This study examines the impact of employer branding on the job application intentions of graduating students in Ho Chi Minh City using the Stimulus–Organism–Response (SOR) framework. Data were collected from 308 final-year university students and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 4.0. The results indicate that personal development value, social value, economic value, application value, and employer reputation significantly and positively influence employer attractiveness. In contrast, interest value shows no significant effect and was excluded from the final model. Employer attractiveness plays a critical mediating role and emerges as the strongest predictor of job application intention. Together, the independent variables explain 66.3% of the variance in employer attractiveness and 39.9% of the variance in application intention. The findings highlight the importance of building a strong and credible employer brand that aligns with graduating students’ expectations regarding career development, compensation, practical experience, and organizational reputation. Practical implications are discussed for organizations seeking to enhance recruitment effectiveness in competitive labor markets.
