly diverse
Autonomous and empowered
The competition in the labor market has intensified as a result of which companies
have started showing an increasing interest in implementing strategies to differentiate
themselves. What has become indispensable is to recruit new talent and retain old
employees so that they dont get poached by the competitors.
The hottest strategy in employment is gathered under the international concept of
employer branding (John Sullivan, October, 1999). Employer brand is one of the best
weapons in a companys armory. Employer branding is one of the few long-term
solutions to the shortage of talent problem. Whereas most employment strategies are
short-term and reactive to job openings, building an employment brand is a longerterm proactive solution designed to provide a steady flow of applicants. Employment
branding is the process of developing an image of being a great place to work in the
minds of the targeted candidate pool. Product branding is designed to develop a lasting
image in the minds of the consumer so that they start to automatically associate quality
with any product or service offered by the owner of the brand. An employment brand
does the same in that it creates an image that makes people want to work for the firm
because it is a well-managed firm where workers are continually learning and growing.
Employment branding uses the tools of marketing research, PR, and advertising to
change the image applicants have of what it is like to work at the firm. In a nutshell,
employer brand can be said to be both the cause and effect of all the disparate elements
of marketing. A successful employment branding strategy develops a common theme for
current workers, reinforces the image of the firms culture, continually monitors the
firms employment image both inside and outside the firm, and energizes the potential
Employer Branding: A Study of Its Relevance in India

53

candidates to apply for jobs at the firm. Employer branding is about continued
marketing, which does not end with a signed contract. Sporadic attempts at it would
only be futile. At the heart of employer branding is the need to understand what it is
like to work for an organization, and what drives employees desires to keep working for
that organization. If an organization wants its employees to live up to the company
brand promise, it clearly needs to understand what drives their sense of engagement or
commitment. By focusing on employer brand, companies can better understand the
attributes which are likely to attract new recruits to a business, allowing them to adapt
their recruitment strategy accordingly.
If organizations spend their time trumpeting their brand and then act otherwise, they
are bound to face the consequences. The world can be a very unforgiving place. Employer
branding is all about marketing and the relationship of customers and employees; about
culture and the need for fundamental vicissitude in the role of the HR function.
Companies have realized that valued employees are like lucrative customers. Employer
branding has introduced a new paradigm by constructing an effective commercial bridge
among HR, internal communications and marketing. For long, the HR department has
been regarded by many organizations as an administrative cost center rather than as a vital
component in the creation and delivery of business value. This is rapidly undergoing
changes. Employer branding commences with initial employer brand awareness, and
continuing throughout the tenure of employment, even extending into retirement.
Employer branding is a relatively new idea, but in practice some organizations have been
making use of the idea implicitly for some time now. Take Starbucks, for instance, which
spends practically nothing on traditional marketing activities, but has created a culture
in which the staff knows how to behave in a way which supports the brand, in their
attitudes to customers and each other, their presentation, etc. All of these say something
about their brands and help fulfill the brand promise.
It is no fad! Certainly the spotlight on employer branding has enhanced over the past
few years, coinciding with the fact that corporate scandals have led to a general decline
of trust in business. In the past, anything associated with branding fell under a
communication/marketing remit and the employer brand may not have been distinguished
from the consumer brandscompanies who had strong product/service brands would, de
facto, be attractive to potential employees. Today, companies require blended capabilities.
We cannot gainsay the fact that talent at any level can be attracted by an impressive
reputation, by the promise of exceptional career progression, competitive financial
rewards, and so on, but ultimately, it is the personal experience of the relationship that
a person develops within an organization that determines the longevity and the win-win
consummation of the relationship.
According to Pransenjit Bhattacharya, CEO of Great Place to Work Institute, The
organizations are using various means to communicate their employer brand. The
employer brand in Cadbury is reinforced through their anthem based on the Lagaan song
chale chalo. The anthem video features employees from all functions and levels, senior
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The IUP Journal of Brand Management, Vol. VII, Nos. 1 & 2, 2010

management and operations in factories, working and enjoying together. The anthem is
developed by an in-house and cross-functional team of employees and is refreshed every
year to include new members of the team Cadbury. The anthem is played at the end of
all conferences and meetings to reinforce the beliefs.
The employer brand encompasses various aspects which are shown in Figure 2.
Figure 2: The Employer Brand
Post
Employment

Vision and
Leadership

Reward
System

Policy and
Values

Working
Environment

Fairness and
Cooperation

Development

Corporate
Personality

Performance
Management

External
Reputation

Recruitment and
Induction

Communication

Source: Barrow (2003)

