The Process of Adapting the Employer Brand to Attract the Right Employees : A Case Study of How SEB Uses Employer Branding to Go Digital

Abstract: Companies within the banking industry are facing the challenge to attract new competences in order to react to the forces of digitization. This paper examines how employer branding is used as a tool to achieve this through appealing to a broader target group. It also identifies problems that can arise in this process. We extend the theoretical knowledge on this topic by developing a theoretical framework, which combines corporate brand, employer branding, industry image and P-O fit literature. The framework outlines the process of adapting the employer brand and was used as the base for a case study of the Swedish bank SEB. The empirical research contained semistructured interviews as well as secondary data. The results support the importance of leadership in employer branding and indicate that while symbolic benefits are gaining in importance, functional benefits might work as a differentiator across industries. In addition, we found support of a effect of industry image on the employer image. Lastly, our findings show that the P-O fit is created through a two step process and can reinforce the corporate brand and employer brand, and vice versa. In accordance with these findings we provide directions for future research as well as several managerial implications.