Using social media to communicate employer brand identity: The impact on corporate image and employer attractiveness

Employer branding has become a top management priority as more and more companies realize that human resources are among the most valuable intangible assets they possess. The rise of social media gives employers a new communication channel for delivering job-related information, strengthening their image and entering into a dialog with potential candidates early in their employment choice processes. Drawing on branding theory, this study identifies substantial drivers of employer attractiveness in a social media context, such as information-seeking behavior, selfcongruity with the employer and its employees, and corporate image. Tests of the model with both company-controlled and company-independent social media sites reveal only marginal differences, so information credibility does not appear to be an issue. The results further show that self-congruity and information gathered fromsocial media have no direct effects on perceived employer attractiveness and application intentions but are fully mediated by a powerful corporate image.