Stories are powerful tools that can paint a picture of what your recruiting brand looks like in the real world and convince prospects to become customers. It's one thing to have a brand, for example, that claims "The Right People For Your Business" but what does that really mean for the employer?  Using stories you can provide evidence of what your recruiting brand claims.

For example:  The slogan, "The Right People For Your Business" claims to not just get talent; but to get talent that matches the specific and unique needs of each business.  Using stories to "prove" that you have done this for companies in the past can turn a prospect into a customer.  What type of story could you use to "prove" that recruiter's slogan is true?  We'll discuss that as we look at what steps recruiters need to take to begin using stories to sell their brand.

Step 1: Start with your slogan or mission statement. Make sure you have an understanding of what your slogan/mission statement says to an employer who is considering recruiting talent through you.

Step 2: Develop a list of questions that will elicit responses from current or former employers about your brand.  Using the slogan, "The Right People For Your Business" a recruiter might use the following questions:

How relevant were the new employee's skills to your position?

How compatible is the new employee with your company's culture?

A former/current employer might respond:

"I found that the new employee's skills matched the position perfectly. A matter of fact her skills are helping us to expand that division."

"The new employee fits in with everyone.  He's a real team player. We've tried to fill this position on our own, but we could never find the employee with the right personality."

Using the first quote, along with the details of what the recruiter did to find the right employee, you can create a story that can be featured on websites, brochures and other collateral materials.  

Here's what it might look like:

For XYZ, Law Firm we searched through 200 candidates; but we were finding  it difficult to find the right match.  We wanted a candidate who could provide the skills needed in the law firm now; but we knew they were planning to expand so we wanted the candidate to be ready with the necessary skills for the expansion.  After one month, we finally found someone and it turned out to be a perfect match. Here's what the employer had to say:  "I found that the new employee's skills matched the position perfectly. A matter of fact her skills are helping us to expand that division," XYZ, Law Firm.

Now it's your turn to give it a try.  What story can you create to prove your brand is more than just words?