1. The Strategic Power of Storytelling
Using Content to Drive Awareness,
Engagement and Applications
James Ellis
TMP Worldwide
@TheWarForTalent | meshworking.com

2. [No really, I’m going somewhere]

3. The Power of Story Content
• Bypasses people’s defenses
• Exists everywhere and anywhere
• Flexible in scale and scope

4. Fit
Enjoyable to
work
alongside
Shares our
corporate values
Soft/unquantifiable skills
Hard skills
How Companies See Candidates
*Apologies to Mr. Maslow

5. Fit
Might
actually enjoy
working there
Corporate values
align “enough”
Salary, benefits, etc.
Financially solvent/paycheck won’t
bounce
How Candidates See Companies

6. There’s not a lot of
alignment between
these two
perspectives
Fit
Enjoyable to
work
alongside
Shares our
corporate values
Soft/unquantifiable skills
Hard skills
Fit
Might
actually enjoy
working there
Corporate values
align “enough”
Salary, benefits, etc.
Financially solvent/paycheck won’t
bounce

7. Fit
Enjoyable to
work
alongside
Shares our
corporate values
Soft/unquantifiable skills
Hard skills
Fit
Might
actually enjoy
working there
Corporate values
align “enough”
Salary, benefits, etc.
Financially solvent/paycheck won’t
bounce
Us
Me
Me
Me
Me
Well, some alignment

8. How Do We Evaluate?
Fit
Enjoyable to
work
alongside
Shares our
corporate values
Soft/unquantifiable skills
Hard skills
Educated guess
Interview
Interview
Resume/
Cover letter/
Interview
Resume

9. How Do They Evaluate?
Fit
Might
actually enjoy
working there
Corporate values
align “enough”
Salary, benefits, etc.
Financially solvent/paycheck won’t
bounce
Best guess
Marketing Speak
Marketing Speak
Hidden
News

11. The Old Candidate Journey
I have a job opening
You have a resume
Give me your resume and when I decide I’m
ready to talk to you, I’ll control the entire process.
1
2
3

12. The Candidate Journey
Awareness
Interest
Consider
Act
UnawareAs more information
became available to the
candidate, they became
more selective, looking
more and more like
“consumers” rather than
“candidates”

14. The Real Candidate Journeys

15. The Real Candidate Journeys (Hopeful, but Unlikely)

16. The Real Candidate Journeys (Recruiter-driven)

17. The Real Candidate Journeys (Passive and Patient)

18. The Real Candidate Journeys (Passive but Interested)

19. The Real Candidate Journeys (Most Honest)

20. The Pros and Cons of Longer Journeys
Long journeys occur because people
want more information before making a
life-changing decision.
Since most companies don’t actually
provide that information, they are
forced to find it themselves.

22. The Opportunity of a Longer Candidate Journey
Of course, if you provide that material,
they will stay on your career site longer,
absorbing more information.
This tends to ultimately lead to better
cultural fits.

23. Content only works with two audiences:
Passive candidates
Active Candidates
2
3
Active Candidates
Content Validates Interest
Passive Candidates
Content Draws Interest

24. Content only works with two audiences:
Passive Candidates & Active Candidates
Active Candidates:
Looking for more and new
jobs to apply for
Passive Candidates:
Not looking for a new job,
but is always looking for
something

25. When he finds the job, he will want
more information about what the job
is like before applying
ContentJob Application
Active Candidates
Content’s role is to validate the
interest in the company and the job,
moving him closer to application

26. Content Job Application
She isn’t looking for a job, but she
values content. And when she finds it,
she will begin to establish a positive
brand impression, which she will
remember when she goes job hunting
Passive Candidates
Content’s job is to attract people to you,
encouraging them to fall in love with the
company before suggesting a job.

27. Tell Your Story (or someone else will)
Of course, if you provide that material,
they will stay on your career site longer,
absorbing more information.
This leads to more comprehension and
understanding of your company, higher
application rates even at the highest
levels of management, and ultimately a
better cultural fit.

28. Tell My Story?!
You don’t talk to prospective interns
like they were directors of operations
and vice versa. But your ATS/career
site sees them as the same.
Content allows you to speak to them
on their level about the things that
concern them.

29. Let Prospects Pick Their Personal Path

30. Sold! How Do I Do This?
It’s incredibly complicated:
1. Make content that
tells your story
2. Connect it to jobs that
are related to that
content
3. Manage and adjust

31. I’m Not a Writer! How Do I “Make” Content?
If you can’t find your (inner or outer) writer:
• Interview someone
• Interview someone (with a camera!)
• Ask someone to interview someone else
• Take pictures of your people at the office
• Let your people take pictures of each other
• Ask people why they work here
• Ask someone to take pictures of their path from home to work
• Shoot a video where someone explains one work process
• Email 10 people and ask them 1 question

32. There’s One Trick
Content that tells your
stories and engages an
audiences is great! But
you need to connect that
to a job or call to action in
order to squeeze real
value out of content.
Connect jobs to content
and content to jobs

36. Thank You
James Ellis
Director of Inbound Marketing
TMP Worldwide
@TheWarForTalent
meshworking.com
james.ellis@tmp.com