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 51

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

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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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 Reward System Working Environment Development Vision and Leadership Policy and Values Fairness and Cooperation Corporate Personality External Reputation

Performance Management 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 1) Increased quality and quantity of recruits 2) Employer of choice recognition 3) Sustained competitive differentiation in the talent marketplace 4) Lower recruiting and advertising costs 5) Increased referrals 6) Increased product sales and marketing 7) Higher levels of customer satisfaction and loyalty Internal Value 1) Increased employee engagement 2) Higher employee productivity 3) Employees feel good about the company 4) Increased retention of the best talent 5) Increased referrals from top talent 6) Time to focus on assessment as opposed to sourcing

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 Outside

Brand Inside

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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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% 4% 2% 32% Books and Publications Friends Internet Organization 33% 13% 5% 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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Figure 5: Active Role in Employer Branding

32% Yes No 68%

Figure 6: Department Responsible for Promoting Employer Brand

2% 4% 26% 66% 2% Corporate Affairs HR HR and Communications HR and Marketing 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 57% Yes, we have a clear strategy

39%

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 Current Employee Research Developing Strategies for Retaining Talent Retention Initiatives Developing Strategies for Recruiting Talent Coaching/Mentoring Focus Groups with Current Employees Induction Program CEO Engagement Having a Clearly Defined Strategy Leadership Development Program Collaboration Between Different Departments Senior Management Engagement Communications Planning Recruitment Advertising Conducting Market Research Producing Communications (e.g., Career Website, Recruitment Brochures, Induction Materials, etc.) Employee Referral Program Customer Research Conducting Internal Research Competitor Analysis Audit of Current Employer Brand Alumni Program Career Website Development Applicant Tracking System Focus Groups with External Stakeholders Average Score 4.70 4.68 4.66 4.65 4.53 4.50 4.50 4.43 4.42 4.40 4.40 4.40 4.39 4.37 4.37 4.30 4.28 4.21 4.21 4.18 4.16 4.14 4.04 4.00 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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Table 3: Important Attributes in Attracting New Talents

Item Mission, Vision, and Values Performance Management Leadership People Management Practices Reward and Recognition Recruitment and Induction Processes Work Environment Compensation and Benefits Career Development Innovation Corporate Reputation and Culture CSR Employee Research Communications System Average Score 4.89 4.79 4.70 4.70 4.70 4.65 4.63 4.60 4.53 4.51 4.49 4.40 4.40 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 Others (if any) Communicating key employer brand messages to potential recruits Senior leadership engagement Coordinating employer brand messages across different departments CEO engagement Communicating key employer brand messages to customers Being creative and innovative to distinguish our employment offering Obtaining an adequate budget Communicating key employer brand messages to suppliers/ contractors Commissioning the services of an outside firm to develop/ evolve our employer brand strategy
Employer Branding: A Study of Its Relevance in India

Average Score 5.00 4.77 4.46 4.44 4.40 4.33 4.32 4.14 3.96 3.46

61

employer brand activities. The respondents were asked to rate the metrics that they consider important. The results obtained are presented in Table 5. 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. 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. 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 5: Important Metrics in Measuring ROI on Employer Brand Activities

Item Retention rate Quality of hire Employee referral rate of new hires Promotion of internal candidates to key roles Candidate conversion ratio Number of applicants Profit/employee Cost/hire I dont know We havent defined our metrics as yet Average Score 4.67 4.58 4.51 4.42 4.39 4.37 4.26 4.09 3.75 2.09

Table 6: Companys Response on Investment in Employer Branding

Decrease Increase Need to justify investment Unchanged Unsure Grand Total 6 37 1 10 3 57

Table 7: Employee Responses on Working for the Company

Item 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 It is important to me that my friends know the company I work for It is important that other people want to work for my employer Other peoples perception of the company that I work for is important to me Average Score 5.30 5.23 5.23 5.19 4.96 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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Table 8: Communication Media to Communicate the Employer Brand

