AbstractAuthors​: Johan Byström and Jonathan Ekstrand. Advisor​: Jesper Enbom. Examinator​: Eric Carlsson. The purpose of this thesis is to increase our understanding about how some of the most popular tech business’ use the phenomenon employer branding to make their own company look more attractive towards future workers through their social media channels. But also, expand our knowledge when it comes down to what makes a company attractive among students who study information technology and data programs. This thesis consisted of two methods which were a semiotic image analysis and two qualitative interviews. The data from the semiotic analysis consists of nine different images from the selected companies and the qualitative interviews consists of two separate group interviews which concluded a total of nine students from Umeå university. The results showed us new insights on how successful companies operate on their social media channels Instagram and Facebook. We could also identify that each company had their own idea of strategic communication on their channels. But something mutual between all channels were that they published content which purpose was to please a wider audience rather than a small selected group of people. Through this study we landed in the conclusion that the three companies do not aim their communication directly towards the group of students we interviewed. However, you can see patterns of the phenomenon employer branding in the published content, which contributes to make the companies look attractive. The interviewed students meant that the work environment had to be inviting. They also explained that some of the most important things that they look for in a future workplace are; fellowship, common interests and personal development. If companies use social media their chance of attractiveness and good reputation increases, rather than being lost in the crowd if they are never seen. Keywords: ​Employer branding, identity, social identity, social media, consumption, attractiveness, IT, personal development, corporate culture, students, communication, semiotics

Bakgrund och problemformulering: Gruvnäringen i Sverige står inför flerakritiska utmaningar som hotar dess långsiktiga hållbarhet. Digitaliseringen som ärnödvändigt för att förbli konkurrenskraftig i gruvindustrin, riskerar att minskasysselsättningen i företagens närområden. Detta kan leda till ökat motstånd frånlokalbefolkningen, vars sociala acceptans är avgörande för verksamhetens fortsattadrift. Samtidigt finns det en brist på högutbildad arbetskraft som ingenjörer,automationstekniker, och datavetare, vilket är nödvändigt för att genomföra dendigitala omställningen. Gruvbolagen måste också omskola befintlig personal föratt möta de nya kompetenskraven, vilket riskerar att mötas av internt motståndsom kan spridas till omgivningen. I och med digitaliseringen måste gruvbolagensåledes bemöta flertalet kompetensrelaterade utmaningar samtidigt som godarelationer med lokalbefolkningen upprätthålls. Utan en väl genomförd omställningriskerar gruvbolagen att förlora både effektivitet och lokalt stöd. Dennabalansgång mellan att driva digitaliseringen och bibehålla social och ekonomiskstabilitet i gruvsamhällena är en central utmaning för branschen. Syfte och forskningsfrågor: Syftet med denna uppsats är att få en holistisk bildöver vilka kompetensrelaterade utmaningar gruvindustrins digitalisering medför,samt hur dessa utmaningar kan förstås i relation till varandra. Studien ämnar ävenatt undersöka hur svenska gruvbolag arbetar för att möta dessa utmaningar, ochslutligen att utifrån befintlig litteratur och intervjuer med anställda inomgruvindustrin ge förslag på hur dessa utmaningar kan hanteras. Detta harundersökts genom följande två forskningsfrågor; Vilka utmaningar medför gruvindustrins digitalisering kopplat tillkompetensförsörjning, och hur samverkar dessa med varandra? Hur arbetar svenska gruvbolag i dagsläget för att möta de kompetensrelateradeutmaningarna digitaliseringen medför? Resultat och kunskapsbidrag: Studien identifierade tre huvudsakligautmaningar: personal- och kompetensbrist, motstånd till förändring, och socialacceptans (SLO). Dessa utmaningar utgör en paradox där lösningen på ett problem kan förvärra ett annat, vilket ställer krav på att kunna se problemen bådeindividuellt och holistiskt, vara dynamisk i beslutsfattandet, och att noggrantbalansera olika åtgärder.Resultaten visar likt tidigare forskning ett ökat behov av digitalt kunnig personal. Imotsats till tidigare forskning framgick dock att digitaliseringen osannolikt ledertill minskad sysselsättning, då företagens behov av personal växer medutvecklingen. Gruvindustrins attraktionsproblem grundas sig i geografiskavlägsenhet, låg arbetslöshet i närområden, få högutbildade i närheten, ochnegativa uppfattningar om branschen. Gruvbolagen kompenserar