“Who are we really?” Opportunities of revenue and customs authority in development of human resources management

Abstract

During the reorganization of the Hungarian tax and customs authority in 2020 and the communication concerning the planned simplification of employment relations, the term ‘Brand of the NTCA’ (National Tax and Customs Administration) was repeatedly mentioned in several forums. The authors highlighted the area of responsibility of the revenue authority’s law enforcement sector and picked patrol officers as the ‘frontline’ of the organization citizens usually see when they cross the border or get checked on their way. Domestic and foreign researches have proven that brand creation and development is not just a privilege of the private sector. The ability to retain the workforce, in close relation to the employer’s branding efforts – notwithstanding the Z generation’s appearance on the labour market – remains a priority for the public sector actors and employers. The channels and the content of the transmission of values are just as essential as what we promise, and in this relation, how formal communication happens. Presumably, it is less challenging for other employers in the public administration and the law enforcement agencies having a more straightforward employee structure than the domestic revenue authority. Employer branding affects all levels and segments of the organization and each employee, including the mobile patrolling function, communication, and human resource management. Our study’s complex objective was to explore the values of the tax and customs authority’s efforts to create an attractive employer brand. Meanwhile, the authors come across the opportunities the authority can offer to their employees and identify the development requirements based on previous research results.