Recruiters Are Story Seekers and Storytellers 

Recruiters Are Story Seekers and Storytellers 

By Erik Ayers & Olivia Schwartz

Recruiters wear many hats. They seek talent, solve problems, help foster culture, and so much more.

But have recruiters ever thought of themselves as Story Seekers?

Great recruiters don’t simply ask questions, they seek story proof, details, and facts. How much detail does a candidate recall about the time they were so “collaborative?”  Do they remember who was involved, what was the challenge, or how it made them feel? Can the candidate connect what they did to why it mattered to the organization and their team?   

Great recruiters are reporters, who dig into a candidate’s story to discover what makes them tick, what motivates them to succeed, and do they support the values they say matter most. 

So if you are not doing this now, it’s time to start asking candidates for past work stories to help determine whether or not they are a fit for your unique culture.

Plus, you’ll give them a great experience. 

Asking for stories can also personalize the candidate experience and build a lot of trust. The story-seeking recruiter shows they care about the candidate and makes the process less intimidating and more human.

Story-seeking recruiters help build strong employer brands.

When candidates feel more appreciated and valued during the hiring process, their interest in working at a company grows.  And even if the candidate isn’t ultimately chosen for the position, they are more likely to leave positive reviews and feedback about the recruiting experience.

Another huge benefit of capturing candidate stories? It’s a lot easier to present their resume, culture alignment, and overall value to hiring managers. 

Implementing storytelling into your recruitment marketing strategy is a win-win for the candidate, recruiter, hiring manager, and overall employer brand.

Story-Seeking Tips for Recruiters: 

Always ask the hiring manager what they value most in a candidate (hard skills and soft skills).  Go one step further. Ask a hiring manager and a few team members who the candidate will be working with to share a story about a time when those skills made a big difference for the team.  Be prepared with examples if you want to really engage quality candidates.

Recruiters need to be storytellers too! 

Share a story with the candidate and emphasize certain values and skills.  Then ask them to share a personal story that highlights their appreciation and practice of those values in prior work. 

If they give you the story-proof you need, package it up for your hiring manager. ‍

Qualified resume + relatable stories = happy hiring manager. 

Bottom Line

Recruiters are story seekers who screen for values and story fit.  

When they’re interviewing candidates and asking questions, they should also consider requesting past work stories. When a candidate’s story aligns with company culture and values, that’s a good indication that they’re the right fit. Not only does storytelling humanize and personalize the candidate's experience, it also helps the brand’s employer image. 

One thing’s for sure: Storytelling should be part of a company’s 2021 talent marketing strategy. Got questions? We’d love to hear from you: olivia@goodseeker.com. 

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ABOUT GOODSEEKER:
GoodSeeker is a storytelling platform that makes it easy and rewarding for employees and ambassadors to collect success stories and testimonials at work. Based in McLean, VA, the company’s content creation software connects talent to culture, gives remote teams visibility, and helps employers show candidates what it’s like to work on their team.