Skip to main content
Contact Sales Support Careers
United States (English)
Americas
  • United States (English)
  • Canada (English)
  • Canada (Français)
  • Mexico (Español)
Europe, Middle East & Africa
  • United Kingdom (English)
  • France (Français)
  • Deutschland (Deutsch)
  • Nederland (Nederlands)
  • Other EMEA Locations
Asia/Pacific
  • India (English)
  • Australia (English)
UKG logo UKG logo
Search
Get started Get started
    • Solutions
      Solutions by Need
      People icon
      Human Resources
      Payroll icon
      Payroll
      Talent icon
      Talent
      People connected icon
      HR Service Delivery
      Clock with Person
      Time & Attendance
      Calendar day icon
      Scheduling
      Document check shield icon
      Compliance
      Chart bar statistics icon
      Reporting and Analytics
      Product Suites
      UKG Pro

      A culture-driven HCM suite designed to support your enterprise organization's needs.

      UKG Dimensions

      Workforce Management solution helping you redefine the work experience for your people.

      UKG Ready

      HR solution to help small and mid-size organizations focus on growth and making a difference for your people, every time.

      View all products
      Find the product that best fits your needs.
      Get started Get started
      get started
    • Customer Experience
      The UKG Promise

      With over 70 years of expertise with BOTH people systems and systems of work, no one knows people and how they work better than UKG.

      Our Promise
      Customer Experience

      We think you’re pretty special when you’re a UKG Customer. That’s why we build products designed to inspire your people — and your organization — to grow and thrive.

      Partner for Life
      Implementation
      Support Experience
      UKG Community
      Working Smarter Café
      Customer Stories
      Belle Tire

      UKG Pro streamlines and automates administrative and HR tasks, so that field teams and managers can spend more time with customers, and coach, train, and listen to their people.

      Eventide Senior Living Communities

      Eventide Senior Living Communities uses UKG to drive employee engagement and streamline workforce management and HCM, including cutting PBJ reporting time by 99%.

      See all customer stories
      Collaborate, learn, and get support for your UKG solution!
      Visit UKG Community Visit UKG Community
    • Resources
      • Research & Insights
        Research & Insights
        • By Business Need
        • By Type
        See all
        Growth icon
        Human Capital Management
        People icon
        Human Resources
        People connected icon
        HR Service Delivery
        Payroll icon
        Payroll
        Talent icon
        Talent
        Chart tree people icon
        Workforce Management
        Clock with Person
        Time & Attendance
        Calendar day icon
        Scheduling
        Document check shield icon
        Compliance
        Chart bar statistics icon
        Reporting and Analytics
        Lightbulb icon
        Product Info
        Video player icon
        Product Tour
        Article featured icon
        Analyst Report
        Document icon
        White Paper
        Book icon
        eBook
        Organization icon
        Industry Brief
        Chart bar icon
        Infographic
        News people icon
        Article
        Video player icon
        Webinar Replay
        Interactive
      Research & Insights
      • By Business Need
      • By Type
      See all
      Growth icon
      Human Capital Management
      People icon
      Human Resources
      People connected icon
      HR Service Delivery
      Payroll icon
      Payroll
      Talent icon
      Talent
      Chart tree people icon
      Workforce Management
      Clock with Person
      Time & Attendance
      Calendar day icon
      Scheduling
      Document check shield icon
      Compliance
      Chart bar statistics icon
      Reporting and Analytics
      Lightbulb icon
      Product Info
      Video player icon
      Product Tour
      Article featured icon
      Analyst Report
      Document icon
      White Paper
      Book icon
      eBook
      Organization icon
      Industry Brief
      Chart bar icon
      Infographic
      News people icon
      Article
      Video player icon
      Webinar Replay
      Interactive
      Events
      Tradeshows
      Conferences
      Webinars
      See all events
      Blogs
      The People Purpose Blog

      Your source for the latest life-work trends and ideas from UKG experts and leaders. Stay informed and put people first in all you do.

      Workforce Institute

      Think tank that helps organizations drive performance by addressing HCM and workforce management issues.

