12. March 2026
Who's Telling Your Story
We live in an era where information is everywhere—instantly available and constantly demanding our attention. But when you’re surrounded by that much noise, you start to tune it out just to stay sane. Soon enough, everything begins to sound like Miss Othmar from Peanuts—that iconic muted trombone voice. Morning headlines: wah-wah. Inbox notifications: wah-wah. Breaking news alerts: wah-wah. One message after another, until it all fades into the same indistinguishable hum.
And then you get a text. "M - call me later. Have I got a story for YOU!"
Suddenly you're engaged, excited, even smiling.
Everyone loves a good story. Stories connect us. They trigger a physiological response in our bodies. And if you're lucky, they leave an unforgettable lasting impression.
I recently came across an article introducing a new addition to the C-suite - Chief Storytelling Officers. It describes how the role of storytelling sits at the intersection of product, brand and business strategy. According to Elliott Rayner, the CSO's job is "translating complexity into clarity, and ambition into something people can actually understand and repeat." When I read this, my eyes bulged out of my head, I leaned in a little closer to my phone and yelled "YES" out loud (startling the snoring dog at my feet). I'm not trying to steal your thunder, Elliott but THIS IS WHAT I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IN TERMS OF RECRUITMENT! Today's top recruiters can not succeed without this same mindset.
When it comes to talent acquisition, great careers and/or companies are rarely built by accident. They’re built by people who choose environments where their skills, ambitions, and curiosity can thrive. And great companies grow when they bring in people who believe in the mission, not just the salary band. Storytelling helps create this alignment.
I believe recruitment works best when it moves beyond transactions and toward narrative. The goal isn’t simply to match resumes to job descriptions. Spoiler alert: resumes don’t tell stories very well. People do. The goal is to connect the right people with the right story at the right moment. Because when that happens, hiring becomes more strategic and effective. And frankly, that’s a lot more interesting than another bullet point that says “must be a team player.”
Communication Strategist and award-winning Journalist, Jessica Abo states that "storytelling is emerging as a powerful tool for building trust, alignment and human connection."
Trust, alignment and human connection. Yup. That's my kind of recruitment. Still need more data points? According to the Wall Street Journal, "the percentage of LinkedIN job postings in the US that include the term 'storyteller' doubled in the year [2025]". Not a coincidence.
Having spent almost 20 years in the recruitment industry, I am proud to say that my greatest accomplishment has been helping a startup attract and retain top talent from seed phase through to pre-commercialization. Nothing says "come work with us" more than we're new, we have no money, no clients, and no employees. So how did we do it? Storytelling. Authenticity. Alignment. Connection. And of course, incredible buy-in and vision from the executive team.
I enjoyed this work so much that I am excited to share with you the next chapter in my own story. I have launched a startup called Talent Incubator Partners (Talent IP). My goal is to continue working with startups to develop story-led recruitment practices, strategic employer-branding and to go beyond the transactional recruitment model. So, let me ask you; Who's telling your story? I'll give you a T-I-P (see what I did there?!) No matter who is telling it—whether it’s you, your employees, your investors, your mother, or a recruitment professional—it needs to be consistent, clear, and relatable. It should leave a lasting impression on the candidates you hire, and perhaps even more on those you don’t. Because in a world full of noise, the best companies don’t just post jobs—they tell stories.
Let’s make sure yours is one worth hearing.