Increasing Global Reach: Using Social Network Sites for Employer Branding

Employer branding by means of Social Network Sites (SNS) has been inspired by two recent developments: the increase of usergenerated content with the spread of Web 2.0 and the lack of specialized human resources. However, this phenomenon is yet not very well understood: Which companies use SNS for employer branding? What are the motivations behind it and what are the necessary success strategies? In this paper, we uncover main goals companies pursue, strategies that are employed and the possible benefits that can be attained with an SNS presence. Our results are based on an evaluation of a quantitative survey and a qualitative analysis of interviews with company representatives. We find that, if an SNS presence is established strategically, companies can increase their global reach, improve employer brand awareness, achieve positive user bonding, gather valuable feedback as well as recruit for vacant positions.