A strong employer brand has immense value for the organizations (Table 1).
Table 1: External and Internal Values Associated with a Strong Employer Brand
External Value

Internal Value

1) Increased quality and quantity of recruits

1) Increased employee engagement

2) Employer of choice recognition

2) Higher employee productivity

3) Sustained competitive differentiation in the

talent marketplace

3) Employees feel good about the company

4) Lower recruiting and advertising costs

5) Increased referrals
6) Increased product sales and marketing

4) Increased retention of the best talent

5) Increased referrals from top talent
6) Time to focus on assessment as opposed to
sourcing

7) Higher levels of customer satisfaction and

loyalty

The author opines that the ultimate goal of employer branding is to make the Brand
Action Triangle (BAT) a virtuous circle wherewhat a company promises outside is what
its employees really connect with, is what its leaders really live, and so the triangle
becomes a full circle which keeps on growing and growing. The concept of BAT is
elucidated below (Figure 3).
Employer Branding: A Study of Its Relevance in India

55

Brand outside is everything outside the

organization. It is everything one might
ever want a brand to do first and foremost
for customers. Brand inside represents
every way in which the employees live the
brand. If there is no connection between
brand outside and brand inside, i.e.,
employees dont believe the brand message
or brand promise one is making outside,
that is potentially a very weak brand.

Figure 3: The Brand Action Triangle

Brand Leadership

Brand Inside

Brand Outside

One important question companies

need to ask themselvesIs there a missing
link between brand outside and brand inside?

Source: Macrae (2001)

Brand leadership is the boardroom and how the boardroom interacts with the brand,
over and above the brand inside.
The ultimate goal of employer brandingmake the triangle a virtuous circle which
keeps on growing and growing.

Research Design Methods

Inductive vs. Deductive Approach
According to Erickson and Wiedersheim-Paul (2001, p. 220), there are two differences of
principle when it comes to approaches of research, the inductive and the deductive
approach. The deductive approach makes use of a theory (models) to shape hypotheses
that are testable statements about reality. The result appears through logical deduction.
Induction means that on the basis of different phenomena and sensory impressions,
conclusions are drawn. It basically draws conclusions from empirical data. This work was
based on a deductive approach, with inductive elements. The work sprung from theory,
and returned to theory.

Positivism and Hermeneutics

There are two main scientific directionspositivist and hermeneutic. The term
positivist refers to the objective to build on positive, certain knowledge. The term
hermeneutic is concerned with understanding and interpretation. While the positivist
describes and elucidates, the hermeneutic study seeks an insight (Erickson and
Wiedersheim-Paul, 2001, p. 221). This study is positivist-oriented.

Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches

This research was conducted with the objective of generating information about the
concept of employer branding. The study, by using various scales, transforms qualitative
data into quantitative data to facilitate comparison among people sharing same attitudes
and opinions. Also, open-ended questions are used to gain an insight into this niche
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The IUP Journal of Brand Management, Vol. VII, Nos. 1 & 2, 2010

concept. However, the underlying objective with the investigation is to deliver data,
coupled with theory, which opens the door to an understanding of the importance of
employer branding.

Explorative, Descriptive, and Casual Research

Explorative research is done to clarify and define the nature of the problem. Descriptive
research is designed to describe the characteristics of a population or phenomenon. Casual
research has a basic alignment to identify cause-effect relations between variables. This
research entails description of how employees perceive the concept of employer branding.
This can therefore, be classified as descriptive research.

Methodology
Selection of Research Sample
The main objective of the research was to gain an insight into the importance of employer
branding. In this study, over 60 respondents were surveyed. The target population was
working employees, mostly from marketing and HR departments of Indian companies and
MNCs operating in India. No restrictions were made concerning the choice of
respondents. The surveys were mostly conducted in the National Capital Region (NCR)
of India. Also, other metropolitan cities and other states of India were covered on a basis
of convenience via the electronic medium. The choice of contact persons at different
companies varied. It depended on which person the company handed over the issue to.
The group of people asked to participate in the research was chosen on the basis of
convenience. The company representative contact person was in charge of generating a
list of randomly chosen employees. Companies were promised anonymity, due to
sensitivity of the information needed. A few of the companies approached to, refused to
participate due to research-fatigue among their employees.

Data Classification
This research work was based on secondary as well as primary data. Secondary data was
collated from a myriad of sources, and served as a base for the research. To fulfill the
objective of the research, complementary primary data was also needed which was
collected by means of a non-disguised structured questionnaire.

