Identification as a Sword in the War for Talent: Understanding Organizational Identification Through a Prospective Employee Lens

In the intense “war for talent”, companies increasingly leverage employer branding. Previous research cites the relevance of identification for current employees (internal employer branding); our research instead addresses the relevance of identification for attracting prospective employees (external employer branding). Drawing on social identity and social comparison theory, we consider if and how prospective employees' sense of identification with the company brand, the work community, and the CEO as a human brand influences their intentions to apply. This study features a mixed-method two-study design. A qualitative study identifies both internal (team) and external (network) dimensions of identification with the work community. The quantitative study (including 507 job seekers) further suggests that identification with the work community exerts the strongest impact on intentions to apply. The effects of both identification with the work community and with the human brand on intentions to apply are mediated by identification with the company brand. Therefore, companies can enhance the effectiveness of their external employer branding by leveraging all three identification constructs.