The study aims to identify the significant outcomes of employer branding on organizational productivity and which organizational factors impact upon the relationship between the two. Data gathered from a survey of 369 Sri Lankan companies indicates that a well-developed employer branding strategy enables an organization to achieve significantly higher employee productivity-related outcomes than with a partially-developed or undeveloped strategy. Identifying the factors instrumental to the process affords an increased awareness of why this occurs, particularly in respect to the role of senior management in developing and driving the branding strategy, as well as understanding that its impact is largely ineffective until the brand image is fully developed and embedded in the internally and externally-focused identity of the organization. Although data was gathered from companies in one developing country it has practical implications for those managing employer branding programs through providing a greater understanding of the importance of organizational factors on brand strategy development in effecting the improved productivity.

Ambler and Barrow’s (1996) seminal definition of the term ‘employer brand’ described it as “the package of functional, economic and psychological benefits provided by employment, and identified with the employing company”, while “the sum of a company’s efforts to communicate to existing and prospective staff that it is a desirable place to work” (Lloyd, 2002) outlines the employer branding process. In both instances, these definitions focus on the obligations of the employer to the benefit of the employees without spelling out any commensurate return in terms of positive outcomes for the organization.

Although up to 20% of businesses in some countries actively practice employer branding strategies (Minchington, 2011), there appears to be little research data to document the outcomes that ensue in relation to factors that increase productivity. In exploring the relationship between the employer brand and the productivity-related outcomes of an organization, the following question is addressed.

Brand Management Journal, Nature, The Influence, Employer Branding, Productivity-Related Outcomes, Organization, Externally-Focused Outcomes, Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).