The influence of employer brand loyalty and commitment on talent retention: Towards a conceptual model for Higher Education Institutions

Abstract

Talents are the ‘bolts and nuts’ of an organisation as well as the prime source of business performance and sustainable competitive advantage. Countless surveys report that the demand for talent exceeds supply; hence the war for talent is the biggest challenge to organisations across the globe. Due to the battle for talent, private Higher education institutions (HEI’s) are forced to employ novel ways to win the war for great talent. One of such ways is eliciting brand commitment and loyalty through the provision of total rewards. The adoption of employer brand and talent management strategies can be encapsulated in the phrase ‘all in search of sustainable competitive advantage’.Talent is the only factor of production which reacts when acted upon, hence deserves prioritisation on the HR agenda. Organisations have personas that are translated into a brand that the labour market understands and reacts to. Employer branding has become the principal currency of attracting and retaining talent. Employer branding is a concept increasingly on the minds of managers and practitioners as it becomes more challenging to attract, grow and retain the right calibre in a fiercely competitive labour market. Distilled from literature employer brand refers to an organisation's magnetic ability to attract and retain suitably qualified talent. Private Higher education institutions are fighting for talent like a lion protecting its cubs.