Data Collection Method

The survey was conducted by means of a questionnaire. Focus group method was also used
as a part of the survey. Also, an in-depth focused interview with the HR head of a reputed
Indian IT company was conducted to gain a deep understanding of the concept of employer
branding. For employees in companies residing outside the NCR, questionnaires were sent
through email, with less than 10% failure rate. Telephonic interviews with some
respondents were also resorted to wherein possibility of face-to-face communication was
ruled out. Both regular mails and electronic mails were used to distribute the
questionnaires. Around 60% of the answers were collected through a face-to-face
interaction and around 40% electronically.
Employer Branding: A Study of Its Relevance in India

57

Use of Research Design Methods

This work was based on a deductive approach with inductive elements. It is both
qualitative as well as quantitative. The qualitative aspects were quantified by the use of
various rating scales. Furthermore, the research is essentially descriptive in nature.

The Questionnaire
After the personal and professional details, the questionnaire asks whether the respondent
is aware of the concept of employer branding. If the answer was affirmative, the respondent
would be asked to continue or else discontinue. The questionnaire also delved into the
source of awareness of this concept. An open-ended questionnaire was used to gain an
in-depth understanding into employer branding. This was basically qualitative. Other
questions used rating scales to quantify the qualitative data.

Method of Analysis
To compare secondary data with the primary data collected in the research, Excel was
used. The data collected in the surveys done among employees was stored in Excel. When
all data were transmitted into Excel, comparable diagrams/profiles were created. These
served as the base for the analyses.

Findings and Analyses

After collecting the personal and professional details of the respondents, they were asked
whether they were aware of the concept of employer branding. It is surprising that of the
60 respondents surveyed, 95% said they are aware of the concept of employer branding.
The remaining 5% of the respondents who were not aware of the concept were requested
to terminate the interview. The rest of the sections focus on the 57 respondents who
answered in the affirmative.
The outcome for the question regarding the source from which the respondents heard
about this concept is shown in Figure 4.
Figure 4: Sources of Awareness
11%

2%

4%

32%

Books and Publications

Friends
Internet
Organization

33%

5%
13%

Others
Peers
Research and Case Studies

The 57 respondents who answered in the affirmative were asked whether they had an
active role to play in employer branding is and the results are shown in Figure 5.
A very confusing aspect of employer branding iswhich department(s) is/are
responsible for managing it. The results obtained when the respondents were asked about
this, are shown in Figure 6.
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The IUP Journal of Brand Management, Vol. VII, Nos. 1 & 2, 2010

Figure 5: Active Role in Employer Branding

32%
Yes
No
68%

Figure 6: Department Responsible for Promoting Employer Brand

4%

2%

Corporate Affairs
HR

26%

HR and Communications
66%

HR and Marketing
2%

HR, Marketing and Communications

The research problem was basically to gauge whether this concept of employer
branding is merely superficial or is there something more innate to it. A very important
question was whether the companies where the respondents worked had developed a clear
employer brand strategy. When the respondents were asked this, the following results were
obtained (Figure 7).
Figure 7: Clear Brand Strategy of the Organization
4%

No, but we are working on it

Yes, but it can be further developed

39%
57%

Yes, we have a clear strategy

After gauging whether the companies had a clear employer brand strategy or not, the
respondents were asked to rate the various factors that they considered were pertinent in
developing/enhancing the employer brand of an organization. Following were the
parameters against which the respondents rated on a scale of 1-5. The average ratings for
all the 57 respondents are put together (Table 2).
These parameters, when arranged in descending order, reflected that the top three
important criteria were current employee research, developing strategies for retaining
talent, and retention initiatives.
Attracting requisite talent is extremely important in employer branding. In fact, it is
one of the reasons why companies go for employer branding. It is both the cause and effect
Employer Branding: A Study of Its Relevance in India

59

Table 2: Important Factors in Developing/Enhancing the Employer Brand

of an Organization
Item

Average Score

Current Employee Research

4.70

Developing Strategies for Retaining Talent

4.68

Retention Initiatives

4.66

Developing Strategies for Recruiting Talent

4.65

Coaching/Mentoring

4.53

Focus Groups with Current Employees

4.50

Induction Program

4.50

CEO Engagement

4.43

Having a Clearly Defined Strategy

4.42

Leadership Development Program

4.40

Collaboration Between Different Departments

4.40

Senior Management Engagement

4.40

Communications Planning

4.39

Recruitment Advertising

4.37

Conducting Market Research

4.37

Producing Communications (e.g., Career Website, Recruitment Brochures,

Induction Materials, etc.)