Item Performance appraisals Training and development programs Employee referral program I dont know Induction Process Graduate programs On campus activities Online social networking sites Newspaper job ads Online job boards Career website Company brochures Blogs Company events, e.g., AGM Career fairs Alumni events Trade shows Sponsorship Average Score 5.47 5.19 5.14 5.00 4.82 4.75 4.68 4.51 4.47 4.35 4.28 4.28 4.16 3.95 3.89 3.75 3.37 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 Talent pool development Talent relationship management Talent development strategy Building an effective leadership development program Introducing policies which encourage improved work flexibility Career website development Commencing action to reduce our carbon footprint None identified as yet Average Score 5.26 5.19 5.09 4.96 4.77 4.63 4.04 3.08

Table 10: Benefits of Implementing Employer Brand Program

Item Recognition as an employer of choice Ease in attracting candidates Increased internal hire rate Setting a standard and framework for HR activity Higher job acceptance rate Decreased time-to-fill Decrease in staff turnover Reduced recruitment costs Increase in number of unsolicited resumes Average Score 5.23 5.12 5.09 4.84 4.75 4.67 4.63 4.54 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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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% 20% 30% Age Group 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59

47%

Sex of Respondents
Female Male Grand Total 20 40 60

Income of Respondents
5% 12% Income 33% <25,000 25,000-50,000 50,000-100,000 >100,000

50%

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Appendix 1 (Cont.)
Qualifications of Respondents
2% 2% 2% 3% 3% 15% 2% 2% 3% 5% 43% 3% 3%

Architect BA B.Com B.Com., Cost Accountant B.Com., Diploma B.Com., Engineering B.Com., MBA BE MBA B.Sc. B.Tech. B.Tech., MBA

MBA MCA M.Com. M.Com., LLB, LLM M.Sc., MBA

3%

3% 3%

Organization of the Respondents

Organization Type 2% PSU Public Private

23%

75%

Levels of Respondents in Their Respective Organizations

Levels in Organization 15% 12% General Manager Manager 13% Office Assistant Officer Others Senior Manager 22% 2% Supervisor Team Leader

27%

7% 2%

Employer Branding: A Study of Its Relevance in India

67

Appendix 1 (Cont.)
Industry Type
2% 2% 2% 15% 34% 5% Industry Sector 2% 3% Banking Construction Consulting IT Manufacturing Others Recruiting/Staffing Telecommunications Retail Tourism 3%

32%

Employees in the Organization Where the Respondents Worked

8% 6% 58% 28% No. of Employees 101-500 501-1000 10,001-5,000 >5,000

Turnover of the Organization Where the Respondents Worked

2% 2% 2% 22% Turnover of the Organization 100 750 2000 7% 2% 7,000 10,000 21,150 72,000 35% 1,26,900

28%

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Appendix 2 Questionnaire
Personal Details Name Age Group Address Tel. No. Gender Income
0-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60

___________________________________________ Residence________ Office_______ Mobile________

Male <25,000 PM Female 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 Vice President Senior Manager Supervisor Officer Office Assistant/Clerical
Employer Branding: A Study of Its Relevance in India

CEO/President General Manager Manager Team Leader Others

69

Appendix 2 (Cont.)
4. What is the approximate number of employees in your organization
1-10 101-500 1,001-5,000 11-15 51-100 501-1,000 5,000+

5. Industry Sector

Advertising and Marketing Banking Communication Services Computer Education Services Financial Services Information Technology Insurance Retail Tourism Construction Consumer Products Government Professional Services Others Legal Telecommunications Transportation Manufacturing Defense Pharmaceuticals Real Estate Media and Entertainment Recruitment/Staffing Community Service Consulting Engineering Healthcare

6. Have you heard about the concept of employer branding? 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 Organization you work in Research and Case Studies Peers Others

Yes

No

Internet

Books and Publications

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

____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________

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Appendix 2 (Cont.)
8(b). Do you think employer branding is important? 9. Do you have any active role to play in it? 10. If Yes whats your role in it? ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ 11. Which department(s) is currently responsible for managing your employer brand?
Human Resources Corporate Affairs Marketing Communications Yes Yes No No

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 No, but we are working on it I dont know Yes, but it can be further developed No, we have not developed a strategy

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

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4

5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
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Appendix 2 (Cont.)
Focus groups with current employees Focus groups with external stakeholders 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. 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 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 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5

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
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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

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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
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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

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

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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 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 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
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