Employer Branding Strategies to Attract Young Talent: A Systematic Literature Review and Conceptual Framework
Keywords:
employer branding, Generation Z, Young Talent, eEmployee value propositionAbstract
In an increasingly competitive labor market, attracting young talent—primarily from Generation Z and the younger millennial cohort—has become a strategic priority for organizations worldwide. Employer branding, defined as the package of functional, economic, and psychological benefits provided by employment and identified with the employing company, plays a pivotal role in this endeavor. This article presents a systematic literature review of employer branding strategies specifically aimed at attracting young talent, synthesizing findings from 42 peer-reviewed articles published between 2019 and 2024. Through thematic analysis, five core strategic dimensions emerged: (1) a compelling digital and social media presence, (2) an authentic Employee Value Proposition (EVP) emphasizing purpose, flexibility, and career growth, (3) employee-generated content and advocacy programs, (4) robust diversity, equity, inclusion, and sustainability commitments, and (5) a personalized, technology-enhanced candidate experience. The discussion integrates these dimensions into a conceptual framework, highlighting their interplay and the centrality of authenticity and value alignment for young professionals. The article concludes with practical implications for human resource practitioners and outlines avenues for future research.
References
Ambler, T. and Barrow, S. (1996). The employer brand. Journal of Brand Management, 4(3), 185–206.
Armstrong, M., Landers, R. N. and Collmus, A. B. (2021). Gamifying recruitment: A review of current trends and future directions. Journal of Business and Psychology, 36(4), 551–567.
Backhaus, K. and Tikoo, S. (2004). Conceptualizing and researching employer branding. Career Development International, 9(5), 501–517.
Carpentier, M., Van Hoye, G. and Weijters, B. (2020). Attracting young talent through social media: The role of authenticity and person-organization fit. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 118, 103399.
Chaudhary, R. and Gupta, S. (2022). Flexibility as an employer branding tool for Gen Z: A mixed-methods study. Personnel Review, 51(3), 912–929.
Chillakuri, B. and Mahanandia, R. (2018). Generation Z entering the workforce: The need for sustainable HR practices. Human Resource Management International Digest, 26(4), 34–38.
Dabirian, A., Kietzmann, J. and Diba, H. (2019). A great place to work!? Understanding crowdsourced employer branding. Business Horizons, 62(2), 231–239.
Goh, E. and Lee, C. (2021). A workforce to be reckoned with: The emerging pivotal Generation Z hospitality workforce. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 73, 20–28.
Kane, G. C. and Cummings, J. (2022). Candidate experience as employer brand: The role of digital touchpoints. MIT Sloan Management Review, 63(3), 1–6.
Keeling, K. A., McGoldrick, P. J. and Sadhu, H. (2021). Employee-driven brand advocacy in the digital age. Journal of Marketing Management, 37(9-10), 874–901.
Klimkiewicz, K. and Oltra, V. (2023). Green employer branding and Gen Z attraction: The mediating role of environmental reputation. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 30(1), 159–170.
Koch, T. and Schermuly, C. C. (2022). TikTok recruiting: Short-video platforms as employer branding tools for Generation Z. Journal of Business Research, 149, 463–474.
Lievens, F. and Slaughter, J. E. (2016). Employer image and employer branding: What we know and what we need to know. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 3, 407–440.
Martensen, A., Børgesen, K. and Grønholdt, L. (2022). Employee-generated content as a driver of employer attractiveness. European Journal of Marketing, 56(4), 1089–1113.
Maurer, R. and Chapman, D. S. (2022). Virtual recruitment and digital employer branding post-pandemic. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 33(14), 2843–2868.
Ng, E. S. and Sears, G. J. (2020). Walking the talk on diversity: Inclusive employer branding and Gen Z attraction. Human Resource Management Journal, 30(3), 439–456.
Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., et al. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement: an updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ, 372, n71.
Ronda, L., Valor, C. and Abril, C. (2020). How CSR reputation affects employer attractiveness for young professionals. Journal of Cleaner Production, 255, 120179.
Sajadi, S. M. and Kianfar, F. (2023). Employee referral programs and employer brand: A social capital perspective. Personnel Review, 52(5), 1404–1422.
Shore, L. M., Cleveland, J. N. and Sanchez, D. (2021). Inclusive workplaces: A review and model. Human Resource Management Review, 31(2), 100713.
Sivertzen, A. M., Nilsen, E. R. and Olafsen, A. H. (2021). Employer branding through Instagram: A study of Norwegian organizations. Corporate Reputation Review, 24, 155–169.
Theurer, C. P., Tumasjan, A., Welpe, I. M. and Lievens, F. (2018). Employer branding: A brand equity-based literature review and research agenda. International Journal of Management Reviews, 20(1), 155–179.
Thomas, J. and Harden, A. (2008). Methods for the thematic synthesis of qualitative research in systematic reviews. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 8, 45.
Tlaiss, H. A., Martin, P. and Hofaidhllaoui, M. (2021). Talent retention in the millennial generation: A career growth perspective. Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance, 8(1), 2–24.
Verčič, A. T. and Ćorić, D. S. (2023). ESG communication and employer attractiveness for Generation Z. Sustainability, 15(6), 5129.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Liuyan Zhang
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
The author who wishes to publish articles in this journal agree with the following conditions:
- Author retains the copyright and simultaneously provides the journal the first publishing rights of the manuscript under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an initial job writing and publishing statement in this journal.
- The author can include in separate additional contractual arrangements for the rich version of non-exclusive distribution of journal publications (eg posting it to the institutional repository or publishing it in a book), with recognition of publishing initially in this journal.
- The author is permitted and encouraged to post their work online (for example: in the institutional repository or on their website) before and during the submission process because it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and more powerful citations of published works. (See open access policy).
Abstract views: 65
,
PDF Downloads: 22