detta medgenerösa löner, karriärmöjligheter, socialt engagemang och rekrytering frånutlandet med stöd för integration. För att stärka sin SLO och göra området mer attraktivt arbetar gruvbolagen medsocial hållbarhet och stöttar närliggande samhällen. De samarbetar även medskolor, deltar i arbetsmarknadsmässor och använder sociala medier för attmarknadsföra sig som arbetsgivare. Även kompetensutveckling framgick somavgörande för att möta verksamhetens behov, marknadsförautvecklingsmöjligheter och behålla personal genom främst intern men ocksåextern utbildning och utvecklingsprogram. Internt förändringsmotstånd identifierades särskilt bland anställda som arbetatinom företagen under en längre tid. Då gruvbolag har en hög andel anställda medlång anställningstid, kan det bli ett signifikant problem för företagen om det intehanteras rätt. Detta motstånd hanterar gruvbolagen huvudsakligen genom attinformera anställda om varför förändringen är nödvändig, men kan hanteras bättregenom att ta stöd av Hiatts ADKAR-modell. / Background and problem statement: The mining industry in Sweden facesseveral critical challenges that threaten its long-term sustainability. Digitalization,which is necessary to remain competitive in the mining industry, is at risk ofcausing reduced employment in the companies' local areas. This can lead toincreased resistance from the local population, whose social acceptance is crucialfor the continued operation of the industry. Simultaneously, there is a shortage ofhighly educated workforce, such as engineers and data scientists, which isnecessary to carry out the technical transition. Mining companies also need toretrain existing staff to meet the new competency requirements, which risksencountering internal resistance that can spread to the surrounding community.Thus, in the face of digitalization, mining companies must address multiplecompetence-related challenges while maintaining good relations with the localpopulation. Without a well-executed transition, mining companies risk losing bothefficiency and local support. Balancing digitalization with maintaining social andeconomic stability in mining communities is a central challenge for the industry. Purpose and research questions: The purpose of this thesis is to obtain a holisticview of the competence-related challenges brought by the digitalization of themining industry and how these challenges can be understood in relation to eachother. The study also aims to examine how Swedish mining companies work tomeet these challenges and based on existing literature and interviews withindustry employees, to propose how these challenges can be managed. This hasbeen investigated through the following two research questions: What challenges does the digitalization of the mining industry pose related tocompetence provision, and how do these interact with each other? How are Swedish mining companies currently working to meet thecompetence-related challenges brought by digitalization?  Results and contribution: The study identified three main challenges: employeeand competence shortage, resistance to change, and Social License to Operate(SLO). These challenges form a paradox where the solution to one problem canexacerbate another, requiring the ability to view the problems both individuallyand holistically, be dynamic in decision-making, and carefully balance differentmeasures. The results show, like previous research, an increased need for digitally skilledpersonnel. However, contrary to earlier studies, it emerged that digitalization isunlikely to result in reduced employment, as companies' need for personnel growswith the development. The employee attraction problems of the mining industryare based on geographical remoteness, low unemployment in local areas, fewhighly educated people nearby, and negative perceptions of the industry. Miningcompanies compensate for this with generous salaries, career opportunities, socialengagement, and recruitment from abroad with support for integration. To strengthen their SLO and make the area more attractive, mining companieswork with social sustainability and support local communities. Further, theycollaborate with schools, participate in job fairs, and use social media to marketthemselves as employers. Competence development also emerged as crucial tomeet the needs of the business, market development opportunities, and retain staffthrough mainly internal but also external training and development programs.Internal resistance to change was identified, especially among employees whohave worked in the company for a long time. As mining companies have a highproportion of employees with long tenures, it can become a significant problemfor the companies if not managed right. This resistance is mainly managed byinforming employees about why the change is necessary but can be better handledusing Hiatts ADKAR-model.

