Every sports fanatic dreams of working at ESPN. As a result, the company has no problem attracting job candidates. But they know that if they want to attract the RIGHT candidates for their company, they’re going to have to compete for them, just like everyone else.

“We’re the preeminent sports media company in the world with a brand that is most revered by sports fans,” said John Skipper, ESPN President in this video clip. “However, we never take that for granted. We’re never complacent. We remain competitive. We want to continue to grow our company and get bigger.”

Despite being one of the largest brands in America, ESPN hasn’t lost sight of what helped it to get there: its employees. With over approximately 8,000 employees worldwide, ESPN takes pride in its staff, and takes great care when selecting new additions.

The Importance Of Finding A Great Fit

Building and maintaining a defined company culture has proven to be extremely effective for the organization. According to Chris Hong, ESPN’s VP of Talent Acquisition, it’s crucial to find candidates who fit in that culture.

“[A] good cultural fit helps employees relate and identify more with their organization, team, and business, and proves greater job satisfaction,” said Hong.

When there is a strong culture match between employees and employers, workers are more committed. Makes sense, right? When employees are happy where they are, they are more likely to stay.

“A strong fit helps promote engagement of that employee, which is critical to motivation, impact of that employee, and daily attitude,” said Hong. “....There is higher retention when there is a strong cultural match.”

As an employer, those are the kinds of candidates you need to attract - the ones who share the same values, attitudes, and work ethic as the rest of your company. You want the ones who “fit.” You want the ones who are engaged with your brand. Those are the ones who will make your company thrive.

But how can you share your company culture with the top talent?

Tell your story.

“Valuable storytelling is crucial because it helps immerse potential candidates into our world of ESPN,” said Hong. “....Also, storytelling [evokes] emotion and feeling, which, to me, leaves a more lasting impression and memory.”

While showcasing your employee perks is nice, the best talent out there wants to dig deeper than that. They want to know about your values, your people, your story.

Who are you as a company? Why was it started? How far has it come? Where is it going? What makes your team tick? How does your organization give back to the community?

Sharing your story gives candidates a more inclusive sense of a company’s culture, diversity, and success. It gives applicants an inside look at what makes a company tick, what drives people, and what makes the company different.

Here are some of our insider tips for recruiting MVPs for your company:

1. Provide a little background.

Let’s go back to the beginning. Why was the company started? This is an easy story to tell - Where did you start and where are you now? How has your organization impacted its industry or helped its customers over the years? How has it changed?

When candidates have access to these kinds of stories, it’s easier for them to understand your company, where it’s headed, and how they can help it get there.

ESPN has a really cool timeline that takes its viewers on a journey through the life of the company. You can also showcase your history through a blog post such as this one.

2. Use your story to inspire.

Use your story to inspire the talent your company wants - it’ll help you attract more passionate and enthusiastic job candidates for your openings.

At ESPN, they focus on triumphing together rather than competing against each other. It’s a fundamental part of their culture, and they make sure it’s a major part of their brand. Their desire to win is inspiring, and they make a point to share that passion with the world.

“We’re all working together because we want to win, we want to have fun, and we’re working on something we’re passionate about,” said Skipper. “....We believe that together we triumph.”

3. Don’t pretend.

You might not be ESPN or Google, and that’s okay! Don’t pretend to be something you’re not. You’ll attract the wrong candidates, and they will likely leave.

In 2013, 41% of companies wasted at least $25,000 on a bad hire. That’s a lot of time and money down the drain. Not only that, but one bad hire can force companies to pay in both direct and indirect ways:

  • Lost worker productivity: 41%
  • Lost time due to recruiting and training: 40%
  • Expense due to recruiting and training: 37%
  • Negative impact on employee morale: 36%
  • Negative impact on client solutions: 22%

Telling an honest story about your organization provides a genuine sense of what it is like to work at a company. Being transparent is the key to filtering out those ill-fitting candidates and attracting those right-fit ones that will make your company thrive.

4. Showcase the person you want 10 more of.

When we’re trying to figure out who to interview for a company story, we tell our clients to find the employee they wish they had 10 more of - Who is your company rockstar? Who do you wish you could clone? That’s the person you need to showcase.

Think about the qualities of that employee - what is it about this person that makes him/her the MVP of your company?

5. Offer value.

Weave some advice into your stories! Give candidates some pointers on how to succeed in your industry or company. Adding this additional value to your posts will not only make the post more shareable, but it also helps prepare those potential candidates.

Check out this employment branding post - Not only is it branding the company, but it’s offering value to the reader by providing tips on how to be a great leader.

6. Allow others tell your story, too.

Why do you ask for references when you interview potential candidates? Because you want to make sure they’re being honest about their accomplishments and qualifications. You want proof before you commit to hiring them.

Well, top talent wants to do the same thing. Simply claiming you’re a great company to work for on your own site isn’t enough for those hard-to-get candidates you want working for your company. They want proof from other sources that you’re a great company to work for - They check out your Glassdoor page, your company page on LinkedIn, and see if you have any articles written about you. The more information they can gain about your company, the better.

Why is this so important for companies? Well, in the next few years, a massive amount of Baby Boomers will retire. As a result, there will be lots of open positions with no one to fill them. The talent shortage is going to skyrocket.

Job seekers will no longer have to fight for jobs. Instead, employers will have to fight for talent. And, if you’re not doing everything you can to brand your company for top talent, you’re going to miss out on some great candidates.

Don’t lose out on great talent! #TellYourStory2015

Every company has a story. What’s yours? Need help telling your company’s story? Check out our free Employment Branding course!