Embedded and engaged: how employer branding drives talent retention
Ahmadreza Karimi Mazidi, Jafar Yazdimoghaddam, Marziehsadat AlavinejadPurpose
Employer branding leverages the organization’s image to attract and retain talent. However, the mechanisms linking employer brand to organizational turnover intention among skilled frontline employees (FLEs) remain underexplored. This study aims to examine the moderating and serial mediating roles of job-related factors in employer branding effectiveness.
Design/methodology/approach
Integrating social exchange theory with job embeddedness and job engagement, this study developed a comprehensive retention framework for the hospitality industry. Using partial least squares structural equation modeling, it analyzed time-lagged data from a convenience sample of talented FLEs. The study recruited participants from 30 leading Iranian organizations, purposively selected across three hospitality sectors.
Findings
Bootstrapping confirmed that job embeddedness and engagement serially mediate the relationship between employer brand and turnover intention. Furthermore, embeddedness significantly moderated the association between engagement and turnover intention. However, it had no direct effect on turnover intention, nor did it moderate the initial employer brand–engagement relationship.
Practical implications
Rather than using employer branding solely as a direct retention tool, practitioners may adopt a sequential intervention strategy that strengthens job embeddedness before deploying engagement initiatives. Engagement investments can then target highly embedded, talented FLEs to maximize retention returns.
Originality/value
This study advances talent management research by explaining talent retention through the synergistic mechanisms of job embeddedness and engagement. It further extends existing paradigms by testing these relationships in a unique context: a hospitality sector navigating both post-pandemic recovery and severe international sanctions.