Inspire to Hire and Win the War for Talents

Abstract In the context of a highly dynamic labour market, with the entry of the Y and Z generations in the active workforce and the shift of power balance from employers to employees, the corporate employer brand becomes a strategic element and part of the non-material capital that each company can use to attract and retain top talents and, consequently, to get business performance. This paper proposes a modern vision of leadership and talent management, in which collaboration, empathy, democratization of decisions, development of emotional connections and increasing the level of freedom for employees contribute to building an effective, attractive and sustainable Employer Value Proposition. By integrating Human Resources and Marketing management principles, objectives, activities and tactics, companies should focus on authenticity in their communications, in order to win employees’ minds and hearts in the contemporary very intense competition for talents. We suggest updating the traditional Marketing Mix to 15 elements, in order to support Employer Branding Strategies and to reach the Employer of Choice status. The essential objective is the development of a deep relationship between employees and companies, in the form of a transaction with dual value, financial and emotional at the same time. Loyalty is seen as superior and consecutive to solidly applied retention, adding emotional value to the material benefits offered by the companies to their employees.