METHODOLOGICAL PROBLEMS IN THE ASSESSMENT OF THE EMPLOYER'S BRAND
Authors: Nikolova Nedka 
Published: March 2020

HR brand is a new socio-economic and management phenomenon that now shapes its theory and develops its potential in practice. Interest in its application is growing globally, both theoretically and practically. The HR-brand concept is rapidly developing as an effective marketing tool for strategic human capital management, creating a positive corporate identity and increasing the organization's competitiveness, but to date there is no systematized uniform theory and methodology. With increasing interest, its conceptual nature, component structure, models and technology for construction and development, as well as the effects of its application in strategic terms are discussed. A central methodological problem in theory and practice is the assessment of the employer's brand as part of the intangible assets of the firm, which has a significant role in the formation of market capitalization. Specialized scientific literature proposes different approaches, methodologies, models that are fragmented. The rapid development of high technologies and the intensive update of the technological and socio-economic infrastructure of the society, the dynamic state of the economy and the growing competition in the open labor market are only a part of the factors that make the problem of the shortage of highly qualified specialists a global, multi-dimensional and multi-level problem. As a new phenomenon, it requires formulation, structuring and complex research - in a managerial, organizational, social, economic and psychological aspect. Labor market globalization and the "war for talents" motivate many companies to seek new management approaches. With the development of the theory and methodology of marketing and the expansion of its practical application on the basis of modern information technology, more and more companies use marketing tools to formulate and implement their competitive strategies. The idea of applying the marketing approach to the strategic management of the human capital in the organization has been proposed and discussed for the first time by the marketing experts Simon Barrow and Tim Ambler in the period 1990-1996, when they both identified and defined for the first time a specific employer's brand (Employer Brand - EB), also called Human Resources Brand (HR - brand), different from the common corporate brand and the product brands of the organization. Unlike other corporate brands, Employer Brand identifies the organization as an employer. HR-brand is a new socio-economic and management phenomenon that is now forming its theory and develops its potential in practice. the interest in its application is increasing on a global scale, both in theory and practice. As far as the human capital is key to both small and large companies, it is equally applicable to all organizations, regardless of size and industry. The concept of the HR-brand is rapidly developing as an effective marketing tool for strategic human capital management, creating a positive corporate identity and increasing the competitiveness of the organization, but to date there is no systematized theory and methodology. With increasing interest, its conceptual nature, component structure, models and technology for construction and development, as well as the effects of its strategic application are being discussed. Various approaches, methodologies, models that have a fragmentary character are proposed in the specialized scientific literature. The belief that, to the extent that the employer's brand expresses its unique identity, it is widely believed that it should be created and developed according to a unique internal project of the organization. The main goal of the author in this publication is the systematization of the results of the theoretical research on the methods of assessment of the employer's brand.The best practices of leading global companies included in the "Fortune Global 500 Companies" are discussed. The practical significance of the study is the possibility that the results could be used by Bulgarian companies in the competitive struggle for attracting talents