Etika Profesional HR dan Dampaknya terhadap Employer Branding serta Candidate Experience: Studi Kasus pada PT Zhao Hui Nickel (ZHN) Indonesia

Abstract

This study analyzes the violation of professional HR ethics within the recruitment process at PT ZHN Indonesia and its impact on Candidate Experience and Employer Branding. The issue emerged when an HR staff member verbally abused a candidate, the incident subsequently went viral and triggered a severe reputational crisis. This research aims to understand the causal relationship between unethical HR behavior, negative candidate experiences, and organizational image degradation. A qualitative case-study approach was employed, utilizing secondary data from news reports, social media reactions, official company statements, and relevant academic literature. The findings indicate that ethical violations induced a "Shock Experience" for the candidate, accelerated negative electronic Word-of-Mouth (e-WOM), and led to rapid employer brand degradation. These results highlight that HR ethics play a strategic role in safeguarding organizational reputation. The implications recommend strengthening ethical training, communication skills, and stricter enforcement of the company’s Code of Conduct to prevent similar incidents and support corporate reputation recovery in the digital era.