Humans love a good story. Stories can captivate, inspire, encourage and motivate. When told well, they can become a rallying point from which innovation, growth and development continually spawn. The most successful stories are ones that you can see yourself in, even if you weren’t there.
When small employers (1-500 employees) harness the power of storytelling to captivate and inspire, they provide employees with narratives they can see themselves in, fostering lasting engagement, loyalty, and camaraderie. To say that high levels of these elements positively affect every other aspect of the business feels like an oversimplification, but it is true.
I believe there are 3 stories that small employers should be telling every chance they get. On their website, in their employer branding efforts, in their new hire orientation and onboarding. Whenever it makes sense to weave it in, it should be shared.
Leaders should be trained on telling these stories and sharing how they resonate with them. The more employees recite or quote parts of these stories, the more an integral and positive part of the overall employee experience they become.
The Origin Story:
People love an origin story. They love to hear about how things started. They love to cheer on underdogs and resonate with the hero's journey. They love to be amazed at how far someone, or something, has come.
I believe that even mundane origin stories can resonate. Sure the stories that entail living in a van on the brink of homelessness right before the big break are inspiring, but so is the story about someone who slowly built a savings so they could quit their job and focus on their dream.
I was laid off while on maternity leave and from there, started this business. That is not a story unique to me but I imagine many business owners. Yet, whenever I tell it, people share how inspired they are by it.
We have a client whose Founder traveled around Europe with a suitcase full of products going from business to business trying to make sales. He has pictures of his travels that he shares from time to time and they are always a hit. He now manages a $100M+ global business, but employees love hearing how it started with him and a suitcase.
Leaders need to share the story of how the business got its start regardless of how long the company has been around. The origin story shares the “why” of the org and depicts the grass roots efforts that took place to get things off the ground. Things may look very different today, and unless employees were there from the beginning, they may never know what it took to get to this place.
Where You Are/Where You Are Going
I know this may sound like two different stories, but to me they are one in the same. There are times in the business where you share both, and times when one may be more relevant than the other. Let me explain.
Some years are building years. Others are growth years. Still others may represent a pivot. Leaders typically fundamentally understand which is which but employees don’t. Sharing where things are and where they are going can be crucial in getting employees on board with whatever is happening.
Here’s my own story to that end. I tell my team we are in Acacia 3.0. The 3rd iteration of the business. The first iteration was me by myself, very-part time, very slow growth on purpose (because I had a little). Acacia 2.0 was between the time I hired my first employee to the end of 2023, a span of 6 years. I introduced Acacia 3.0 at the end of 2023 and we have been working on it since. I set out 5 goals for Acacia 3.0 which we reviewed and refined at the end of 2024. My team knows what the culmination of Acacia 3.0 looks like, even if we aren’t entirely sure how long it may take. We all know that goals and objectives outside of the one’s set will be denied unless a total pivot is needed.
I’m very intentional about making sure my team know where we are and where we are going because it keeps them intentional about their work. They aren’t just checking boxes, they are working towards something. They are helping a business evolve and with that their own growth and development is impacted in a positive way.
Employees are much more likely to get onboard and stay there when they understand where the boat currently sits and where it is headed.
How They Fit In
You could probably see that one coming right? Employees who understand how the work they do is pivotal to the success of the company are more likely to be passionate about it. It follows that more passion leads to more effort.
An activity we do with our small employer clients is train them on how to cascade goals down to individuals. That is, take the overall business goals, break them down into departmental, team and then eventually, individual goals.
Something that happens from time to time is that we can’t always cascade the goal down to certain individuals. It isn’t obvious how that individual contributes to any of the goals that are set forth. It then leads to an interesting conversation about whether the role is contributing in the way it could be. We often end up restructuring the role, adding responsibility or decision making and every single time, when we review that with the employee, they are so happy.
If the leader couldn’t identify how they contribute to the success of the business goals, the employee certainly couldn’t and having that new clarification is usually so motivating for them.
As a B2B business owner, I find that how these stories resonate isn’t limited to employees. Clients love hearing them too. Even the third one. Clients do not always understand our HR titles. When I am able to share how an employee contributes to the business, and therefore their success as a client, they are more likely to partner with that person rather than resist their ideas or presence.
We share our stories in our employer branding and marketing efforts as we see those as intertwined. I find that for potential employees, they come to the interviews knowing so much about us that it feels as though they already work here. Not only do they know a lot about us, but they are bought in. They are there because something has resonated and that is always a win when hiring in a small environment.
Of course there are more stories you can tell, but these three consistently give current and potential employees and clients something to resonate with. They provide something to stand behind and move forward with. Something to be true to. A guidepost of sorts. One that reminds you and others who you are and who you want to be.
Ready to grow your story? Reach out to an HR Pro today