How to attract talents? The role of CSR, employer brand, benefits and career development

Attracting talent, particularly from Generation Z, remains a paramount concern for organizations across diverse industries. This paper aims to identify key variables influencing candidate attractiveness in joining organizations. Three variables—Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Employer Brand, Perceived Benefits, and Perceived Career Development—were examined for their impact on the intention to apply, serving as the dependent variable. A quantitative study involving 324 respondents, primarily Gen Z employees, was conducted between May and June 2022. Indicators for each variable were drawn from prior research. The data underwent analysis using Partial Least Squares (PLS) to assess validity and reliability, followed by structural model analysis to test hypotheses. The results indicated that only Employer Brand, Perceived Benefits, and Perceived Career Development significantly and positively influenced potential candidates’ intention to apply to organizations (p-value < 0.05). However, the study did not demonstrate a significant impact of CSR implementation on potential candidates’ intention to apply. Notably, it revealed a strong influence of CSR on employer brand. This study makes significant contributions to the discourse on talent attraction, underscoring the pivotal role of brand reputation, particularly influenced by CSR, in attracting talent. The findings emphasize the necessity for organizations to continually engage in CSR activities to bolster their reputation. Simultaneously, companies are encouraged to actively promote their career development programs and employee benefits offerings.Attracting talents is still a major concern of organizations across various industries; particularly attracting Gen Z. Failed to fulfil the needs of talents might cause negative impact to the organization. Therefore, understanding what factors influencing organization attractiveness will be beneficial for organization. This paper explains how employer brand play critical role on candidate decision in intention to apply. Yet, CSR strongly influenced employer brand. Employer benefits and career development are also important consideration for candidates in assessing what organization they intent to work with.