4.30

Employee Referral Program

4.28

Customer Research

4.21

Conducting Internal Research

4.21

Competitor Analysis

4.18

Audit of Current Employer Brand

4.16

Alumni Program

4.14

Career Website Development

4.04

Applicant Tracking System

4.00

Focus Groups with External Stakeholders

3.91

of successful employer branding. When respondents were asked to rate the attributes
which they considered pertinent in attracting new talent to their companies, certain
results were obtained and those are presented in Table 3.
After arranging in descending order, it was revealed that a companys mission, vision,
and values, performance management, and leadership were the top three attributes that
employees consider important in attracting new talent to their companies.
We cannot gainsay the fact that implementing an effective employer brand strategy is
not an easy task. There are various challenges associated with it. The respondents were
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The IUP Journal of Brand Management, Vol. VII, Nos. 1 & 2, 2010

Table 3: Important Attributes in Attracting New Talents

Item

Average Score

Mission, Vision, and Values

4.89

Performance Management

4.79

Leadership

4.70

People Management Practices

4.70

Reward and Recognition

4.70

Recruitment and Induction Processes

4.65

Work Environment

4.63

Compensation and Benefits

4.60

Career Development

4.53

Innovation

4.51

Corporate Reputation and Culture

4.49

CSR

4.40

Employee Research

4.40

Communications System

4.26

asked to rate those challenges that they encountered in managing their employer brand
program. The results obtained are presented in Table 4.
Apart from issues that the respondents were either unsure of or were not comfortable
discussing, the top three challenges identified were that of communicating key employer
brand messages to potential recruits, engagement of senior leadership, and coordinating
employer brand messages across different departments.
Successful implementation of strategies cannot condone their evaluation. Hence,
companies use various metrics to measure the Return on Investments (ROI) for their
Table 4: Challenges in Managing the Employer Brand Program
Item

Average Score

Others (if any)

5.00

Communicating key employer brand messages to potential recruits

4.77

Senior leadership engagement

4.46

Coordinating employer brand messages across different departments

4.44

CEO engagement

4.40

Communicating key employer brand messages to customers

4.33

Being creative and innovative to distinguish our employment offering

4.32

Obtaining an adequate budget

4.14

Communicating key employer brand messages to suppliers/ contractors

3.96

Commissioning the services of an outside firm to develop/

evolve our employer brand strategy

3.46

Employer Branding: A Study of Its Relevance in India

61

employer brand activities. The respondents

were asked to rate the metrics that they
consider important. The results obtained
are presented in Table 5.

Table 5: Important Metrics in Measuring

ROI on Employer Brand Activities
Item

Average Score

Retention rate

4.67

The results reflect that companies must

take into serious consideration the
retention rate, the quality of hire and the
employer referral rate of new hires while
measuring the ROI for their employer
brand strategies. The aforesaid are the
three most highly-rated metrics.

Quality of hire

4.58

Employee referral rate

of new hires

4.51

Promotion of internal
candidates to key roles

4.42

Candidate conversion ratio

4.39

Number of applicants

4.37

In this present recessionary phase, it is

quite intriguing whether companies would
actually raise their investment in employer
branding or reduce it or would keep it
unchanged. Research has demonstrated certain
results which are presented in Table 6.

Profit/employee

4.26

Cost/hire

4.09

I dont know

3.75

We havent defined our

metrics as yet

2.09

A perception analysis was deliberately done

to gauge what an employee thinks most
important about working with his company.
The results obtained are presented in Table 7.
The results reveal that respondents
were more concerned about their friends
perception of the company they work for.

Table 6: Companys Response on

Investment in Employer Branding
Decrease

Increase

37

Need to justify investment

Unchanged

10

Unsure

Grand Total

57

Table 7: Employee Responses on Working for the Company

Item

Average Score

My friends perception of the company I work for is important

5.30

It is important to me that my family knows the company I work for

5.23

My familys perception of the company I work for is important

5.23

It is important to me that my friends know the company I work for

5.19

It is important that other people want to work for my employer

4.96

Other peoples perception of the company that I work for is important to me

4.89

Respondents were asked to rate the communication media which they think should
be utilized to communicate their employer brand. The results are shown in Table 8.
The ratings revealed that performance appraisals, training and development programs,
and employee referral programs were the three most important communication media.
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The IUP Journal of Brand Management, Vol. VII, Nos. 1 & 2, 2010

