Corporate Social Responsibility, Employer Brand, and Intention to Apply: Testing Mediation and Moderation Model among Indonesian Engineering Students

Abstract

Background: Competition to secure high-quality talent affects many organizations, including Indonesian mining companies that encounter difficulty attracting Generation Z because of the unfavorable image associated with extractive industries. Objective: This research examines the effects of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Employer Brand on Intention to Apply, positioning Corporate Reputation as a mediator and the Availability of Organizational Information on Social Media as a moderator among Generation Z in relation to Indonesian mining companies. Methods: A quantitative design was implemented through an online questionnaire using a seven-point Likert scale. The sample comprised third- and final-year engineering students from Universitas Indonesia, Institut Teknologi Bandung, and Universitas Gadjah Mada, yielding 262 valid responses. Covariance-Based Structural Equation Modeling (CB-SEM) was conducted with SmartPLS. Results: CSR negatively and significantly affected Intention to Apply. Economic Value, Development Value, and Application Value positively affected Corporate Reputation, which subsequently increased Intention to Apply. Corporate Reputation mediated the effects of CSR and selected Employer Brand dimensions on Intention to Apply. The Availability of Organizational Information on Social Media weakened the association between Corporate Reputation and Intention to Apply. Conclusion: The findings advance human resource management knowledge and provide recruitment guidance for mining companies in Indonesia.