What Role Does Storytelling Play in Employer Branding?

Employers often take into account statistics (salaries, benefits, retention rates) when determining their marketability as a desirable place to work. Although understanding numbers is important, some aspects of your employer's brand cannot be quantified. 

 It is also important to have a strong narrative of your brand and what it means to work for your organization. Using storytelling in your brand can help you better recruit and retain the best talents. 

 What does it mean to have an employer brand history? 

 The history of your brand tells the world what it means to be part of your organization. Think of this as the basic rule of creative writing: show, not say. 

 Companies have a strong narrative aspect of the brand, not just instilling people with boring facts and data about their organization. They appeal to their audience demonstrating the intangible aspects of the company's experience. 

 [For information on the importance of storytelling, download our free ebook: “how to use the power of storytelling in your content marketing”] 

 Benefits of using storytelling in your employer's brand 

 Recently, storytelling has become more common and well justified in hiring executives and brand managers of employers. 

Consider the following benefits of developing narrative arcs for your brand: 

 1. Increased public participation 

 Almost 80% of millennials say they will choose to work based on the company's culture, even more than their professional potential. Narration is the best way to communicate with others, presenting your company's culture in a real way. 

 Of particular importance is two-way communication, such as the participation of potential talents in social networks or the organization of live chat sessions where people can learn more about their organization. The more people participate in your organization, the more likely they want to work for you. 

 2. The opportunity to stand out from the crowd 

 It is important to distinguish yourself from your competitors in order to attract the best talents. Narration is a particularly effective way of showing humanities, including compassion, relevance, and values. 

 This is critical for retention and productivity, as 77% of employees say they will work longer for a friendly employer and 60% receive lower wages. 

 3. Integrating thematic elements across all platforms 

 Developing a strong story for your brand ensures you stay informed while continuously offering new and engaging content. For example, as job seekers increasingly use social media as part of their job search, you can build your story across all marketing platforms. 

 Keeping similar topics on your website, Facebook profile, Instagram stories, Twitter feeds, LinkedIn recruitment, and print materials can help your audience feel they “get” their employer brand. From the “Day in Life” series on your website's career page to employee-hosted podcast or live video streaming “What's Happening Now”, storytelling gives you the flexibility to increase brand awareness in new ways. 

 So, these are the biggest basic benefits of using storytelling in an employer's brand strategy. Although I can easily finish this post here, I think it would be better to explore other people's views on this exact topic: people who are actually dealing with the impact of their company's employer brand regularly.