Könssegregerade arbetsplatser och yrkesområden är något som kan vara till företagets nackdel, då det har visat sig att könssegregering kan bidra till sämre resultat och arbetsklimat. Segregeringen gör det också svårare för arbetsgivare att hitta rätt kompetens, vilket är ett stort problem i Värmland och anledningen till att projektet “Attraktionskraft Värmland” har startats av regionen. Projektet vill, tillsammans med företagen, göra arbetsmarknaden mer jämställd och minska segregeringen för att eliminera den kompetensbrist som råder i länet. En av de könssegregerade branscherna i Värmland är tillverkningsindustrin, som överrepresenteras av män.  Med inspiration av detta är syftet med studien att undersöka hur man kan locka fler kvinnliga medarbetare till branschen genom att ändra de fördomar och stereotyper som finns kring den. Detta med hjälp av att använda den grafiska profilen för att uttrycka jämställdhet och signalera att arbetsplatsen är inbjudande för alla kön. Studiens frågeställningar blev då:  På vilket sätt uttrycks jämställdhet genom semiotiska tecken i den grafiska profilen för företag inom tillverkningsindustrin i Värmland? Vad finns det för visuella element som kan vara problematiskt kopplat till jämställdhet i en grafisk profil? För att uppnå detta användes Luptons (2011) designprocess och en semiotisk multimodal analys av hemsidor från företag inom tillverkningsindustrin i Värmland. Tillsammans med den tidigare forskningen, teorier och resultatet av analysen visade analysen att sådant som färg, form, samt representation av kön och könsroller är påverkande i huruvida uttrycket på en hemsida upplevs som maskulint eller feminint. Efter analysen togs det fram en grafisk profil och mockup på hemsida som exempel på hur det går att använda dessa grafiska element för att skapa ett uttryck som inte diskriminerar något kön samt kan upplevas som inbjudande för alla könsidentiteter. Exemplet ska också visa hur det går att ändra den grafiska profilen med dessa aspekter i åtanke utan att tappa företagets grundvärderingar och identitet. Nyckelord: Grafisk design, grafiska profiler, jämställdhet, visuell kommunikation, employer branding / Gender-segregated workplaces and industries are something that can be to the company's disadvantage, as it has been shown that gender segregation can contribute to poorer results and work climate. Segregation also makes it more difficult for employers to find the right skills, which is a major problem in Värmland and the reason why the project "Attraction Värmland" has been launched by the region. Together with businesses, the project aims to make the labor market more equal and reduce segregation to eliminate the skills shortage in the county. One of the most gender-segregated sectors in Värmland is the manufacturing industry, which is overrepresented by men. Inspired by this, the purpose of the study is to explore how to attract more female employees to that industry by changing the prejudices and stereotypes surrounding it. This is done by using the graphic profile to express gender equality and signal that the workplace is inviting to all genders. The study's questions then became: How is gender equality expressed through semiotic signs in the graphic profile of companies in the manufacturing industry in Värmland? What visual elements can be problematic in relation to gender equality in a graphic profile? To achieve this, Lupton's (2011) design process and a semiotic multimodal analysis of websites from companies in the manufacturing industry in Värmland were used. Together with the previous research, theories, and the results of the analysis, the study showed that things like color, shape, and representation of gender and gender roles are influential in whether the expression on a website is perceived as masculine or feminine. After the analysis, a graphic profile and mockup of the website were developed as an example of how it is possible to use these graphic elements to create an expression that does not discriminate against any gender and can be perceived as inviting to all gender identities. The example also wants to show how it is possible to change the graphic profile with these aspects in mind without losing the company's core values and identity. Keywords: Graphic design, graphic profiles, gender equality, visual communication, employer branding

Syfte: Syftet med uppsatsen är att ge en beskrivning av arbetstidsförkortningens påverkan på attraktionsfaktorerna, genom att studera högutbildade personer inom Generation Z samt arbetsgivare som har implementerat arbetstidsförkortning. Metod: Studien har avsett att undersöka arbetstidsförkortningens påverkan på attraktionsfaktorerna gentemot högutbildade personer inom Generation Z. Empirisk data har varit grunden för undersökningen som sedan har jämförts med befintlig teori, vilket innebär att en induktiv forskningsansats har antagits. Studien har tillämpat en tvärsnittsundersökning där kvalitativa intervjuer varit grunden för den empiriska datainsamlingen. Slutsats: Arbetstidsförkortning har visat sig ha en positiv effekt på attraktionsfaktorerna gentemot arbetstagare. Det kan däremot vara av vikt för företag som planerar att implementera arbetstidsförkortning i syfte att attrahera personal att se över dess påverkan på den sociala arbetsmiljön. Företag som har implementerat arbetstidsförkortning har visat sig ha ny kompetent personal mer lättillgängligt än andra företag. / Purpose: The aim of the paper is to provide a description of the impact of working time reduction on the attractiveness factors, by studying highly educated people within Generation Z and employers who have implemented work time reduction. Method: The study aimed to investigate the impact of work time reduction on the attraction factors towards highly educated people within Generation Z. Empirical data has been the basis for the study, which has then been compared with existing theory, which means that an inductive research approach has been adopted. The study has applied a cross-sectional survey where qualitative interviews have been the basis for the empirical data collection.  Conclusion: Work time reduction has been shown to have a positive effect on employee attraction factors. However, it may be important for companies planning to implement work time reduction in order to attract staff to consider its impact on the social working environment. Firms that have implemented work time reduction have been found to have skilled labour more readily available than other firms.

