We’ve all come across some form of those “a day in the life” videos—for example, “a day in the life of an investment banker,” “… a corporate lawyer,” “… a travel influencer,” etc.
This is what we call employer branding, offering a view of what it’s like to work for a certain company (or yourself). In today’s economy, it is crucial for employers to position themselves as better than the competition when it comes to finding and keeping talent. The key to recruitment and retention is to make employees and job seekers understand why you’re “better than the other guy” (or girl). This may mean showcasing your pay or benefits. It could mean highlighting your work-life balance and other lifestyle perks, or perhaps even how working for your team is just super fun and exciting.
Employers that stand out in the labor market don’t leave workers wondering about the “day in the life.” On the contrary, workers come to understand what it’s like to work at that company and how to climb the career ladder over time. Your culture also becomes apparent as time goes on, whether it’s strict and buttoned-up or slightly more casual.
Humanizing Your Brand Through Storytelling
If my public relations agency were to put together a “day in the life” type of video, I would try to feature not only a lot of different case studies but also a lot of different team members—from senior leadership on down. My goal would be to humanize our team because, after all, we are just normal people. One example would be to introduce our team members one by one, putting their names and faces to the camera. They could then talk about what it’s like working at the agency more generally, in addition to their own specific roles, responsibilities and interests at work.
Bringing Personality and Balance into Focus
There’s more to people than their jobs, too. One useful way to humanize a company is to dive deeper into the personalities at work. For instance, your employees may want to talk about their favorite books or sports teams. You could introduce a survey element to your video, asking employees to answer a specific prompt—something like: “What’s the best part about living in your state?”
For our agency, which is based in Maine, some people might say that they love being able to go for a mountain bike ride or paddle in their kayak when they get out of work. Others with children might say they love being able to take their kids to the town library or participate in a neighborhood theater group. Showing videos of the activities and hearing “real” people talk about work-life balance is what employees are looking for these days. Employers need to hit on the theme of balance.
Earning Trust and Standing Out in the Market
Another idea: How about interviewing an employee who has been with the company for 15 or 20 years? That person will be able to share what is so appealing about their job and the company, making the audience feel like they want to be part of that business, too.
A single prompt can lead to wildly different responses that are interesting and endearing, and those consuming your content will feel like they’re getting to know your company. Knowing is the first step toward liking and trusting. At my agency, clients have come to know, like and trust our brand because they know, like and trust our team members as human beings. This inevitably also leads to client referrals.
As an employer, when people think of your brand, you want their emotional response to be warm and comfortable. You want to be easy to know, like and trust. If you work in a specific industry, such as outdoor recreation, it is important to make emotional connections with potential (or current) clients who are interested in that industry. To work with individuals and businesses in the outdoor economy, I want them to know that I’m an avid skier. I want people to know that I don’t just preach outdoor recreation; I practice it at ski resorts like Sugarloaf.
This leads people to say, “She gets it.” Otherwise, you’re making a harder sell. Even if you’re not in the client service business, you want people to say the same thing. If you’re a manufacturing firm, the goal is to trigger a response like, “They understand textiles.” If you run a technology company, a similar logic applies: “They live and breathe technology.”
Whether you’re a fan of “day in the life” videos or not, there is plenty for employers to learn about that kind of branding. It gets you wondering: What makes our “life” better than the competition? If you aren’t wondering that yet, it’s time to start. The talent you’re looking for expects nothing less.
This article originally appeared on the Forbes Agency Council CommunityVoice in December 2024.
