Employer brand and international employer brand: literature review

Abstract

PurposeThis review article offers an insight into employer brand and its importance for organizations, as well as an overview of international employer brand based on research on this topic available to date.Design/methodology/approachAn examination and critical evaluation of 37 research articles, two scientific monographs and a chapter was conducted. The selection of articles was based on conducted content analysis.FindingsHaving an employer brand has become of utmost importance for many organizations since it was first described in academic literature in mid-1990s. Despite its key role in organizational success, there is a certain lack of recognition of employer brand in academic literature. While employer brand research is somewhat scarce, international employer brand research is almost non-existent. Organizations that operate on different international markets often recruit their employees internationally as well. However, employer brand developed and managed locally differs from the one developed and managed globally.Research limitations/implicationsThis review is based on a small number of articles available in the databases. Additionally, only the research papers written in English were included in the review.Originality/valueThis review paper offers a much-needed overview of literature on employer branding within international context. International employer brands and international employer branding have so far been neglected within employer branding literature, despite the obvious need for differentiation. Therefore, this article seeks to provide a systematic overview and identify relevant characteristics of the international employer brand.