Positioning in the war for talent: the sustainability edge

Organizations increasingly compete for highly skilled workers in a labor market shaped by shifting employee expectations and heightened mobility. As traditional employer branding strategies centered on compensation and career growth face limitations, sustainability has started to emerge as a potential differentiator in talent attraction and retention. This study examines how sustainability-driven employer branding shapes job seeker perceptions, reinforces employee commitment, and fosters long-term engagement. Drawing on 52 semi-structured interviews with top talents, we develop a process model illustrating how sustainability operates across four interconnected phases: employer brand development, sustainability signaling, commitment reinforcement, and brand citizenship behavior. According to our model, sustainability enhances employer attractiveness when pre-hiring messages align with workplace realities, strengthening psychological contract fulfillment and organizational loyalty. This study also provides actionable insights for HR managers, emphasizing that firms integrating sustainability into HRM practices and workplace culture can foster employee-brand alignment and brand advocacy. By bridging sustainability and talent management, this research highlights sustainability’s role as both a dynamic employer brand signal and a driver of workforce stability in a values-driven labor market.