Employer branding and career theory: new directions for research

Abstract

Introduction In this chapter, our aim is to combine insights from employer branding and career management to explain some of the issues facing the talent- and reputation-management agendas in organizations. More specifically, our objectives are: to propose a revised model of employer branding and its links to talent management and organizational reputations, which are key elements in effective career management to analyze links between employer branding and career management to reflect on some of the problems raised by the interdisciplinary nature of employer branding in practice and the consequent implications for careers. Previous research into employer branding and organizational reputations by one of the authors (e.g., Martin and Beaumont, 2003; Martin and Hetrick, 2009; Martin, Gollan, and Grigg, 2011) has led us to accept a working definition of an employer brand as: a generalised recognition for being known among key stakeholders for providing a high quality employment experience, and a distinctive organizational identity which employees value, engage with and feel confident and happy to promote to others. (Martin, Gollan, and Grigg, 2011)