THE IMPACT OF EMPLOYER BRANDING ON JOB SEEKER ATTRACTION
THE MEDIATING ROLE OF PERCEIVED EMPLOYER ATTRACTIVENESS AND THE MODERATING EFFECT OF COMPETITOR INFLUENCE - A CASE STUDY OF VJC
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31959/jm.v15i1.3497Abstract
Introduction: This research examines the influence of employer branding on job-seeker attraction in the luxury fashion e-commerce industry, using VJC as a case study. Amidst fierce competition in the labor market, especially for digital and creative roles, employer branding is a key strategy to attract top talent. However, challenges arise when companies like VJC have to compete with widely recognized global brands. This study aims to determine whether employer branding is sufficient to drive application intentions, whether its effectiveness depends on perceptions of the company’s attractiveness as a workplace, and whether the presence of competitors affects the relationship.
Method: This study uses a quantitative approach employing Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Data were obtained from 166 respondents interested in digital technology and products. The three main constructs analyzed were employer branding, perceived employer attractiveness, and job seeker applications, with competitor influence as a moderating variable.
Result: Results show that employer branding has no direct effect on application intentions, but significantly affects perceived employer attractiveness, which in turn leads to increased application intentions. Competitor influence is shown to moderate this relationship; when competitor branding is stronger, the effect of perceived attractiveness on application intentions is weakened. These findings confirm that employer branding occurs in a competitive context, where perceptions of competitors largely determine the effectiveness of a company's branding strategy.
Keywords: Competitor Influence, Digital Talent, Employer Attractiveness, Employer Branding, Job Seeker Application, Luxury Fashion, Perceived
References
Alexandra, Z., & Alina Elena, C. (2019). The importance of integrating digital marketing within the sales strategy of luxury brands. https://www.academia.edu/41071382/The_importance_of_integrating_digital_marketing_within_the_sales_strategy_of_luxury_brands?auto=download
Ambler, T., & Barrow, S. (1996). The employer brand. Journal of Brand Management, 4(3), 185–206. https://doi.org/10.1057/bm.1996.42
Backhaus, K., & Tikoo, S. (2004). Conceptualizing and researching employer branding. Career Development International, 9(5), 501–517. https://doi.org/10.1108/13620430410550754
Barney, J., Wright, M., & Ketchen, D. J. (2001). The resource-based view of the firm: Ten years after 1991. Journal of Management, 27(6), 625–641. https://doi.org/10.1177/014920630102700601
Berthon, P., Ewing, M., Li, &, Hah, L., Chao, P., Wührer, G., Werani, T., Coulter, K., Sarkis, J., Veloutsou, C., O’donnell, C., Itt, L. F. P., Caruana, A., & Berthon, J.-P. (2005). The Quarterly Review of Marketing Communications.
Cable, D. M., & Turban, D. B. (2001). Establishing the dimensions, sources and value of job seekers’ employer knowledge during recruitment. Research in Personnel and Human Resources Management, 20, 115–163. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0742-7301(01)20002-4
Cable’, D. M., & Turban, D. B. (2003). The Value of Organizational Reputation in the Recruitment Context: A Brand-Equity Perspective.
Casado, C., Kliger, M., Louvet, P., Poveda, S., Preston, J., Sinha, N., Thukral, N., Symonenko, I., Wadle, L., Wong, J., Fowakes, J., Galley, F., Jia, H., Kent, S., Maki, R., Miller, D.-Y., Morris, M., Negrescu, A., Rawling, A., … Zhang, R. (2025). The State Of Fashion 2025. https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/retail/our-insights/state-of-fashion#/
Dealls. (2024). Employer dashboard insights – Baltini recruitment trend [Screenshot]. https://employer.dealls.com
El-Menawy, S. M. A., & Saleh, P. S. (2023). How does the mediating role of the use of social media platforms foster the relationship between employer attractiveness and generation Z intentions to apply for a job? Future Business Journal, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s43093-023-00233-0
Fashion Dive. (2025, February 6). Capri Q3 fiscal 2025 revenue drops for Versace, Kors and Choo. https://www.fashiondive.com/news/capri-q3-fiscal-2025-revenue-drops-versace-kors-choo/739320/
Junça Silva, A., & Dias, H. (2022). The relationship between employer branding, corporate reputation and intention to apply to a job offer. International Journal of Organizational Analysis, 31(8), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOA-01-2022-3129
Kristianto, N. A., & Handoyo, S. (2020). PENGARUH EMPLOYER BRANDING TERHADAP EMPLOYEE RETENTION DENGAN EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT SEBAGAI MEDIATOR PADA GENERASI MILENIAL DI INDUSTRI E-COMMERCE. Media Ilmiah Psikologi, 18.
Lievens, F., & Slaughter, J. E. (2016). Employer Image and Employer Branding: What We Know and What We Need to Know. In Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior (Vol. 3, pp. 407–440). Annual Reviews Inc. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-041015-062501
Minchington, B. (2006). Your Employer Brand – attract, engage, retain. www.collectivelearningaustralia.com
Nisa, H., Lukito, H., & Pujani, V. (2025). Pengaruh Employer Branding dan Corporate Social Responsibility Terhadap Intention to Apply dengan Corporate Reputation sebagai Variabel Mediasi. PARADOKS Jurnal Ilmu Ekonomi, 8(2).
Pradita, Y. E., Hana Setyanti, S. W. L., & Mufidah, A. (2024). The Influence of Employer Branding and Employee Value Proposition on Employee Retention with Employee Engagement as Mediation. International Journal of Scientific Research and Management (IJSRM), 12(05), 6449–6463. https://doi.org/10.18535/ijsrm/v12i05.em15
Reuters. (2024, November 13). Global luxury sales fall 2% in 2024, among weakest years on record, Bain says.https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/global-luxury-sales-fall-2-2024-among-weakest-years-record-bain-says-2024-11-13
Reuters. (2025, February 6). Kering's Gucci brand ends collaboration with designer Sabato De Sarno. https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/kerings-gucci-brand-ends-collaboration-with-designer-sabato-de-sarno-2025-02-06
Rousseau, D. M., & Parks, J. M. (1995). The psychological contracts of individuals and organizations. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/288901673
Sarstedt, M., Ringle, C. M., & Hair, J. F. (2017). Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling. In Handbook of Market Research (pp. 1–40). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-05542-8_15-1
Sivertzen, A. M., Nilsen, E. R., & Olafsen, A. H. (2013). Employer branding: Employer attractiveness and the use of social media. Journal of Product and Brand Management, 22(7), 473–483. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBM-09-2013-0393
Soeling, P. D., Ajeng Arsanti, S. D., & Indriati, F. (2022). Organizational reputation: does it mediate the effect of employer brand attractiveness on intention to apply in Indonesia? Heliyon, 8(4). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e09208
Spence, M. (1973). Job Market Signaling. In Source: The Quarterly Journal of Economics (Vol. 87, Issue 3).
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Tanni*, Neneng Nurlaela Arief

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.








