Key takeaways:
- Authentic stories strengthen brands: Authentic employee storytelling enhances employer branding, making it relatable and attractive to potential candidates.
- Embrace employee-centric narratives: Prioritize authentic stories about associates’ experiences, align them with your EVP, and encourage natural storytelling rather than forced messaging.
- Highlight returning employees’ stories: Showcase the value of your EVP through the experiences of returning employees. Share these narratives consistently across all platforms to maintain engagement and authenticity.
Crafting a compelling employer brand is crucial for attracting and retaining top talent. One powerful initiative that talent marketing leaders continually embrace is employee storytelling.
By sharing authentic narratives of their workforce, companies can create an authentic message that resonates with prospective candidates and strengthens their employer brand.
In a recent Talent Marketing Board panel discussion on showcasing the true ROI of talent marketing, senior leaders shared insights on the role of storytelling in shaping their employer brand.
We take a look at how senior recruitment marketing and employer brand leaders are developing authentic employer brands to prove the ROI of their initiatives.
Prioritize Authenticity to Build Your Employee Value Proposition
Jojo Longnecker, Head of Employer Brand and Talent Marketing at Fidelity Investments, emphasized the importance of building an employer brand and value proposition. She highlighted the significance of storytelling and using these elements effectively.
Jojo mentioned that they made an effort to incorporate associates into their social media posts and videos to discuss topics like career mobility and benefits, aligning with their employee value proposition (EVP).
“We’re trying to get those things woven in so that you’re hearing it in a more natural way,” Jojo said. “So the individual is saying why they love this company, and they’re talking about the examples or about their story. You hear it through there instead of having somebody hammer you over the head of why you want to work here.”
The individual is saying why they love this company, and they’re talking about the examples or about their story. You hear it through there instead of having somebody hammer you over the head of why you want to work here.
Jojo Longnecker, Head of Employer Brand and Talent Marketing at Fidelity Investments
Jojo’s team also reviewed their content to ensure key points were covered and encouraged associates to touch on these aspects more authentically.
The overall goal was to ensure that the EVP accurately reflected what people naturally discussed, striking a balance between interesting stories and avoiding repetition.
Empower Employees to Share Their Stories to Build a ‘People First’ Brand
Denielle Waite, Senior Manager of Communications and Employer Brand at Harbor Freight Tools, shared their organization’s focus on the “show don’t tell” narrative, which aligns with the importance of storytelling.
Denielle mentioned that their key messages focuses on the people who elevate their brand’s pillars and highlighted the success of integrating these messages into internal communications.
“We’re seeing a lot of content posted without us asking from associates saying, ‘We’re a people-first organization, and Harbor Freight did this for me,’” Denielle added.
She also mentioned that her team actively seeks interesting stories from associates on platforms like LinkedIn, engaging in follow-ups and using these narratives for both internal and external communication.
We’re seeing a lot of content posted without us asking from associates saying, ‘We’re a people-first organization, and Harbor Freight did this for me.’
Denielle Waite, Senior Manager of Communications and Employer Brand at Harbor Freight Tools
Prioritizing the employees and their experiences was a critical step in enhancing Harbor Freight Tools’ content, and Denielle noted they’ve seen an increase in organic sharing because of their efforts.
Leverage Returning Employees’ Stories for Genuine Engagement
Steve Crumley, Principal Recruitment Marketing Specialist and Talent Acquisition Systems Analyst at Leidos, discussed their approach to showcasing employee stories on their external website.
He noted that they specifically focus on stories of employees who have left the company and returned in their alumni program, conducting interviews and posting blogs and videos to provide insights into their experiences.
“One of the things that we do is we send out a monthly newsletter, and in that newsletter, we will always highlight some kind of company news,” Steve said. “Whenever there’s a compelling story, we’ll have an employee who has returned to the company, and share where they went and what made them come back.”
He mentioned that this approach has generated significant engagement, especially from former employees, and the content is regularly featured on their LinkedIn company pages, ensuring a consistent presence and fresh storytelling.
Whenever there’s a compelling story, we’ll have an employee who has returned to the company, and share where they went and what made them come back.
Steve Crumley, Principal Recruitment Marketing Specialist and Talent Acquisition Systems Analyst at Leidos
Using the stories of employees who return, often referred to as “boomerangs,” is essential in highlighting the benefits of your EVP and maintaining both employee and audience engagement.
Gain Actionable Insights from Your Peers on How to Enhance Your Employer Brand
Employee storytelling is a dynamic tool that strengthens your employer brand and fosters a deeper connection with potential candidates.
By prioritizing authenticity, employee-centric narratives, and the experiences of returning employees, you can elevate your organization’s EVP and maintain engagement with your audience.
If you lead recruitment marketing and employer branding at a large company, you can apply to the Talent Marketing Board to gain more insights on strengthening your employee storytelling initiatives.
Members in our confidential, vendor-free community meet weekly to benchmark their strategies and explore best practices to stay at the forefront of industry trends.