Master of Arts / Department of Economics / Dong Li / Comprehensive worksite wellness programs were first introduced in the United States in the late 1970s and early 1980s, with the goals of improving health, reducing health care expenditures, and demonstrating senior management’s commitment to the health and well-being of workers (Ozminkowski et al, 2002). As the annual cost of employer-sponsored family health coverage increased four percent between 2012 and 2013 (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2013), many companies are turning to worksite wellness programs. Wellness programs have shown not only to reduce health care costs, but also decrease absenteeism and increase employee satisfaction. The studies on the benefits of wellness programs are not conclusive; there seems to be a general lack of good data collection and analysis. This report discusses what determines an employer’s likelihood of offering a wellness program, what determines an employee’s participation in a wellness program, and a benefits analysis of wellness programs.

Title: "You get what you ask for” - A comparative study of two organizations and how they, with the help of communicative strategies, work with their employer brands. The purpose of this study was to compare how two organizations use communication strategies as a part of their employer brand strategy. The study is based on the fact that today it has become increasingly important for organizations to work with their employer brands. Globalisation has led to new competitive situations for organizations and therefore the need for communication has increased. The two organizations in this study have different preconditions regarding recruitment. One organization is a part of the public sector and has large recruitment needs. The other organization is smaller and privately owned and do not have the same recruitment needs. The study also aims to identify if the communication strategies differ depending on the differences between the organizations and how much competition there is for jobs. To succeed with this, theories related to marketing, organizational theory, organizational culture and organizational communication was used. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and six employees were interviewed. The analysis showed that both organizations thought it was important to work with their employer brands but they worked in different ways to strengthen them. One organization had a stated strategy and the other had not. One thing both organizations had in common was that they considered their employees to be important assets, but they worked a little different to strengthen their organizational cultures. In the external communication one organization were more cautious while the other organization argued that they needed to be more daring to be able to strenghten their employer brand. The result indicates that the strategies differ between the organizations. The difference is mostly due to the different preconditions the organizations had right from the start. The fact that one is part of the public sector and the other one is a private organization is a thing that matters. Their sizes and their different working areas also influence their work with the employer brand. Keywords: Employer branding, organizational theory, organizational communication, marketing, word of mouth, Backhaus and Tikoo

The "psychological contract" is one of today's hottest buzzwords. In this ever­ continuing competitive and changing environment rapid organisational and managerial change is required to enable business and organisations to survive. The objective of this research was to investigate the extent to which opinions of employees about the various psychological contract dimensions can influence the overall employment relationship. A literature survey concerning the psychological contract construct, its dimensions and the variables affecting the psychological contract was done. A sample of 394 employees within an Auditing firm was obtained, from which three departments (Management Consulting, Auditing and Information Systems) employees opinions on the psychological contract dimensions were compared. The results of the empirical study indicated that there are comparable differences in employee's perceptions of the various dimensions of the psychological contract. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M.A. (Industrial Psychology)

The purpose of this study was to examine in what way a strong employer branding of health promotion can have an effect on the ways individuals can experience isolation and stress. In this survey we have used the theories of health promotion, organizational culture, isolation and stress in an analysis of the possible situation caused by strong employer branding of health promotion. We have used these theories in analysis with the purpose to answer the following questions: How does a strong employer branding of health promotion influence those employees who, for some reasons, don’t take advantage of organizations’ health promotion programs and activities? Could those, who don’t take advantage of health activities, become isolated in a company? The method of research that was used in this study is a qualitative analysis; we used semi structured interviews and open e-mail correspondences. The material was collected from nine different organizations as the response from ten interviews. The result of the analysis show that is possible for an individual to experience isolation and stress as a result of an organization’s employer branding on health promotion. At the same time these individuals can experience that they are indirectly obligated to consider their everyday actions from the health promotion perspective, which we have assumed to be a result of the possible punishments and rewards from their leaders. The conclusion is consequently that a strong employer branding can affect an individual’s social situation within an organization, but it is problematic to see in which scale. The result has revealed that employer branding of health promotion is a possible cause for isolation and stress.

