What do best employer surveys reveal about employer branding and intention to apply?

Employer branding is an effective marketing tool that helps organisations in projecting their distinct image in the minds of potential applicants and positioning them as an employer of choice. Recently, organisations are increasingly participating in various best employer surveys (BES) to project themselves as great places of employment and subsequently attracting larger and better talent from the labour market. The literature confirms a positive relationship between employer attractiveness (or other similar measures) and prospective employees’ intentions to apply to that organisation. In this article, we examine this relationship through the lens of BES in the Indian context. We measure the prospective applicant’s intention to apply in a sample of 12 firms that appeared either consistently or once in BES during 2007–2011. Findings suggest that firms with a consistent or recent listing in BES receive a significantly higher intention to apply than firms present only in one or an older BES. Furthermore, organisation familiarity is one of the major predictors of intention to apply. We suggest consistent efforts in building and sustaining employer brand by combining the efforts of marketing and HR managers in the design and execution of relevant activities and their communication to the target audience in emerging economies.