Bridging the Gap between NUST and Valuable Human Capital through Marketing and Human Resource Efforts

Abstract

Branding is a significant aspect for organizations in the present day. Brands are one of the dearest assets an organization produces. The concept of employer brand is relatively new in Pakistan. The companies have an employer brand within them, but they need effectively promote this image inside and outside the company. There is a continuous war between companies today to attract the best employees as it is the employees who run the show and make the organizations stand out in the deluge of competition. Companies are striving to align the goals of their employees with those of organizations to create a favorable image in the minds of existing employees, the potential employees and the stakeholders of the organization as being a good place to work. NUST remains behind in this phenomenon and therefore is facing difficulties in gaining competitive advantage achieved through a spirited workforce, promoting employees to internalize company values, employee retention and creating a favorable impression in the job market. To study employer branding at NUST, a sample of 100 employees were selected who filled a self-administered questionnaire, this was enough to give a comprehensive analysis of the gaps prevalent at NUST with respect to employer branding. Furthermore, interviews of employees at organization which are considered employer brands in Pakistan were conducted to get an idea of the existing practices. The existing literature on international practices of employer branding was studied as well. The data was analyzed through pie charts and bar charts which facilitated the streamlining of available data. The analysis showed that employees at NUST are not completely unhappy with their organization but it is not thinking on the lines of employer branding. There is a lot of room for improvement internally and externally to make the organization an employer brand. Respondents to the questionnaire indicated that they needed career growth and development opportunities through trainings and global exposure, indicated a need to be made a part of the decision making, and looked forward to a culture which nurtures and promotes Organizational Citizenship Behavior. Externally NUST needed to promote itself in a way that potential employees, and graduates from top tier universities choose NUST as their preferred employer. The process for applying should be made more user-friendly and accessible. At the end of this study, a detailed plan is given to NUST for helping it in the process of employer branding.