Employer Brandin of Private Higher Education Institutions Between Attraction and Retention: Expert Perspectives

Abstract

The rapid growth of private higher education institutions (PHEIs) in Morocco is an emerging phenomenon that brings several challenges, notably high staff turnover.

In this context, attracting and retaining faculty members represent a strategic priority for PHEIs to ensure a sustainable competitive advantage and strengthen their employer brand. This brand relies on both an external dimension, oriented toward students (Whisman 2009; Nguyen et al. 2019), and an internal dimension focused on employees, which is recognized as essential (Chapleo et al. 2019).

A review of the existing literature reveals a near-total absence of research addressing the link between employer branding in higher education institutions and the attraction and retention of top talent, whether in Morocco or elsewhere.

This article explores the internal approach through a qualitative study involving 18 professors from two private business and engineering schools, using thematic content analysis.

Our findings reveal that developing an employer brand within PHEIs is vital. However, other attractive attributes also influence teachers' decision-making processes regarding their choice of institution, such as work-life balance, ethical behavior, managerial style, compensation, and career development.

JEL code: M12, M14, M31

Paper type:  Empirical Research