Employer brand equity tested by covid-19: a qualitative study with three moroccan companies

Abstract

The covid-19 pandemic has brought about major changes in the labor market that involve the evolution of human resources management policies and practices.

Companies now have to be more attractive in order to attract and retain the most valuable resources.

Therefore, this article seeks to explore the management of the employer brand capital by Moroccan companies during the period of covid-19.

To answer this problem, we were inspired by the theory of the employer brand equity, and we mobilized a theoretical framework that revolves around the concepts forming our problem.

A qualitative survey based on inductive reasoning was conducted with 15 people, the latter were conducted in order to understand in depth the actions taken by Moroccan companies to manage employer brand capital in times of crisis.

The results show that companies emphasize employer brand awareness and employer brand loyalty as dimensions of employer brand capital management in times of crisis.

They focused on the role of the human dimension at the heart of exchanges in order to effectively promote the employer brand.

Moreover, our study suggests theoretical and practical implications, in order to provide human resources practitioners with necessary information on the management of their employer brand equity in order to attract talented candidates.

Keywords: Covid-19; employer brand awareness; employer brand equity ; employer brand loyalty

JEL Classification: J24, O15

Paper type: Empirical research