Table 8: Communication Media to Communicate the Employer Brand

Item

Average Score

Performance appraisals

5.47

Training and development programs

5.19

Employee referral program

5.14

I dont know

5.00

Induction Process

4.82

Graduate programs

4.75

On campus activities

4.68

Online social networking sites

4.51

Newspaper job ads

4.47

Online job boards

4.35

Career website

4.28

Company brochures

4.28

Blogs

4.16

Company events, e.g., AGM

3.95

Career fairs

3.89

Alumni events

3.75

Trade shows

3.37

Sponsorship

3.00

Creating an employer brand is a short-term goal. What is really important is not only
to create and maintain but also to enhance the brand. The respondents were asked to rate
those activities that they considered important in enhancing the employer brand of the
companies, and after ranking in descending order, certain results were obtained and these
are presented in Table 9.
Talent pool development, talent relationship management and talent development
strategy emerged to be the top three activities.
Incurring cost without gaining benefit is not justified. Hence, the respondents were
finally asked to rate those benefits that they felt they gained from implementing their
employer brand program, and the results bear testimony to the fact that recognition as
an employer of choice is the most important benefit. Table 10 shows the detailed results.
Employer Branding: A Study of Its Relevance in India

63

Table 9: Important Activities in Enhancing

Employer Brand
Item

Average Score

Talent pool development

5.26

Talent relationship management

5.19

Talent development strategy

5.09

Building an effective leadership

development program

4.96

Introducing policies which

encourage improved work flexibility

4.77

Career website development

4.63

Commencing action to reduce

our carbon footprint

4.04

None identified as yet

3.08

Table 10: Benefits of Implementing

Employer Brand Program
Item

Average Score

Recognition as an employer
of choice

5.23

Ease in attracting candidates

5.12

Increased internal hire rate

5.09

Setting a standard and framework

for HR activity

4.84

Higher job acceptance rate

4.75

Decreased time-to-fill

4.67

Decrease in staff turnover

4.63

Reduced recruitment costs

4.54

Increase in number of
unsolicited resumes

4.33

Conclusion
The main conclusions of the study are:
Top three factors pertinent in developing/enhancing the employer brand: Current
employee research, developing strategies for retaining talent and retention
initiatives.
Top three attributes considered most important in attracting new talent to the
companies: Mission, vision and values, performance management and leadership.
Top three challenges in managing an employer brand: Others (if any),
communicating key employer brand messages to potential recruits, senior
leadership engagement.
Top three metrics considered useful for measuring the ROI for a companys employer
Brand: retention rate, quality of hire, and employee referral rate of new hires.
Top three factors an employee considers important about working with his
company: My friends perception of the company I work for is important; It is
important to me that my family knows the company I work for; my familys
perception of the company I work for is important.
Top three communication media considered important for communicating the
employer brand: Performance appraisals, training and development programs,
employee referrals program.
Top three activities considered important in enhancing the employer brand: Talent
pool development, talent relationship management, talent development strategy.
Top three benefits arising from implementing employer brand: Recognition as an
employer of choice, ease in attracting candidates, and increased internal hire rate.
Limitations: Although employees were chosen on the basis of convenience, yet they fit
within the frame of occupational roles. Although the research was not free from
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The IUP Journal of Brand Management, Vol. VII, Nos. 1 & 2, 2010

complaints about the questionnaire being very extensive and time-consuming, yet it was
done with reflection and consideration. Some responses were not complete. At some
points, questions were not entirely compatible.

