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Social Media in Employer Branding in FMCG in Russia: Millennial’s Perspective

24/03/2021

Multinational companies widely use social media to promote their brand, along with traditional recruitment tools. However, the effect of social media on potential applicant’s perceptions of the organization and their intention to apply for a job is unclear. The article by Kucherov and Zhitsova titled “Social Media in Employer Branding in fast moving consumer goods industries (FMCG) in Russia: Millennials’ perspective” published in the Journal of East-West Business (December 2020), analyzes the impact of corporate social media on potential applicants’ perception of employer brand image and employer attractiveness.

Social networks have become increasingly popular among Millennials. Previous research shows that 62% of Millennials visit social media sites to find more information about companies and their job vacancies, including pictures and posts about employees participating in unique firm festivities and meetings. For young specialists, social media is a quick and direct way to gain knowledge when evaluating potential employers as information provided by the employees of the company is considered to be more important than the favorable information generated by the company itself.

Russian Millennials are described as ambitious and mobile. Millennials are considered as globalists, who enjoy working and do not hesitate to say what they expect from their career and employer. They demonstrate higher level of self-esteem and confidence in their abilities and are less prone to depression. The empirical research was focused on Millennials aged from 20 to 27, students or recent graduates of the Graduate School of Management of St. Petersburg State University. The participants either had a short-term (internships) or a longer (full-time) work experience and actively used social networks to search for information. There were 119 participants, of which 33% bachelors, 37% masters and 30% graduates. Bachelors and master’s students showed much higher intention to apply for jobs at FMCG companies and their perception of these companies was highly affected by information provided in social media. Graduates used social media the least as they had a more extensive network to rely on for employment opportunities.

The study concludes that in context of the Russian labor market, using social media to promote career opportunities for Millennials should not only disseminate information but also create opportunities for discussions. Video and photo materials related to employees’ life within the company is key as employee engagement in social media may attract candidates and affect their job choice.

The full article can be accessed at  https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10669868.2020.1862383

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