Employer Attractiveness: Comparative Perceptions of Undergraduate and Postgraduate Students

Abstract

In many countries the employer brand is fast becoming an integral facet of an organisation’s resources aimed at attracting and retaining the employees best able to contribute to the successful attainment of its vision and goals. This study expands on an earlier survey in Sri Lanka of the employer attributes most important in attracting job-seekers, drawing on the perceptions of Sri Lankan undergraduate Business/Commerce students in their final semester before graduation and comparing those findings with the results of a similar survey of MBA students who have had varying periods of employment experience. While the findings reveal a difference in the degree to which the two sample groups are attracted or otherwise to a range of employer attributes, they nonetheless have similar perceptions as to which of these are most and least preferred. A close alignment between the dimensions of attractiveness relevant to each group is also identified. The implications of these findings for HRM managers are discussed.

Key Words: Employer Brand, Perception