Influence of employer branding on employer of choice and organisation performance: a study of service sector employees' perception in Pakistan

This research aims to extend employer branding research by identifying key elements of employerbranding according to perceptions of current employees working in service firms and investigatingthe impact of employer branding on the employer of choice and organisation performance. Thestudy was based on mixed-method research. Initially, adopting a qualitative method that involvesin-depth interviews and focus group discussions to identify key elements of employer branding.The second phase of the research applied the quantitative method to investigate the causalassociations between key constructs of the study. A sample of 544 respondents was used to testthe measurement model and structural model using the PLS-SEM technique.The current research found development and growth opportunities, and equality and justice as twonew elements of employer branding along with organisation culture, salary and incentives, andWork-life balance. Moreover, employer branding significantly influences employer of choicethrough organisation commitment and employer brand advocacy. Organisation performance wasinfluenced by employer branding through job satisfaction and employee performance. However,no significant relationship was proved between employer branding and employer of choice throughperson-organisation fit. In addition, the influence of employer branding on employee performancethrough employee retention was not significant.The key contributions of the study were to reveal new elements of employer branding and thedirect link between employer branding and employee performance. This study also highlights theimportance of employer branding in enhancing employee retention, job satisfaction, andcommitment in service firms. This study further guides managers to devise an employer brandingstrategy with employment benefits highlighted in this study to enhance organisation performanceand gain a competitive advantage. Further details are given to encourage future research intoemployer branding, its elements, and its consequences.