PathMotion is joined by Emma Britton from Citi to take us through the results of their research on the impact of storytelling in talent attraction. Learn how they measured the impact of different types of content on how engaged a candidate was with the brand and find out how storytelling can help drive better engagement with your own brand during the recruitment process.

1. Regain control of your employer brand to attract talent
with
Copyright © 2018 by PathMotion. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted without the prior written permission of the
publisher, except in the case of brief quotations permitted by copyright law.

2. Authentic employer branding
It works. When done told right.

3. PATHMOTION – BRANDED PLATFORM FOR EMPLOYEES TO SHARE THEIR
STORIES WITH CANDIDATES

4. THE PROBLEM - EMPLOYER BRANDING
1, 2: Linkedin
80%
O F T A L ENT L EA D ER S
think employer branding is a
key driver of quality hire1
50%
O F CO M P A NIES
believe they have a
proactive brand strategy2
Employer branding is key…. …how to fully execute it
We know But we don’t know

5. how to execute it
“If a company does not have
confidence
that it can present itself
authentically it should not use
them until the advantages
outweigh any potential damage”
Boston Consulting Group
But we don’t knowWe know
Authenticity matters
“ Millennials increasingly
require a holistic and
authentic experience across
all the online and offline
ways they interact with a
company”
Boston Consulting Group
THE PROBLEM – AUTHENTICITY

6. “Authentic storytelling…is
an amazing way to impact
talent strategies”
(Forbes magazine)
“Data can persuade people,
but it does not inspire them
to act; to do that, you need to
wrap your vision in a story
that fires the imagination and
stirs the soul,”
(Harvard Business Review)
A SOLUTION - STORYTELLING

7. WHY STORIES WORK
Better remembered
Affinity towards characters is carried to the brand
Triggers emotions, which drive decisions
People deduce logic themselves,
which is more persuasive
1. Wharton Business School
Research shows impact of personal stories1
CORTISOL
Focusses Attention OXYTOCIN
Boost Empathy
DOPAMINE
Aids Memory
NEURAL
COUPLING
Increased
Connection

8. WE KNOW THIS FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
CORTISOL
Focusses Attention OXYTOCIN
Boost Empathy
DOPAMINE
Aids Memory
NEURAL
COUPLING
Increased
Connection
“The art of storytelling can be used to drive change”
(Richard Branson)

9. ALREADY ESTABLISHED IN OTHER SECTORS - CHARITIES
Any money that you donate
will go to Rokia, a 7-year-old
girl who lives in Mali in Africa.
Rokia is desperately poor and
faces a threat of severe
hunger. Her life will be
FACTS STORY
Wharton Business School study on 2 types of brochure used for the same “Save the Children” campaign against malnutrition1
Those that read the story donated 66% more than those who just read the facts
1Source: Wharton Business Schools (facts adapted from the original)
Changed for the better as a result of your
financial gift [….]
Better childhood nutrition could cut
stunting by 1/3 and reduce health
issues, from diarrhoea and
pneumonia to deaf-mutism

10. “[this is] an emotive
narrative around a father
and his son realising the
limitless creative potential
offered by LEGO”
-
(Bare Films)
“At Nike we see Brand
Communication as
developing purposeful
storytelling.”
(Nike website)
“What's exceptional is how it
presents the characters'
sensitivity hand-in-hand with
their physical strength and
love for contact sports”
(Business Insider)
“Reunion embarks on a
powerful message that hits
at the core, painting a
powerful portrait of
possibility for today’s
generation.”
(Benchmark)
ALREADY ESTABLISHED IN OTHER SECTORS – BRAND MARKETING

11. FEATURESBUT WHERE IS THE PROOF
THAT STORYTELLING WORKS IN
TALENT ATTRACTION?

12. WHAT WE TESTED
C i t i C a r e e r W e b s i t e S t o r i e s o n t h e C i t i
d i s c u s s i o n p l a t f o r m
L i v e E x c h a n g e s w i t h
C i t i E m p l o y e e s
I n c o l l a b o r a t i o n w i t h C i t i a n d P a u l Z a k ( l e a d i n g s c i e n t i s t o n s t o r y t e l l i n g )
W hi c h s i t e w ill c a ndida t e f ind m o s t pe rs ua s ive ?