Bibliography
1. Aaker David A (2002), Building Strong Brands, Simon & Schuster Ltd., UK.
2. Barrow Simon (2003), Is the Employer Brand Too Important to Leave to HR?, available
at http://www.mrs.org.uk/networking/erg/meetings.htm/, accessed on February 11, 2009.
3. Barrow Simon and Mosley Richard (2005), The Employer Brand: Bringing the Best of
Brand Management to People at Work, 2nd Edition, John Wiley & Sons, London.
4. Bhattacharya Prasenjit (2009), Do You Know Your Employer Brand (Great Place To
Work Institute), available at http://www.employerbrandingonline.com/articles/124do-you-know-your-employer-brand.html/, accessed on February 12.
5. Buckingham Ian (2007), Brand Engagement, Palgrave Macmillan, New York.
6. Doris Sims and Gay Matthew (2007), Building Tomorrows Talent: A Practitioners Guide
to Talent Management and Succession Planning, AuthorHouse, UK.
7. Doyle Peter and Stern Phil (2006), Marketing Management and Strategy, 4th Edition,
Financial Times/Prentice Hall, Great Britain.
8. Dunmore Michael (2002), Inside-Out Marketing: How to Create an Internal Marketing
Strategy, Kogan Page Ltd., London.
9. Gratton Lynda (2000), Living Strategy: Putting People at the Heart of Corporate Purpose,
Financial Times/Prentice Hall, Great Britain.
10. Huselid Mark A, Becker Brian E and Beatty Richard W (2005), The Workforce Scorecard:
Managing Human Capital to Execute Strategy, Harvard Business School Press, USA.
11. Ind Nicholas (2004), Living the Brand: How to Transform Every Member of Your
Organization into a Brand Champion, 2nd Edition, Kogan Page, London.
12. Kapferer Noe Jean (1997), Strategic Brand Management, Kogan Page, UK.
13. Kotler Philip and Keller Kevin (2008), Marketing Management-International Version, 13th
Edition.
14. Lawler III and Edward E (2008), Talent: Making People Your Competitive Advantage, Jossey
Bass, San Francisco.
15. Malhotra Naresh K and Birks David (2006), Marketing Research: An Applied Orientation,
3rd Edition, Financial Times/Prentice Hall, Great Britain.
16. Martin Graeme and Hetrick Susan (2006), Corporate Reputations, Branding and People
Management: A Strategic Approach to HR, A Butterworth-Heinemann Title, USA.
17. Macrae Chris (2001), Managing the Brand Action Triangle, available at http://
www.allaboutbranding.com/index.lasso?article=114, accessed on February 12, 2009.
18. Mamarchev Steve (2009), Keeping the Cornerstone of Your Organization
Employer Branding is a Necessity in an Economic Slowdown, available at
www.inwardconsulting.com/, accessed on February 11.
Employer Branding: A Study of Its Relevance in India

65

19. Michaels (Ed.), Handfield-Jones Helen and Axelrod Beth (2001), The War for Talent,
Harvard Business School Press, USA.
20. Minchington Brett (2006), Your Employer Brand, Collective Learning Australia, Australia.
21. Newmeier Marty (2005), The Brand Gap: How to Bridge the Distance Between Business
Strategy and Design: A Whiteboard Overview, 2nd Edition, Peachpit Press, Berkeley.
22. Quirke Bill (2008), Making the Connections: Using Internal Communication to Turn
Strategy into Action, 2nd Revised Edition, Gower Publishing Ltd., England.
23. Sartain Libby and Schumann Mark (2006), Brand from Inside: Eight Essentials to
Emotionally Connect Your Employees to Your Business, Jossey Bass, San Francisco.
24. Sullivan John (October, 1999), Stop Being Boring Become The Talked About
Company in Order to Build Your Employment Brand!, available at
http://www.drjohnsullivan.com/, accessed January 12, 2009.
25. TalentTalk (2003), About Talent Talk, available at http://www.talenttalk.se/english.aspx,
accessed on January 12, 2009.
26. Employer Branding, available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Employer_branding/,
accessed on January 13, 2009.
27. Zikmund William G (1999), Exploring Marketing Research, 7th Edition, Harcourt
College Pub.

Appendix 1

Profiles of Respondents
Age Group of Respondents
3%

Age Group

20%

30%

20-29
30-39
40-49
50-59

47%

Sex of Respondents
Female

20

Male

40

Grand Total

60

Income of Respondents
5%

50%

66

12%

Income
33%

<25,000
25,000-50,000
50,000-100,000
>100,000

The IUP Journal of Brand Management, Vol. VII, Nos. 1 & 2, 2010

Appendix 1 (Cont.)
Qualifications of Respondents

3%

2% 2%
2% 3%
3%
15%
2%
2%
3%

3%
3%

MBA

BA

MCA

B.Com

M.Com.

