Employer Branding, Use of Social Media, and CSR as Determinants of Gen Z’s Intention to Apply: Corporate Reputation as Mediator

Abstract

This study examines the influence of employer branding, use of social media, and corporate social responsibility (CSR) on Gen Z’s intention to apply for a job, with corporate reputation as a mediator. This research adopts a quantitative approach and data were collected from 275 respondents consisting of final-year undergraduate students and fresh graduates from the Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB) at public and private universities in the Jabodetabek area. Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to test the hypotheses. The findings indicate that employer branding and CSR have significant positive effects on corporate reputation. Furthermore, corporate reputation had a positive and significant effect on intention to apply and served as a mediating variable between employer branding and CSR toward intention to apply. However, corporate reputation did not mediate the relationship between use of social media and intention to apply. These findings highlight that Gen Z’s decision to apply was strongly influenced by their perception of a company’s positive reputation. Also the results contributed to signaling theory and provided practical implications for organizations to develop employer branding and CSR strategies to attract potential young talents.