Five Reasons Why Your Recruiting Strategy Needs Employee Stories

Sep 15

If you can’t find the people you need to operate your business, you have a big problem. It’s a problem that isn’t going to resolve itself any time soon. How can businesses compete for the labor they need to advance their plans for growth? One tactic business owners and HR professionals are turning to is content marketing, and the creation of employee stories to connect with people and build relationships with them through their online interactions.

The Power of Employee Stories

Whether you’re a business leader or an HR professional, learn about five reasons why your recruiting strategy needs employee stories:

1. Become Memorable in Candidates' Minds

It’s a candidate’s market in most areas of employment right now and chances are good that the people looking at your company are looking at other companies, too. Employee stories – which are really case studies of what you’re like as an employer – give candidates a tag to remember you by. A story about a person is a lot more memorable than the details of the job you have posted. Written in storytelling structure, your employee stories activate empathy which is a catalyst for trust.

2. Stories Inspire Action

Whether the candidate checking you out is actively searching for a new opportunity, or you’ve attracted the attention of someone who might be enticed to switch employers, your job description is not persuasive by itself.

That’s not to say that you don’t need a description of the position, you do; but job descriptions don’t stimulate brain activity like stories do. Add a story to your job description and you increase the chances that the people you want to reach will remember you, understand what you have to offer, and be inspired to act.

3. Stories Turn Platitudes into Tangibles

Does your company support employees with professional growth? Are you family-friendly and have a culture that promotes a healthy work-life balance? If you use the words that I just used, you’re saying the same thing your competitors are saying.

When you start to interview your people for employee case studies, you will find these stories come out naturally, and they’ll paint a picture for candidates that not only helps them envision working for you, it builds your credibility as a good employer.

4. Your Employees Become Better Referral Sources

Let’s face it, your staff aren’t consciously thinking each day about what a great employer you are. Talking to employees to get their story is a catalyst for reflection and brings to the surface thoughts and feelings that they might not know they had. The result is that they become more likely to talk about you, their employer, in a positive way and remember to refer you to their friends.

Likewise, when you publish employer case studies, it’s like giving your staff and your referral network something to hand out with your name on it. Employee stories kindle great social media engagement, and your need for talent stays at the top of people’s minds.

5. Stir Up Loyalty and Company Pride

Employee stories remind people why they like working at your company. I mentioned previously that interviewing staff for stories stimulates reflection, but the person owning the story isn’t the only person at your organization who is going to get emotionally involved.

I recently submitted a story to one of my clients and her comment was – “This makes me proud to work here.” With this reaction, we see that in a way, her colleague’s story was her story, too. It resonated with her.

Start Gathering and Sharing Employee Stories

Let me help you gather and share your employee stories. We can do a set of three and you can see for yourself how they can be used to support what you're doing with recruiting today and spark an initiative to turn your talent attraction approach from reaction to proactive.

Need someone to gather and tell your employee stories? I can help!

Get in touch to schedule a meeting.

Lori Creighton

I work with small businesses to improve their recruiting outcomes by creating an 'always on' employer brand. By shifting from job-specific promotions to a value-driven message based on employee experiences, a brand narrative is crafted that resonates with what employees value most in their workplace. Eager to share what I’ve learned, I offer my insights and strategies to marketing peers through resources and courses, designed to enhance their employer branding efforts and integrate recruitment marketing into their skill set.