B.Com., Cost Accountant

M.Com., LLB, LLM

B.Com., Diploma

M.Sc., MBA

B.Com., Engineering

5%
43%

Architect

B.Com., MBA

3%
3%

BE MBA
B.Sc.
B.Tech.
B.Tech., MBA

Organization of the Respondents

Organization
Type

23%
2%

75%

PSU
Public
Private

Levels of Respondents in Their Respective Organizations

Levels in Organization
15%

12%

General Manager
Manager

13%

27%

Office Assistant
Officer
Others
Senior Manager

22%

7% 2%

2%

Employer Branding: A Study of Its Relevance in India

Supervisor
Team Leader

67

Appendix 1 (Cont.)
Industry Type
2% 2%
2%

5%

Industry Sector
2% 3%

Banking
Construction
Consulting
IT

15%
34%

Manufacturing
Others
Recruiting/Staffing
Telecommunications

32%

Retail
Tourism
3%

Employees in the Organization Where the Respondents Worked

8%

No. of Employees

6%

101-500
58%

501-1000

28%

10,001-5,000
>5,000

Turnover of the Organization Where the Respondents Worked

2%
2%
2%

Turnover of the
Organization
22%

28%

100
750
2000

7%
2%

7,000
10,000
21,150
72,000

35%

68

1,26,900

The IUP Journal of Brand Management, Vol. VII, Nos. 1 & 2, 2010

Appendix 2
Questionnaire
Personal Details
Name
Age Group

0-29

30-39

40-49

50-59

60

Address

___________________________________________

Tel. No.

Residence________ Office_______ Mobile________

Gender

Male

Female

Income

<25,000 PM

25,000-50,000 PM

50,000-100,000 PM >100,000 PM

Qualifications

_____________________

Occupation

_____________________

Present company

_____________________

No. of years in present company _____________________

Previous company

_____________________

No. of years in previous company _____________________

Total years of eperience

_____________________

Email-id

_____________________

1. Which city do you mainly work from? _____________________

2(a) Type of Organization

Private Limited Company NGO PSU

Public Limited Company Government

2(b) Turnover of the organization _____________________

3. What is the level of your current position?
Chairman

CEO/President

Vice President
Senior Manager
Supervisor

General Manager
Manager
Team Leader

Officer
Office Assistant/Clerical
Employer Branding: A Study of Its Relevance in India

Others
69

Appendix 2 (Cont.)
4. What is the approximate number of employees in your organization

5. Industry Sector

1-10

11-15

51-100

101-500
1,001-5,000

501-1,000
5,000+

Advertising and Marketing Banking

Communication Services

Community Service

Computer

Consulting

Education Services

Engineering

Financial Services

Healthcare

Information Technology
Insurance

Legal

Media and Entertainment Recruitment/Staffing

Retail
Tourism

Telecommunications
Transportation

Construction

Manufacturing

Consumer Products

Defense

Government
Professional Services

Pharmaceuticals
Real Estate

Others

6. Have you heard about the concept of employer branding?

Yes

No

If the answer is No, please terminate the interview.

Thank you for your cooperation!
If the answer to the above question is Yes, please proceed.
7. From where have you heard about this concept?
Friends

Peers

Internet

Organization you work in

Books and Publications

Research and Case Studies

Others

8(a). What do you think about employer branding?

____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

70

The IUP Journal of Brand Management, Vol. VII, Nos. 1 & 2, 2010

Appendix 2 (Cont.)
8(b). Do you think employer branding is important?

Yes

No

9. Do you have any active role to play in it?

Yes

No

10. If Yes whats your role in it?

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
11. Which department(s) is currently responsible for managing your employer brand?
Human Resources

Marketing

Communications

Corporate Affairs

HR and Marketing HR and Communications

HR Marketing and Communications I dont know Others

12. Has your company developed a clear employer branding strategy?

Yes, we have a clear strategy

Yes, but it can be further developed

No, but we are working on it

No, we have not developed a strategy

I dont know

13. Do you agree that the following are important in developing/enhancing your
employer brand? Rate each parameter from 1-5.(1=Strongly disagree, 2=Somewhat
disagree, 3=Neither agree nor disagree, 4=Somewhat agree, 5=Strongly agree)
Alumini program

Applicant tracking system

Audit of current employer brand

Career website development

Coaching/marketing

Competitor analysis

Current employee research

Customer research

Employee referral program

Employer Branding: A Study of Its Relevance in India

71

Appendix 2 (Cont.)
Focus groups with current employees
Focus groups with external stakeholders

1
1

2
2

3
3

4
4

5
5

Induction program

Leadership development program

Recruitment advertising

Retention initiatives

CEO engagement

Collaboration between different departments

Communications planning

Conducting internal research

Conducting market research

Developing strategies for recruiting talent

Developing strategies for retaining talent

Having a clearly defined strategy

Producing communications, e.g., career websites,

recruitment brochures, inducting materials, etc.

