Framing Employer Branding - An explorative case study of legitimacy within the public sector context

Abstract

Background: Increasingly, organizations from the public sector embrace employer branding as a strategy to better attract and retain qualified employees. Current research shows a lack of research regarding how public sector organizations’ work with employer branding, where the mission of the organization is not to conquer the global market but rather to provide welfare and serve the common good for all citizens. Hence, public sector organizations cannot just compete by being attractive as an employer; they also have to present their assignment as something attractive for the applicants. The purpose of this study is to explore how one municipality within the public sector in Sweden frame employer branding to make the alignment between the strategy and the organizations’ overall goals and mission legitimate. Method: The study uses a qualitative research strategy with the approach of a single case study of one municipality within the public sector in Sweden. 15 semi-structured interviews were conducted with HR specialists, and managers from different departments within the Municipality of Gothenburg. Results: The findings show that employer branding is used as strategy to help the organization deal with issues of legitimacy. A dilemma occurs to exist as the organizations’ aim to practice employer branding as an act of balance between internal unity and external sensitivity towards diversity. The dilemma creates uncertainty among employees’ that show a tendency to use mimetic framing as a strategy since they experience the situation to be ambiguous. The results from this study show an importance for HR to take on a leadership role and function as support, and make sure to educate employees about this dilemma. Therefore public sector organizations need to consider the importance to be transparent and communicate about this dilemma, and make sure that employees’ are aware of different opportunities that exist.