Storytelling is a powerful way to help people connect with your brand. More than your mission statement or values, it is the thing that adds a human touch.
But it isn’t just the fact that you are telling stories that matters. The “who” matters as well. When it’s your employer brand that you are trying to humanize, the best stories come directly from your employees.
These stories should be authentic, engaging, and relevant to your target audience. They shouldn’t come across as cheery testimonials that you might find in recruiting videos. Instead, they should be sincere expressions from employees that prospective hires will feel are relatable.
Here are some tips for getting the best stories out of your employees, along with some ways that you can deliver that high-quality content to your audience.
What Makes a Good Employee Story?
Employee stories should be relevant and engaging. They should create an emotional connection and represent some aspect of your brand as an employer.
A good employee story will lead to the candidate picturing themselves in the role of storyteller. Here are some other elements that make for a good story:
- They are specific
- They provide insights that only an employee can give
- Stories are sincere and authentic
- Stories are directly delivered by the person who experienced the situation
If the story works to explain all or a part of your employer value proposition (EVP), it’s even better.
How to Get Good Stories from Employees
It can take a bit of work to find employees that are able to tell engaging stories (and then more work to get good stories out of them!). Once you do, however, you’ll likely find that it’s worth the effort. Here are some tips that will help.
Recruit Willing Storytellers
Reach out to employees to let them know that you are looking for people to share stories about their experiences. The folks who step forward to volunteer are going to be comfortable with the idea of storytelling. Presumably, they’ll be happy enough to share their testimony enthusiastically and in a way that connects with the audience.
Give Them a Prompt
Ask someone to share a story about being an employee, and they might stumble over their words. Give them directions that are a bit more specific, and you’ll probably get a much clearer, engaging response.
Try some of these prompts and questions:
- What does our EVP mean to you?
- When do you feel like you have the best chance to use your talents?
- Do you have a job-related experience that speaks to our culture?
- What do you look forward to about work every day?
- Talk about a time you truly felt appreciated.
- Describe a situation in which you felt like your coworkers had your back.
- Is there something about this job you haven’t experienced anywhere else?
Don’t expect a great story at first. Chances are that employees will start with some vague generalities like, “This is a fun place to work” or “My coworkers are great.”
Don’t get frustrated. Think of this as a good start. You just have to draw out more details. Ask them to tell you more and encourage them with specific, direct questions.
Get Them to Relax
If you are asking for a written story, give employees plenty of time to create it. If they will be filmed, be prepared for plenty of takes. Don’t get frustrated if the process takes longer than you might think.
Tell a Story to Get a Story
Good stories lead to even better ones. Get a group of employees together. Start the ball rolling by telling your own story or find someone whom you know has a really engaging story to tell. Make the process conversational. Before long, you’ll have more than a few new stories to share with candidates.
Use the Right Format
Storytelling is a broad term that’s used to describe the sharing of thoughts, values, and insights through experiences.
There are many ways that stories can be told. Some people are great in front of a camera, so they are perfect subjects for video stories. Other employees are better with written words. They can write blog posts, reviews, or articles. Encourage employees to tell their stories directly or use an interview format to get the most out of your sessions.
Learn About Their Work Experiences
Sometimes, a good story is easier to recognize from the outside. Something that may be really intriguing to your target audience may seem like it’s “just part of the job” for an employee.
Consider shadowing a few employees for a day. You might find an interesting story or two along the way. This is also a great way to get some behind-the-scenes content, which is also a great form of storytelling.
Look for Missing Voices
Take an honest look at your current marketing efforts as an employer. What’s missing? More importantly, who’s missing? Are there voices that aren’t being represented in the stories you are telling?
Maybe you’re lacking stories from women, people from a particular branch or division, or a particular organizational level. Think about your target audience and find ways to create content that will be relatable to them.
Get Plenty Of Feedback
Before you post a video or blog post, reach out to people in your company for feedback. When you’ve been involved in the creation of the story, it’s difficult to step back and take an objective look. Gain some perspective by sharing your content with others. Ask them how they feel about it, what they take away as the message, and whether it seems sincere to them.
