Does culture matter? Exploring the interrelation of organisational culture, employee experience and employer brand

Abstract

The concepts of organisational culture, employee experience and employer brand are going mainstream - but how can each of us recognize a strong organisational culture, positive employee experience and attractive employer brand? And how are these concepts interrelated? These are the research questions of this thesis and they are answered based on findings about what factors matter most to people in terms of organisational culture, employee experience and employer brand.

The theoretical framework of this study is based on theories of organisational culture, employee experience and employer brand. It is an interpretive mixed method study and the thesis is research-based. The empirical data were collected in eight semi-structured interviews with employees of predominantly generation X, who have left a workplace due to organisational culture issues and are looking for their next workplace or have already found it. These interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis; the aim was to identify what is most important for these employees when looking for a new job and what do they expect from the new workplace. The key finding was, that it is ‘appreciation and trust’ (to be able to trust in the organisation and being trusted).

This resulted in the idea of creating a guide for job seekers that would help identify organisations that fit employees' values, but also highlights warning signs when there is probably no fit. The creation of this guide required more information, which only became clear after the interviews. To collect the additionally needed information, a supplementary questionnaire was created and completed by seven (of the eight) respondents.

Once all the information was in place, the ‘match-making guide’ could be created. It has been divided into four chapters, three of which reflect the applicants’ journey through the recruitment process, which includes application-, interview- and onboarding-stage. A bonus chapter addresses the gathering of information before starting the actual job search. The guide is not only of benefit for applicants, but can also be of interest for organisations, as it shows what applicants and potential employees are looking for when searching for a new workplace and employer, and also what they consider important throughout the recruitment process.