Employer Branding – The Case For A Multidisciplinary Process Related Empirical Investigation Lara Moroko, Mark Uncles, University of New South Wales Abstract There is growing recognition of the role employees play in the development and success of a company’s brand. This is encapsulated in the notion of employer branding. Based on a review of previous studies, the internal and external effects of employer branding are conceptualised. A critical assessment of the conceptualisation shows that while it has much merit, there are significant gaps and limitations. This paper argues for a more systematic approach that puts process-related issues at the centre of the investigation. The need for a study of the mechanisms underlying the process of employer branding at the firm and individual (employee) levels is required to address key questions, including the nature of and sufficient and necessary conditions for successful employer branding processes. Methodological implications are also discussed. Employees – the Emerging Force Behind Effective Brand Management In recent years, increasing attention has been given to the critical role employees play in the development and success of a company’s brand. In this context “brand” is defined as “a recognisable and trustworthy badge of origin and also a promise of performance” (Feldwick, 1991, p.21). Employees’ ongoing personal contact with consumers gives them a great deal of influence over the way in which consumers view the company (Kennedy, 1977; Stuart, 1999; Dowling, 2001). Employees also have the ability to help build strong and enduring brands, particularly within the services sector (McDonald et al, 2001; de Chernatony et al, 2003). As such, employees are becoming a recognised determinant of successful brand management. Recruiting and retaining employees who can consistently represent the brand in interactions with clients is now accepted as a significant source of competitive advantage (Chambers et al, 1998; Michaels et al, 2001). Recognising this, Ambler and Barrow (1996) and Ewing et al (2002) have introduced the concept of the “employer brand”. Defined by Ambler and Barrow (1996), the employer brand is “the package of functional, economic and psychological benefits provided by employment, and identified with the employing company” (p. 187). The employer brand concept unites a broad spectrum of existing thought relating to the way in which potential and current employees interact with a company’s brand and, in particular, the company’s brand image as an employer (Ambler & Barrow, 1996; Ewing et al, 2002; Lievens & Highhouse, 2003; Freeman & Knox, 2003; Backhaus, 2004; Backhaus & Tikoo, 2004). Despite growing practitioner and academic interest in employer brands, little is known about the process of employer branding - specifically the operation of mechanisms at the firm and individual (employee) levels that shape and perpetuate the employer brand. The employer branding process as defined here is an overarching concept. It is inclusive of the mechanisms that bring “life” to the employer brand (i.e., firm level mechanisms that shape and define the brand as well as underpin its ongoing implementation). It also includes the mechanisms by which potential and current employees interact with the employer band (i.e. how individuals build associations, brand meaning and ongoing loyalty for the employer brand). The following section outlines the existing literature on the employer branding process ANZMAC 2005 Conference: Branding 52