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Hi, I’m Anna! I’m new to the Stories Inc. team.

I spent the early years of my career on pristine college campuses, recruiting college seniors to join the D.C. consulting firm where I worked. I tried to stand out among many recruiters at career fair booths (although I was often mistaken as a student myself). We hoped to entice college students with free t-shirts, water-bottles, Frisbees, and company-branded Oreos.

As I reflect on my four-and-a-half years in campus recruiting, I realize that for all the free swag students left with, they still didn’t have a sense for what it felt like to work at the companies they were considering. Each recruiter and every brochure said “We have great work/life balance” and “We care about developing our people.” But how could potential applicants get beyond the surface-level platitudes to understand where they could fit?

Finding the best ways to share the company culture

I wish the students knew that if they joined The Advisory Board Company, their colleagues would be lifelong friends and their managers would be fantastic mentors. Before I started at the firm, I didn’t know that I would be the maid of honor in my coworker’s wedding, that I would babysit my manager’s kids, or that I would be taken to Punta Cana on an all-expense paid vacation. And on no recruiting material did it state that there was a Twitter account documenting exactly where in the office building we could find free food.

After my time in campus recruiting, I moved within the company into internal communications, where I created and executed communications plans for the company. It was a fantastic experience to understand the inner workings of a business and work with many leaders across the firm.

Whether it was a firm-wide newsletter, email from the CEO, or town hall, my goal was to reach our diverse staff, located around the globe. I reminded myself that audiences are bombarded with content all day long. Would they want to read this CEO email if the alternative is watching a cat video? If this content won’t resonate with them on a personal level, they aren’t going to read it.

Going deeper than the corporate jargon

It was around this same time that I truly understood the humanizing power of storytelling. While we spend so much time glued to screens, storytelling reminds us of what we all have in common, and connections us to each other (and brands) on an emotional level.

I write freelance articles, and it became clear that a story about one 90-year-old cartoonist or one Israeli violinist would resonate with audiences more than a long email filled with corporate jargon.

I’m beyond thrilled to join Stories Inc. as a Content Strategist. I’m excited to combine my passions for project management, storytelling, and connecting with people in a creative way. Talent acquisition and employer branding is challenging and important work, and I can’t wait to help our clients tell their story.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out, even if it’s just to discuss those company-branded Oreos.

Warmly,

Anna