How to Use Storytelling in Job Interviews (and Why It Beats STAR)
Try this in your next job interview to stand out and be memorable
Job interviews feel high stakes. In 30 – 45 minutes, you are trying to build rapport with your interviewer, share your experience, and describe why you are right for the role. All while standing out from other candidates and being memorable with someone you just met. Storytelling can help make each of those easier.
Stories aren’t just entertaining; they are the most impactful way to engage the brain, form trust, and influence decision-making. By telling stories, the candidate lightens the cognitive lift for the interviewer, building a dynamic understanding of the candidate’s experience in their mind. A great story can be the differentiator for an interviewer feeling a connection to one candidate over another.
Candidates can establish trust through storytelling. Research by Dr. Paul Zak, neuroscientist, and professor at Claremont Graduate University, has shown that as someone tells a story, the listener gains empathy and trust toward the storyteller. This creates the release of oxytocin, the feel-good chemical sometimes referred to as “the trust hormone.” Oxytocin signals to our brain whom we want to be around or avoid.
Through a story, you create an in-group feeling when the hiring manager views you as “just like them” from the similar experiences, preferences, or aspirations described. This feeling of familiarity reinforces you are a good fit. Your stories can also create an out-group feeling as you highlight the different knowledge and experience you bring. These help the hiring manager see where your diverse thinking and approaches would complement the team.
When you hear a candidate is “not a good culture fit,” it’s because the manager views them as a member of an out-group. The candidate failed to connect the dots for the manager to understand how their experience would complement and not compete with the team. Telling stories that intentionally create the experience of in and out-groups helps influence the understanding of how you would contribute to the role, team, and culture.
Where To Start
There are three parts to preparing stories for each interview to help your message resonate with the hiring manager. First, consider what you know about the people you are interviewing with:
What do you know about the interviewer and company?
What do you want the interviewer to know about you?
What assumptions might the interviewer have about you?
What do you uniquely bring to this role or organization (out-group)?
Why are you the right one for the role (in-group)?
Second, define three words or phrases that describe what you want the interviewer to remember about you. Avoid common terms like “conscientious.” Identify specific words or vivid phrases that describe your best. For example, a person who describes themselves as an “agitator of change that asks questions to get people outside of their comfort zone and elevate thinking,” gives you a description of what they would contribute. That specificity is memorable and would resonate with companies seeking those skills. Work these words or phrases into your stories and follow-up messages.
Third, build a toolkit of possible stories for “Tell me about a time…” behavioral questions like the ones below. Identify different examples that are relevant to the role you seek. For each one, plan when to incorporate the three words or phrases that describe your best.
Define examples that create an in-group feeling through your related knowledge, skills, and values. Determine where to include out-group feelings through complementary knowledge, skills, and experiences you would bring to the role. Identify stories that illustrate both in and out-group examples for the same interview.
Below are a few common examples of behavioral interview questions.
Tell me about a time you faced conflict with a coworker or team.
Describe a time you made a mistake.
Give an example of a time you demonstrated leadership skills.
What is an example of when you had to reset expectations with a client?
When did you have to think on your feet?
Share a problem you have solved.
Building Your Stories
Outline each story by writing out a sentence or two for each of the following:
Challenge or conflict: What was the problem or conflict you are addressing? What was at stake? Why was this messy or hard? What would happen if nothing was done?
Action: What action did you take?
Result: What was the result of your actions?
Learning: What did you learn?
Your goal is to tell a story that engages the interviewer’s brain, not just list roles and responsibilities. Give the story tension by describing the conflict, what was at stake, what you set out to solve, and what would have happened if you didn’t do anything. Reinforce in- or out-group experiences by sharing actions and results. Tell what you learned to help finish the thought for the interviewer and give them the takeaway for the story.
Telling Your Stories
It’s tempting to tell your interviewer a detailed story. However, what is interesting to you may not be to them. Give enough information so they can understand the experience and takeaway. Keep your stories under a minute and let the interviewer ask follow-up questions.
Think of your interview like a book. Chapter one is about your brand. Each subsequent chapter includes stories about specific roles, projects, or experiences. Don’t give the entire book in each response. Use metaphors and examples that anchor to what is familiar to the interviewer while avoiding the use of acronyms.
Send a follow-up message after the interview sharing what stood out about the role or company. Reinforce why you are right for the role by connecting the three words or phrases of your best to the opportunity.
Tell stories in your next interviews to be memorable and build an understanding of why you are the right person for the role.
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