13. We measured their immersion levels
Which indicates their
April 2018
70 undergraduate students in a controlled lab
HOW WE TESTED IT
(increased activity in the brain’s
cortex causing heart rate increase)
Attention
(correlates with brain’s synthesis of
oxytocin that increases nerve activity)
+ Emotional
Resonance
We measured their level of Immersion using data coming
from the brain and captured through the hearts (more
And which is a strong predictor* of their
persuasion and likelihood of taking action (e.g. purchase)
* 82-95% accuracy based on on purchase behaviors. Source: Immersion neuro

14. 5 COMPONENTS OF IMMERSION ARE TESTED
Immersion
Quotient
Peak
Immersion
Frustration
In-Vangelists Trend
Average immersion during event Time and depth of high immersion Time and depth of anxiety and stress
People who are extraordinarily
immersed in the experience
How immersion dissipates or
builds overtime

15. Immersion Relative To Market Benchmarks
RESULTS
CITI STORIES OUTPERFORM THE CITI CAREERS SITE
0% = benchmark
* Statistically significant difference (p > .001)
Source: Immersion Neuro
*

16. RESULTS –
Citi stories have higher & more constant trend immersion
3
3.5
4
4.5
5
5.5
0 30 60 90 120 150 180 210 240 270 300 330 360 390 420 450 480 510 540
Time
Citi discussion platform
Average immersion 4.6*
Trend: Flat
Citi website
Average immersion 3.8
Trend: Downward
Start FinishTime
5.5
5
4.5
4
3.5
3
I
m
m
e
r
s
i
o
n
Q
u
o
t
i
e
n
t
* Statistically significant difference (p > .001)
Source: Immersion Neuro
Intuition:
After an initial peak immersion in the Citi career site,
interest declines

17. RESULTS
Citi stories create lower frustration vs. the career site
Intuition:
Content was harder to find on the career site
Frustration levels vs. benchmarks
Higher frustration
Lower frustration
Source: Immersion Neuro

18. “Which 3 factors are most important to ensure a good experience when you apply to a company?”
RESULTS ARE COHERENT WITH OUR CANDIDATE EXPERIENCE SURVEY
Source: PathMotion survey Q4 2017
A valuable experience is more important than an efficient experience!
73%
52%
42%
Efficient
experience
Valuable
experience

19. 1 Talent Board (2014)
57%
MIND THE CONTENT GAP
Of candidates said employers
do not share important info
such as day in the life1
THE CONTENT GAP

20. Hi, I am John
BUT NOT EVERY STORY IS A STORY (WITH IMPACT)
Testimonials
Corporate videos
Etc.
Are these stories real and effective?

21. WHAT MAKES A STORY EFFECTIVE?
M a r k e t r e s e a r c h a n d P a t h M o t i o n a n a l y s i s o f 2 5 , 0 0 0 s t o r i e s 1
ü A narrative
ü Authentic
ü Details
ü Meaningful challenges
ü Practical tips
ü Dialogue
1 Wharton Business School; Harvard Business Review; PathMotion analysis

22. CONCLUSION
CONTENT IS KING. HUMAN IS ACE. STORY IS FLUSH.

23. 1. Enrich the global Citi site with real life at Citi EMEA
2. Promote diversity (e.g. non-finance degrees, women and minority ethnic groups)
3. Promote non-banking jobs (e.g. IT and compliance); and
4. Help candidates make more informed decisions about whether Citi is the right choice
for them, and deselect if not so as to minimise HR workload.
AUTHENTIC EMPLOYER BRANDING AT
Key talent attraction objectives:

24. • 60 Insiders from a range of background/degrees
• 20+ targeted live chat events p.a. (“Meet the Analysts”, “
Welcome to Women in Finance”, etc.)
• Invite to platform on each job spec
• All employee stories visible 24/7 on the platform and fed on
social media accounts
HOW PLATFORM WAS USED

25. GREAT STORIES
“What were your expectations versus reality working at Citi?”
Nolwenn K.
Investment
Banking Associate
950+
discussion views
When joining Citi, one of the main
expectations I had was mobility. From what I
heard, Citi was the perfect place for that
thanks to its global network.
I was not mistaken as I indeed had the
opportunity to do a rotation: I started in the
M&A team in Paris and then did two rotations
in London two years later, one in Equity
Capital Markets and one in Leveraged
Finance. Some people from my class also did
rotations in NYC, South Africa…
ü A narrative
ü Authentic
ü Details
ü Meaningful challenge
ü Practical tips
ü Dialogue

26. Michael D.
Human Resources
Director
200+
discussion views
To be honest it is total non issue - in my first
2 years with the company because of my
own insecurities I was closeted, but then I
just decided that this was not working for
me, so I starting becoming more open to my
colleagues in normal coffee chats about
weekend activities etc. and when I opened
up I never ever felt uncomfortable or not
included because of being gay. Citi's culture
is very inclusive
ü A narrative
ü Authentic
ü Details
ü Meaningful challenge
ü Practical tips
ü Dialogue
GREAT STORIES
“How have your colleagues reacted knowing you're part of LGBT?”

