Just a few months ago our family was sitting around the dinner table when my wife and I started talking about the shows we used to watch as kids. I immediately thought of The Lone Ranger. Although this black and white series was from the 1950s, it had been available to me through the unlimited replay-ability of VHS as a kid. I watched the show for what felt like hundreds of times. 

That evening I got the idea of introducing the Lone Ranger TV show to my own kids. I didn’t have high hopes for them to enjoy what I had grown to love as a kid. Entertainment options for kids these days are incredibly varied and with much better production quality. So imagine my surprise when my kids watched it with rapt attention and even came back to me later wanting to watch more! 

This got me thinking: what was it that made this series so compelling both to me as a child as well as my own kids? It certainly wasn’t the stiff acting, borderline racism, popping audio, or lack of color. I realized that it was the story they were attracted to. In the show, a group of Texas Rangers fighting for good were betrayed by one of their members and ambushed by the notorious Cavendish gang. But one survived -- the lone ranger --  and made it his passion to fight for justice for the rest of his life, his identity hidden by a black mask. 

It was a story that stuck with my kids because it hit at their sense of justice and right versus wrong. It appealed to their emotions and their human instinct to follow a good story. 

So what does this have to do with recruiting? 

We all know that businesses need an elevator pitch to sell their products or services. Without knowing what makes your product or service worth buying, why would anyone buy it? The same question now applies to workplaces more than ever. Yet in this day and age very few employers have a good pitch for why folks should work for them.

Too many times I read job descriptions or hiring ads that are just a list of requirements or a mention of the pay. Never are they interesting or compelling. That’s because most businesses have no idea of the power of storytelling they’re missing out on in their hiring efforts. Yet the biggest and best companies in the world have recruiting campaigns based on telling their story. And that story helps them build a reputation as an employer of choice. Unfortunately too many great employers in our state miss out on the opportunity to use such a tried and true tool in their recruitment efforts. 

I’ve found that the best employer stories, also called Employer Value Propositions (EVP) have the following defining features: 

They’re short.

Three to five sentences are all you should need to be able to make your case for being a great employer. In fact, a good EVP can be summed up in a tagline that’s just a few words long.

They’re positive without ignoring reality.

They’re not a made up version of what it’s like to work there. For example, employers with a rotating shift could mention that they work hard to build a fun team and offer free lunches while at the same time acknowledging that the tough shift isn't for everyone.

They’re clear.

They’re not filled with jargon. They don’t have “weasel words” that could mean multiple things. Reading them is easy and it’s easy to get the gist of what it’s like to work there after doing so. 

They’re compelling.

They offer a transformation or an opportunity to dive into something bigger than the employee’s existing work experience. For a manufacturer with a solid schedule, this can mean offering consistent work for the person who’s been yanked around by a crazy hospitality or retail industry. For a non-profit, this can mean giving the candidate a chance to turn their passion for helping people into a career. 

If you don’t develop your own Employer Value Proposition you’ll be letting others tell your story for you. Don’t hand the reins to someone else to build your reputation because it probably won’t reflect reality. Without a good EVP, you’ll keep struggling to attract the right people to your job applications. You’ll keep missing out on the people who might be a great fit for your workplace but who would never apply because you didn’t paint a picture for them. If you can’t afford the highest pay, latest benefits, or incredible schedule flexibility but still have a good culture and treat your employees well, tell your story. The people who connect with it will apply.