HR is the life force of the workplace. It’s often down to these diligent and empathetic professionals to give hires a sense of ease as they integrate with the work culture. There have been many transformational approaches of successful HR teams that guided teams through an engaging and purposeful career. Many of these success stories involve the power of storytelling. So today, we’ll look at some HR storytelling tips you can use to grow your team.
Here we look at 4 powerful examples of HR storytelling techniques and how your company can apply these winning formulas to your advantage.
HR Storytelling Tips: #1 – Leverage The Power of Social Media
4.8 billion people globally use social media. And the number of users is going up. In the year from April 2022 to April 2023, 150 million new users joined. So, that’s a 3.2% increase in just one year. This growth might be because social media platforms are easy to use, and people like the personal experience they get.
HR teams can leverage the power of social media in reaching out to top talent. Specifically, your company can humanize the presence of your company to attract prospects.
Employee-made content such as photos of corporate events, comments made by team members, and virtual event invitations are all effective ways to tell the story of a positive workplace culture.
Providing the modern tech-savvy workforce with social proof instills a sense of trust and enables your team to align organizational goals with a candidate’s core values.
HR Storytelling Tips: #2 – Involve The Individual
Storytelling on an organizational level is important. But, it is crucial to involve hires in a proactive rather than passive role.
Consider framing an open vacancy in a way that empowers hires to further your company values, through action and contribution. For example, you could provide regular data-backed reports on how specific tasks advance a company initiative.
In the world of gaming, there’s a term known as non-player character (NPC). NPCs take a backseat in the cyber realm, functioning with a fixed script while events unfold. Your hires should never feel like an NPC in the workplace, but rather, the active player who shapes the development of the storyline. In this case, your organization’s mission and vision.
As NorQuest College’s chief culture and transformation officer shared, “Employers should be looking to choose applicants who can amplify the company’s core beliefs – not only looking at how well they align to them but also whether they have the propensity to grow these values even further.”
HR Storytelling Tips: #3 – Focus on Employer Branding
Good employer branding strategies make the workplace a satisfying and positive environment for employees. So, to build and keep a strong employer brand, you can use this two-step storytelling approach:
- Developing a sense of belonging that attracts new hires. To tell stories effectively, you can build a good reputation by using feedback and stories from employees. This helps create a clear and positive picture. So, when you’re looking for new people to join your team, you can make your job descriptions (JDs) better by highlighting the special qualities of your work culture. These may include pet-friendly office spaces, flexible work hours, and prioritized learning and development opportunities.
- Maintaining the reputation. In the next part of creating a good employer image, it’s important to manage what employees expect. So, make sure it matches what was promised when they were hired. Communication is key to success in this stage. Also, keeping things clear at work, using the same tone and message, and explaining the value you offer to employees all help your company keep a positive and trustworthy reputation.
HR Storytelling Tips: #4 – Start Journeys With a Polished JD
The JD is like a doorway to your workplace. It’s the first part of your HR’s storytelling. So, the best job descriptions should include everyone and be welcoming to all talents. Using an automated JD vetting platform like Ongig helps eliminate inherent biases to get team members on the same page from the start of their company journey.
Make your JD interesting and engaging to attract potential candidates. Remember, job seekers usually apply for many jobs. So, using good storytelling in your JD can help your organization be different and stand out from others.
Instead of just listing boring job requirements and qualifications that make people feel like a task, think of the job as an open and honest invitation. It should be like a friendly welcome to a journey where candidates can look forward to good relationships, important responsibilities, and relevant rewards.
Why I Wrote This?
Ongig has a mission to get rid of boring and possibly offensive job descriptions that push away qualified candidates. We think that keeping HR professionals always inspired gives them the motivation and focus to find and keep the most talented people for their company. Want to see our Text Analyzer tool in action? Request a demo, today to learn more!