Senior management engagement

1
2
3
4
5
14. How important do you believe the following employer brand attributes are in
attracting new talent to your company? 1-5 (1=Unimportant, 2=Somewhat
unimportant, 3=Neither important nor unimportant, 4=Somewhat important,
5=Very important)
Career development
Communications system
Compensation and benefits
Corporate reputation and culture
CSR
Employee research
Innovation
Leadership
Mission, vision, values
People management practices
Recruitment and induction processes
Reward and recognition
Work environment
72

1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1

2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2

3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3

4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4

5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5

The IUP Journal of Brand Management, Vol. VII, Nos. 1 & 2, 2010

Appendix 2 (Cont.)
15. The following have been the challenges you have encountered in managing your
employer brand program. Please state your agreement/disagreement on a scale from
1-5. (1=Strongly Disagree, 2=Somewhat Disagree, 3=Neither Agree nor Disagree,
4=Somewhat Agree, 5=Strongly Agree)
Being creative and innovative to distinguish our
employment offering
1
2
3
4
5
CEO engagement
1
2
3
4
5
Commissioning the services of an outside firm to
develop/evolve our employer brand strategy
1
2
3
4
5
Communicating key employer brand
messages to customers
1
2
3
4
5
Communicating key employer brand
messages to potential recruits
1
2
3
4
5
Communicating key employer brand
messages to supplier/contractors
1
2
3
4
5
Coordinating employer brand
messages across different departments
1
2
3
4
5
Obtaining an adequate budget
1
2
3
4
5
Senior leadership engagement
1
2
3
4
5
Others (if any)
1
2
3
4
5
16. Which of the following is most important to you? Rank in a scale of 1-6.
It is important to me that my friends know the company I work for
My friends perception of the company I work for is important
It is important to me that my family knows the company I work for
My familys perception of the company I work for is important
Other peoples perception of the company that I work for is
important to me
None of these
17. In Financial Year 2008-2009 what are your plans for expenditure on employer
branding activities?
An increase in the amount invested
Approximately unchanged investment
A decrease in the amount invested
Need to justify investment
Unsure
Employer Branding: A Study of Its Relevance in India

73

Appendix 2 (Cont.)
18. The following metrics are very important in measuring ROI for your employer brand
strategy? 1-5. (1=Strongly disagree, 2=Somewhat disagree, 3=Neither agree nor
disagree, 4=Somewhat agree, 5=Strongly agree)
Candidate conversion ratio
1
2
3
4
5
Cost/hire
Employee referral rate of new hires
Number of applicants
Profit/employee
Promotion of internal candidates to key roles
Quality of hire
Retention rate
We havent defined our metrics as yet
I dont know
Others

1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1

2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2

3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3

4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4

5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5

19. The following are important communication media a company must utilize to
communicate its employer brand? Please state your agreement/disagreement on a
scale from 1-6. (1=Strongly disagree, 2=Disagree, 3=Somewhat disagree,
4=Somewhat agree, 5=Agree, 6=Strongly agree)
Online social networking sites
Career website
Company events, e.g., AGM
Induction process
On campus activities
Employee referral program
Newspaper job ads
Training and development programs
Graduate programs
Trade shows
Sponsorship
Company brochures
Career fairs
Blogs
Alumni events
Online job boards
Performance appraisals
I dont know
Others
74

1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1

2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2

3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3

4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4

5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5

The IUP Journal of Brand Management, Vol. VII, Nos. 1 & 2, 2010

Appendix 2 (Cont.)
20. The following activities have been most effective in enhancing your companys
employer brand? Please state your agreement/disagreement on a scale from 1-6.
(1=Strongly disagree, 2=Disagree, 3=Somewhat disagree, 4=Somewhat agree,
5= Agree, 6=Strongly agree)
Commencing action to reduce our carbon footprint
1
2
3
4
5
Building an effective leadership development program

Talent development strategy

Career website development

Talent pool development

Talent relationship management

Introducing policies which encourage

improved work flexibility

None identified as yet

I dont know
Others

1
1

2
2

3
3

4
4

5
5

21. This is the main benefit you have gained from your employer brand program? Please
state your agreement/disagreement on a scale from 1-6. (1=Strongly disagree,
2=Disagree, 3=Somewhat disagree, 4=Somewhat agree, 5=Agree, 6=Strongly
agree)
Reduced recruitment costs

Decrease in staff turnover

Recognition as an employer of choice

Increased internal hire rate

Setting a standard and framework for HR activity

Higher job acceptance rate

Decreased time-to-fill

Ease in attracting candidates

Increase in number of unsolicited resumes

None identified as yet

I dont know

Others

Thank you for your cooperation.

Reference # 25J-2010-03/06-03-01
Employer Branding: A Study of Its Relevance in India

75

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