The Cooperative Model, an Asset to Enhance the Employer Brand Identity of Cooperative Banks?
Based on the Attraction / Selection / Attrition model (Schneider et al., 1995), this research aims to explore the interest for member-owned (or cooperative) banks of developing an employer brand and identifying its benefits (Ambler and Barrow, 1996) to better distinguish themselves from investor-owned banks on the job market. Interviews with 21 HR managers from Crédit Agricole (France) and Desjardins (Quebec) confirm that they perceive that their employer brand differs from that of investor-owned banks by symbolic, functional, and economic advantages. However, cooperative banks should formalize better these benefits in their employer brand and communicate them clearly to their employees and the job market.