Employer Value Proposition (EVP) in the Era of Social Commerce and UGC: A Marketing–HRM Lens

Abstract

In the digital era, social commerce and user-generated content (UGC) profoundly influence how companies communicate and co-create brand value. This study examines the employer value proposition (EVP) through an integrated marketing–HRM lens, focusing on the growing role of social commerce and UGC in shaping employee perceptions and outcomes. Drawing on resource-based and signaling perspectives, we propose that a firm’s active engagement in social commerce and facilitation of employee-generated content strengthens the perceived EVP, which in turn enhances employee commitment and attraction. We conducted a quantitative survey of 300 employees across service-sector firms in Pakistan, measuring social commerce engagement, employee-driven brand content, EVP clarity, and organizational commitment. Results show that both social commerce usage and employee-generated content significantly predict a stronger EVP (β = .39 and .33, p < .001), and EVP in turn significantly predicts higher commitment (β = .50, p < .001). Mediation analysis indicates EVP fully mediates the effect of UGC on commitment and partly mediates the effect of social commerce (bootstrapped indirect effects significant at 95% CI). The findings underscore that companies signaling strong employer value via interactive social channels can boost workforce loyalty. This work contributes a novel framework linking marketing and HR constructs, demonstrating that digital engagement strategies typically used for consumer branding also apply to internal employer branding. Key contributions include extending EVP theory to the social-commerce context and offering practical guidance for HR and marketing managers to co-create EVP with employees through social platforms.