Mind the (brand) gap: a multilevel examination of employer branding, HRM, and performance

Purpose This study aims to examine how employer branding (EB) orientation shapes employee and organizational performance through human resource management (HRM) practices and ideal employer branding deviation (iEBd). Specifically, EB orientation reflects the strategic emphasis an organization places on employer branding, whereas iEBd captures employees’ perceived discrepancy between their ideal and actual work experiences. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on signaling theory and expectation–disconfirmation theory (EDT), this study tests a multilevel model linking EB orientation to performance outcomes through HRM practices and iEBd. Survey data were collected from 524 employees and senior managers across 55 Greek SMEs and analyzed using multilevel structural equation modeling (MSEM). Findings HRM practices fully mediate the relationship between EB orientation and both organizational and employee performance. In addition, iEBd partially mediates the relationship between HRM practices and employee performance, highlighting the importance of alignment between employees’ ideal employment standards and their actual work experience in shaping performance. Originality/value This study introduces and empirically tests the iEBd construct, positioning it as a key employee-level evaluative mechanism linking HRM practices to employee performance. By integrating signaling theory with expectation–disconfirmation logic, the study offers a novel perspective on how employees interpret and evaluate employer branding within organizations.