Regardless of a long tradition of legislation, policymaking and practical achievements, the issues ofgender equality and of the segregated labor market still remain a matter of concern in Sweden. Thispaper describes a collaborative process between a research project and an engineering enterprise.It describes the point of departure, based on the concept of employer brand, of a long-term changeprocess and the different phases and activities during an intensive period 2009. The collaborationaimed to develop innovative methods, and to apply them in order to achieve increased genderawareness, and thereby to be able to retain and attract the best labor for tomorrow. Differentapproaches and methods as analogies, anecdotes, and pictures were used to nourish the process.Findings showed that the interactive process contributed to increased awareness. During the processthe enterprise became more conscious of the potential of being a gender equal employer

Sustainable regional and business development depends on access to people motivated to invest their lives in a region and its enterprise. However in a time of demographical changes, urbanisation and new values on life and work among the next generation, the issue of attractiveness is crucial for both a region and its workplaces. The purpose of this chapter is to describe a process methodology for increased gender awareness in an enterprise and to emphasise the relationship between organisational and regional de- velopment. In this context, we use the innovative combination of the two scientific fields, gender and action-research in a collaborative project between researchers and an engineering enterprise in a semi-rural area of Sweden. This collaboration aims for a more gender mainstreamed organisation so as to retain and attract the most suitable labour for the future. During the long-term process, the employer and employees became more conscious of the importance of gender-equal issues; a factor we believe to be an important prerequisite of sustainable growth. 

Despite a global financial crisis, the concept Employer Branding became the point of departure for an interactive collaboration between an engineering company and a research team. When reviewing academic literature the conclusion was that very few articles combine the concepts of employer brand and gender equality. This article contributes theoretically to promote and examine arguments for the potential of adopting a gender perspective when developing an employer brand and when compiling the employer value propositioning. The article intends to inspire organizations to use a gender perspective when developing the employer value proposition in order to promote propositions reflecting the organization. It will also open avenues for further research by synthesizing the two fields.

The concept of employer brand involves a multidisciplinary field synthesizing theory from a range of academic disciplines often based on research on large organizations embracing the issues of recruitment and retention. The purpose of this article is to analyze whether theories of sustainable development programs can provide an additional basis for the predominant brand and market literature in order to understand how investments in financial and human resources can become more socially sustainable. The results of a literature review highlight certain similarities indicating that theories from sustainable development programs can support the understanding and practice of employer branding. This will hopefully inspire more deductive and empirical research on how to improve the sustainability of an employer brand. The practical implication is a de-mystification of the concept of employer brand in the eyes of practitioners by suggesting strategies and division of responsibilities when an organization decides to take the first steps to mobilize in "the war for talent."