27. ü A narrative
ü Authentic
ü Details
ü Meaningful challenge
ü Practical tips
ü Dialogue
Eva W.
Markets and
Securities Services
Associate
Hi, that depends on the workload of the day. But
in general I get in between 7.15-7.30 and I am
out around 18.30. Hope this helps :)
Anubhuti A.
Consumer
Banking Analyst
Elena S.
Investment
Banking VP
In IB it all depends on live transactions and
sometimes can be quite late. I usually come
around 8am and trying to be out at 8pm.
Hi, agree with Eva! Usually, I get in at 9:30 AM and
leave by 6:30 PM - so about 9 hours. And the
great part about working in teams spread across
countries and time zones, is that we all adjust our
timelines to suit those of the team at large and
complete global projects in time.
5620+
discussion views
GREAT STORIES
“How many daily hours do you spend in the office?”

28. Omar H.
Markets and
Securities
Services Analyst
300+
discussion views
ü A narrative
ü Authentic
ü Details
ü Meaningful challenge
ü Practical tips
ü Dialogue
I started in Middle Office before moving to
Markets. It was a challenge but I managed
to do it. I overcame these by working more
and longer than colleagues and ensuring
that I showed enthusiasm for all asset
classes. I did my CFA while working to show
that I was hard working.
GREAT STORIES
“What are some key challenges in your role when you first join Citi and
how did you manage to overcome those challenges?”

29. Jovana A.
Corporate &
Investment
Banking Analyst
900+
discussion views
ü A narrative
ü Authentic
ü Details
ü Meaningful challenge
ü Practical tips
ü Dialogue
Hi Jurgen,
Case studies are structured in such a way to
assess your ability to analyse provided
information. The study will provide you with
situation description and give you alternatives to
choose from….
In my experience, no particular M&A knowledge
was required, it was focused on general
analytical skills.
Hope this helped!
GREAT STORIES
“What can we expect in the case study examples in the assessment centers?”

30. Enrico D.
Investment Banking
Analyst
440+
discussion views
ü A narrative
ü Authentic
ü Details
ü Meaningful challenge
ü Practical tips
ü Dialogue
Hi Tiago! Surely the market conditions are pretty hot now
with also an intense deal flow, but this also means that the
job is really interesting, so surely working hours are in line
with what you may have heard, but the quality of the work is
great in these times thanks to the intense deal flow activity
Candidate response
Thank you for your answer! How is the deal flow in the FIG
team compared to other hot industry teams (e.g. TMT)?
Thanks for your punctual questions. I have always been
working for FIG. I think all the team are pretty busy now
from what I heard from your friends so don't worry, deal
flow is not something you will miss when joining any team in
the bank. Usually, FIG deals are bigger but this is only my
perspective.
GREAT STORIES
“Dear Enrico, do you feel the current market conditions influence your daily
work?”

31. IMPACT OF THE CITI PLATFORM
Authentic
employee
stories
Better
employer
brand
Better
convert
quality hires
Better
candidate
experience
Of candidates said their
perception of the company
improved
Of candidates thought the
topics were relevant /
highly relevant
95%
Plan to apply to
Citi
77% 98%
Live chat events
from Citi in
Q3/Q4 2017:
Source: Citi and PathMotion candidate surveys following Live Chat Events hosted by Citi

32. “My perception really changed because I really thought that all banks where similar,
but the reality is that they are all different and Citi is the one that is matching my
values.”
“This really showed me how keen Citi is to guide students in their career paths and help
them to make well-informed decisions”
“As Citi is a huge group with a lot of employees, having a conversation with someone
makes it more human”
CANDIDATES QUOTES

33. Regain control of your employer brand to attract talent
with
Copyright © 2018 by PathMotion. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted without the prior written permission of the
publisher, except in the case of brief quotations permitted by copyright law.