Signaling Organizational Value: Determinants of Attractiveness of Public Sector Employers in Romania

Public sector organizations increasingly struggle to attract and retain skilled personnel, especially in emerging economies where private and nonprofit employers offer strong alternatives. Although employer attractiveness has been widely studied in corporate contexts, less is known about how public organizations can strengthen their appeal. Drawing on signaling theory, this paper examines how observable organizational practices shape perceptions of public employer attractiveness. Survey data from 207 Romanian public sector employees were analyzed using PLS-SEM, complemented by cIPMA. The results identify professional development, compensation, and a supportive work environment as key drivers of attractiveness, while work–life balance, CSR, and organizational culture operate mainly through indirect pathways. The study extends signaling theory to a resource-constrained public sector context and identifies practical priorities for improving employer attractiveness.