Syftet med denna studie avser att undersöka vad blivande lärare attraheras av hos potentiella framtida arbetsgivare. Studiens frågeställningar är således: Vilka faktorer motiverar lärarstudenter att söka sig till en framtida arbetsgivare? Hur ser den ideala arbetsgivaren ut för blivande lärare? I denna kvalitativa studie har sex stycken lärarstudenter från Stockholms universitet intervjuats.   Det finns tidigare forskning om lärares preferenser och vilka faktorer de anser viktiga för ett yrke som lärare. Mycket av den aktuella forskning som finns saknar en kvalitativ ansats med blivande lärare vilket blev motivationen i valet av denna studie. Resultatet för denna studie visar att kombinationen av olika faktorer värderas högt vid valet av arbetsgivare. Vidare visar resultatet att högst värde har faktorer som socialt stöd, social och kollegial samhörighet, utvecklingsmöjlighet och geografisk närhet medan lön, geografiskt område och karriärutveckling värderas mindre. Det går inte att dra en slutsats för vilka faktorer samtliga lärarstudenter i landet motiveras och attraheras av vid val av arbetsgivare. Däremot är förhoppningen att denna studie bidrar med en fördjupad förståelse för vad som attraherar lärarstudenter.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The Little Office (TLO) is a proposed start-up that will enter the childcare industry as a provider of on-site day-care at office parks. The unique service offering that TLO will propose to the market is on-site day-care which will not only serve the employers in question, but also their employees. TLO offers organisations the opportunity to address employee productivity related to childcare, as well as to attract and retain skills, while being able to outsource the actual day-care function, which is unrelated to their core business. The service offering to the children and their parents will include a focus on educational, social, physical and emotional development. Market trend analysis indicates an increase in demand for day-care. Combined with the fact that companies are ramping up efforts to attract and retain employees, this results in a situation where the market size and market trends indicate significant opportunities for TLO. Competition is present but due to the size of the market and the core differences in the business model presented by TLO the threat of competition is not fierce. The strategy has been developed around the market analysis and by taking into account the opportunities and threats that exist for TLO. TLO’s strategy therefore serves to differentiate it from the rest of the market in terms of location of centres as well as primary target customers. Coupled with the research evidence of positive outcomes on employee performance, this suggests the concept will be welcomed by new economy organisations. The marketing strategy will aim at large businesses, office parks and government institutions. TLO will present custom feasibility studies to identified customers to establish whether the business is feasible in terms of space, number of employees with children in the organisation, requirements by parents etc. TLO’s strategy is to develop not only core service offerings but also distinctive competencies such as a lower child to carer ratio and high quality, cutting edge and innovative childcare. The various branches of TLO will be run by a central administrative hub, where most of the costs will initially be incurred. This centralised office will be run by the owner and would require administrative and qualified social worker staff. Each branch will require qualified educational staff in line with the number of children per branch. Due to the regulatory requirements inherent in the childcare industry, TLO will base their business operations around achieving compliance excellence in their business. In addition, a continuous evaluation of childcare sciences and re-evaluation of TLO’s service offering will ensure that the latest developments in childcare are addressed and thus TLO remains competitive and progressive. The business model is low risk and provides positive operating cash flow from year three. Through partnering with labour brokers and the use of intelligent placement strategies, TLO will ensure that they have the correct staff in the correct place. Combined with continual audits of performance, TLO will turn the human resources risk into a competitive advantage. The main objectives for the first three years of operation are:  To open four branches averaging 20 children per branch within the first year;  To increase the number of clients served by 100% in Year 2 and again in Year 3; and  To develop a sustainable, profitable, start-up business.