How Employee Stories Are Transforming the Way Job Seekers View an Employer Brand
There’s no doubt about it—video featuring employee stories is now a core part of employer branding strategy. With video content representing an estimated 74% of online traffic, incorporating it in your recruitment marketing is a must.
So, what exactly makes video (particularly video that showcases employee stories) so powerful for employer branding?
Put simply, you give talent the opportunity to take an inside look at your company, your culture, your values, and your team. And, considering the fact that videos are far more engaging than written words and pictures, you’ll improve your chances of both capturing and retaining their interest.
When it comes to what you should include in your employee stories, here at The Muse, we’re big believers in relying on the insights of your company’s biggest advocates: your people.
You might just be surprised by all of the different backgrounds and experiences that your employees bring to the table, and how powerful that can be for your employer content. Those nuggets can be transformed into employee storytelling videos that are compelling and completely authentic.
The Secret Ingredient to Compelling Employee Stories
That’s a word you’ll hear us say a lot when it comes to employee stories: authenticity.
After all, that’s the very point of giving your employees a platform and then amplifying their voices and experiences. You want to find those honest stories that are engaging on their own, and then identify how those fit with your employer brand.
Remember, employee stories aren’t about crafting a detailed message or drafting a script to be recited. Instead, you allow people to bring their whole selves to the table, figure out how that fits within the framework of your brand, and then go from there.
This will result in a far more impactful video that truly captures what people love about working for your company.
Who knows? You could hit on some things you would’ve never thought to mention on your own, and those messages from your existing employees will be far more relatable to candidates than a simple job description.
5 Examples of Authentic Employee Story Videos
Need some added clarity on what makes for a powerful video? We’ve rounded up five examples from companies who showcased their employees stories and knocked their own videos out of the park.
1. Enterprise Holdings: How One Woman’s Personal Struggle Inspired Volunteerism at Her Company
Particularly when it comes to recruiting, an emphasis on your company’s values is paramount.
According to Deloitte’s 2017 Millennial Survey, the Millennial generation of talent is choosing employers based on the alignment of their beliefs. Even further, they’re eager to have an impact not just on their organization, but on their community as a whole.
With that in mind, it would’ve been pretty straightforward for Enterprise Holdings to create a promotional video that stated their passion for community outreach and showcased the various things they’re doing to serve others.
But, by incorporating the story of an employee who feels a very personal tie to the impact of volunteerism, they wound up with a video that was heartfelt, inspiring, and completely authentic.
2. KinderCare: Meet Julian
It’s tempting to use video to showcase your company’s perks—from your ping-pong tables to your stocked kitchen. But, you know by now that those aren’t the things that candidates and employees truly care about.
If someone were to stop you on the street and ask for the best part about working for your organization, the catered lunches probably wouldn’t be the first thing you mention. It’s deeper than that—hence the importance of employee stories.
With that in mind, KinderCare is another solid example of a company that uses a video of a singular employee to highlight the true benefits of working there.
By giving this particular team member the opportunity to discuss one of his favorite things—in this case, the room for growth and emphasis on professional development—KinderCare draws attention to the perks that people actually value, in a way that’s far more candid, relatable, and trustworthy than if the company had just touted that benefit itself.
3. Unilever: When Taking Pride in Your Work Has a Whole New Meaning
In terms of letting employees bring their whole, authentic selves to work, Unilever really walked the walk with this video.
Yes, the content highlighted Magnum’s partnership with GLAAD, an event the brand hosted, and even the company’s product itself. But, with a heavy tie-in of an employee’s own struggle and experience with coming out, Unilever’s video never comes off as promotional or salesy.
Quite the opposite, in fact. By showcasing the highly relevant background of that particular employee, this video is able to touch on numerous values that are critical to the company’s employer brand. From being true to yourself to having passion for causes that are larger than any one person, Unilever shares its values and beliefs in a way that’s equal parts informative and inspiring.
4. Capital One: Why I Took a Chance and Started a New Career
Another thing that makes employee stories so beneficial? People trust your employees more than they trust you as a company. You think your company is great—but, hearing that from someone who works there carries far more weight.
That’s exactly what makes this Capital One video work so well. Instead of focusing on one employee, this video shares the stories of four different employees—all who had very different paths and experiences that (rather unexpectedly!) led them to careers at Capital One.
It’s a relatable and inspiring video, particularly for people who are eager to make a change and are stuck with the feeling that it’s impossible. Capital One emphasizes the fact that it values problem solvers with diverse backgrounds who break the mold.
Of course, the company could’ve said all of those things themselves in so many words. But, by giving a voice to the employees who actually walked those paths and completed those transitions themselves, the video is far more moving and authentic.
5. Taco Bell: Meet the Man Traveling the World for Tacos (Yes, Seriously)
Videos can also be a powerful tool for sharing what a day in the life at your company is actually like. But, make no mistake, that doesn’t need to include a boring job description or a rundown of daily tasks.
This Taco Bell video is evidence of that. Yes, viewers end up with a grasp of what this employee’s job entails. However, he brings so much passion and love for his position to the video, that his story really takes on an enthusiastic life of its own.
It’s a fitting example of what can happen when you start with a rough framework for a video—in this case, a profile of a particular job—and let employees bring their own personalities and experiences to the table.
As these examples prove, employee story videos can be leveraged in so many different ways for your brand. However, there’s one common thread that needs to appear in all of them: authenticity.
Give your employees the opportunity to honestly share their own experiences, backgrounds, and viewpoints, and you’ll end up with a video that’s far more compelling than anything you could’ve created on your own.
