The antecedents of employer attractiveness in local government in South Africa

Abstract

Orientation: Human capital has become one of the key sources of competitive advantage in the market, according to Backhaus and Tikoo (2004) organisations are investing considerable amounts of resources on employer branding initiatives. Organisations are forced to consistently differentiate themselves from competitors as the most plausible employer of choice. To effectively compete in this continuous ‘war of talent’ the Local Government, City of Johannesburg in particular, needs to understand the effect that the fundamental antecedents of employer attractiveness have on the municipality as they endeavour to become an employer of choice to skilled and qualified professionals; as well as establish who in the organisation is the custodian of the employer brand management function. Research purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine some of the antecedents that have an effect on employer attractiveness, as well as establish who in an organisation is responsible for the employer brand management function. Research design: A qualitative research design was followed and data collected through face to face interviews with 14 employees of the City of Johannesburg from across the various clusters within the organisation. The data was analysed using the thematic analysis method. Main findings: All three research objectives are supported with results indicating that the identified antecedents do have an effect on an organisation’s employer attractiveness and their absence results in unfavourable consequences. Implications: This study has implications for City of Johannesburg and Local Government as a whole, employees of City of Johannesburg, prospective and former employees of the City of Johannesburg. Contribution/value-add: This study shows the importance of employer brand management of an organisation and confirms its place within the organisational structure.