Did you know that 73% of companies claim that they’re struggling to find the right candidates for their open roles?
And, when they do find that perfect fit, they need to act fast—candidates are only spending about 10 days actively looking for positions before they land their first job offer.
There’s no denying that it’s a candidate-driven market, and it’s presenting a whole host of challenges for employers just like you.
Standing Out in a Competitive Market
You need to be able to move efficiently, effectively, and strategically in order to snag the best talent. You have to get your company in front of both active and passive candidates—before they even start thinking about starting their searches.
Are you breaking into a sweat? We certainly can’t blame you. But, here’s the good news: You can do this. It all comes down to fostering an employer brand that grabs the attention of your target talent and then gets them invested in your company.
Here at The Muse, we know that the best way to do that is to capture and then share employee stories. After all, research shows that candidates trust your employees three times more than they trust you as a company to share credible information about what it’s like to work for you.
But, how do you find and then share these employee stories? Well, we dove into the details in a recent webinar with Molly Trucano, Manager of Employee Engagement and Internal Marketing at true[X], Morgan Chaney, Head of Marketing at Blueboard, and our very own Heather Freiser, Vice President of Brand and Content here at The Muse.
With that in mind, let’s cover the basics of what you need to know to source compelling employee stories and put your very best brand forward.
When Should You Be Capturing Employee Stories?
In an ideal world, you’d be capturing employee stories on a rolling basis—there are always exciting things happening within your organization that could be shared.
But, if you’re looking for a few key instances to get you started, here are three times when you’re sure to source some awesome narratives from your employees.
1. Onboarding and Training
Think of when a new employee joins your team. They’re full of energy and positivity about all that you have to offer, right? They also bring a fresh perspective and notice things about your culture that you never would’ve pinpointed yourself.
During an employee’s first day or week on the job is the perfect time to gather some amazing stories. And, since it’s a time when enthusiasm is running high, those new hires will likely be willing to share and promote content to their own networks—like their new employee headshot, pictures from their desk, and selfies with their teammates.
It’s an authentic way to build excitement around your employer brand, while simultaneously celebrating your new team members.
2. Company Celebrations
You know your employer brand shouldn’t be strictly business—prospective applicants want to see your fun side. There’s no better way to showcase that than by giving them a peek at some of your company celebrations.
Use things like happy hours, team events, volunteer work, company lunches, fundraising initiatives, and other milestones as launching points for blog posts and as an opportunity to capture photos and videos. Remember to also encourage your employees to share their own content with a branded company hashtag (we use #MuseLife ourselves!).
In doing so, you’ll showcase a positive company culture that’s focused on building relationships just as much as business results.
3. Promotions
What’s another core thing that candidates look for when evaluating employment opportunities? Room for growth.
Spotlighting your top performers and high-achievers is not only rewarding for those employees who are accomplishing great things, but it also serves as a model for what you can offer within your organization.
Highlighting career moves, achievements, and promotions fosters a supportive internal culture, while demonstrating to your target talent that you’re a place that encourages and celebrates growth and wins.
Those three milestones—along with plenty others—are sure to generate some amazing stories that you can use to strengthen your employer brand and snag the attention of your ideal candidates.
But, we’ve barely scratched the surface on everything you need to know. If you want to get the full lowdown on how to leverage employee stories, you don’t want to miss the full webinar.
We cover things like where you should be promoting these stories, how you can encourage your employees to get in on the action, and even answer plenty of commonly asked questions about employee storytelling. Listen to the full webinar here and get ready to take your employer brand to the next level.
