Employee storytelling at Sephora: a cinematic approach
We are constantly working with our clients to find more and more creative ways to bring employee stories to life. After 13 years, we’ve seen culture storytelling evolve as critical in talent attraction and employee engagement strategy. For a group of video creators like us, it’s very exciting to work with clients who want us to push the envelope creatively and visually.
That’s why we were ecstatic to see renowned journalist and filmmaker Anastasia Mikova step into our employee storytelling space. Together with Yann Arthus-Bertrand, Mikova previously directed the provocative documentary, Woman. The duo recorded over 2000 conversations with women in 50 different countries.
A CEO Inspired
Guillaume Motte, Sephora’s CEO, was so inspired by Arthus-Bertrand and Mikova’s film that he commissioned Mikova to create a short employee storytelling documentary. The result is a film that communicates Sephora*’s culture and commitment to both beauty and belonging through real stories. Given complete creative freedom, Mikova interviewed 75 employees and beauty brand builders to create a short film, Beauty and Belonging. Watch below and tell us: is employee storytelling a cool new movie genre?
Recruitment marketing and employer branding implications
Sephora did not stop there. Employee stories *are* the most effective culture communications medium. How could they use this awesome work to further their employer brand and recruitment marketing efforts?
They took the footage from these real stories and repurposed. They created shorter compilations and employee story pull-outs to activate their talent attraction strategy. Their LinkedIn channel and careers site is filled with gorgeously filmed stories that illustrate Sephora’s commitment to belonging. In fact, 95% of Sephora’s corporate LinkedIn channel consisted of employee stories (from the period of January-June 2025).
Congratulations, Sephora, Anastasia Mikova and everyone who participated! This is such a bold and beautiful employee storytelling effort.
Do you want to respect and celebrate your employee experiences with creative visual storytelling? If so, get in touch!
*Sephora is not a client of ours, but we are employee story experts and marketers. We respect this work and wanted to give it some attention!