Abstract:
Human capital is recognised as a salient factor determining organisational success
in the information-driven era. It was echoed in many strategic management studies that human
talent is a primary strategic source for a sustainable competitive edge. Thus, many
organisations are crafting their brand—employer branding. Nonetheless, this may not last if
the employee is not engaged in the work. Engaged employees contribute to long-term success
and the firm to thrive. Given this managerial interest, this study investigates the mediating
role of talent management practices in the relationship between employer branding and
employee engagement. The data were collected from conveniently chosen 112 employees
working in 16 private sector organisations in the Northern region, Sri Lanka. The hypotheses
were tested with the aid of Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) using Hayes’
PROCESS Macro—the process Macro Regression method. The results revealed the
significant positive effects of employer branding on talent management and talent
management on employee engagement. Notably, the study confirmed a complementary
mediation that the effect of employer branding on employee engagement was partially
mediated by talent management. The study has contributed to the frontiers of human resources
management literature. The study has also provided many practical implications to augment
employee engagement in organisations.
