Candidates are looking for an employer with values that align with their own, and they want to see that the work they’ll be doing helps a greater purpose. So, it’s necessary to help candidates connect to company mission. Achieve that connection by communicating your company values, vision, and mission throughout the candidate journey and content. Then, they’ll recognize their own purpose in your employer brand.

The recent shift to distributed workplaces makes this is more important than ever. With work and hiring happening remotely, we can no longer rely on in-person interactions to adequately communicate a shared purpose.

Additionally, candidates are making it known that a company’s social impact and response to injustice matter deeply to them. However, they can’t make the connection between their principles and company values with just corporate words on a website.

Stories communicate mission and values

Prove your company mission and values to candidates through the real stories of your employees. Stories share your unique culture and bring it to life, engaging your talent audiences. In fact, they’re the best way to establish that shared values connection between candidates and your employer brand. 

See it in action

For example, Van Metre Companies, a family-run business, believes in treating their employees “like family from the moment they come on board.” But many companies would describe their own culture as being ‘like a family’ (it’s the most common thing we hear from storytellers in any company), so how can Van Metre prove that this value of theirs is a genuine differentiator? They share this story from James in which he details specifically how he—and his family—experienced that company value in their lives. 

Scripts aren’t employee stories

Stories from employees have the ability to make company mission, vision and values real to candidates. But, that doesn’t mean companies should simply ask employees to read corporate values statements on camera. It’s important that team members’ words and experiences shared are fully their own and contain the elements of a story. 

Weave team member stories that express your values into all areas of your application and employee experiences. Invite employees at all levels to share exactly how working at the company has made a difference in their lives, and why they feel connected to the work they are doing.

Learn more in our ebook with Greenhouse

We show you how to do this, step by step, in our ebook with Greenhouse, How to build and communicate an impactful talent brand. Inside, you’ll find examples of impactful employer branding in action, and practical tips to powerfully and effectively communicate with candidates and employees through stories. 

Get the ebook.

A version of this article originally appeared on the Greenhouse blog.