      Workplace Resources
      Great Place To Work
      Pay Equity Resources
      Human Insights
      UKG Developer Hub
      UKG Pro Ranks Highest in 2022 Gartner Critical Capabilities for Cloud HCM Suites for the North American Midmarket Use Case
      Get The Report
      Get The Report
      Reference Image
      UKG Ranks Highest in 2022 Gartner Critical Capabilities for Cloud HCM Suites

      Read the Gartner® Critical Capabilities analysis for UKG Pro®.

    • About Us
      About UKG

      Learn more about UKG and how our HR solutions inspire workforces and businesses around the world to drive people-focused results.

      About Us
      Why UKG
      UKG Leadership
      Newsroom
      Awards & Recognition
      UKG Ambassadors
      Culture
      Our ESG Program
      Partners
      UKG Marketplace
      Analyst Reports
      Careers

      Look to your future. If you're interested in working for a company that truly invests in their people to create a culture of belonging and innovation, we want you on our team.

      Careers at UKG
      Early Career & Internships
      Benefits
      Life at UKG
      Featured Locations
      FAQs
      Experience awesome at work.
      Search jobs at UKG Search jobs at UKG
    Contact Sales Support Careers
    United States (English)
    Americas
    • United States (English)
    • Canada (English)
    • Canada (Français)
    • Mexico (Español)
    Europe, Middle East & Africa
    • United Kingdom (English)
    • France (Français)
    • Deutschland (Deutsch)
    • Nederland (Nederlands)
    • Other EMEA Locations
    Asia/Pacific
    • India (English)
    • Australia (English)
    Find the product that best fits your needs.
    Get started Get started
    get started
    Search Get started Get started
    Life-Work Trends

    What is Corporate Storytelling and Why It Matters

    October 18, 2022
    A leader incorporates storytelling into a work presentation
    • Share
    See all blog stories See all blog stories
    Stay up to date with The People Purpose Blog
    Subscribe via email Subscribe via email
    Subscribe via RSS

    Written By

    Cecily Tyler
    Cecily Tyler
    Lead Program Manager, Human Insights Group

    Cecily applies her 25 years of experience in storytelling via filmmaking and TV production, people-centric design, and leader training to innovate and improve employee experiences through new UKG products and solutions. She has worked for organizations including NBC, PBS, BBC, New York Times TV, as well as domestic and international public sector and non-profit organizations.

    UKG x SHRM Webcast
    Michael Bush and Brian Reaves
    Rated G: Becoming Great For All

    Why do some companies thrive while others flatline? Here’s what they won’t tell you in business school—no matter how well-crafted your strategy is, there’s simply no substitute for a great culture. But it can’t be great for only some. Or even the majority. It must be great For All™. This program will peel back the curtain and look at what it takes to create exceptional experiences for everyone. Michael C. Bush, CEO of Great Place to Work, and Brian K. Reaves, Chief Belonging, Diversity, and Equity Officer at UKG, will offer an honest, no-holds-barred discussion about equity in the workplace.

    Register now. Register now.

    Topics

    Communication Communication Workplace Culture Workplace Culture Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Environmental, Social, and Governance Environmental, Social, and Governance Best Practices Best Practices Great Place To Work Great Place To Work Data Science Data Science Leadership Leadership

    I have always been easily distracted by a good story. In my earliest memories, I remember willingly eating my vegetables, brushing my teeth, and going to bed early solely to hear my parents share the tales of “The Giving Tree,” “Where the Wild Things Are,” “Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory,” “Charlotte’s Web,” or “Winnie-the-Pooh.” I loved listening to stories, and quickly grew to love creating them. I most certainly remember my tween years when my friends and I started going to the movies on Friday nights and, later, when I snuck away from my college courses on Tuesday afternoons to catch the matinee.

    As a result of this love that started years ago, I have been a producer of media for most of my professional life. What I’ve learned along the way is that every piece of content—oral, written or filmed—has more success when it’s grounded in a good sense of story. Content can be a film, a marketing campaign, documentary series, a press release, a thesis paper, news report, a music video, an Instagram reel or a TikTok post. It can also be a simple conversation where you attempt to share your ideas among friends or colleagues. Storytelling has always been a part of our communications: the Chauvet Cave in France is one of the oldest representations of storytelling found thus far, dating back to 30,000 B.C. We are all storytellers; it is in our DNA.

    However, one area of storytelling that fascinates me most right now is corporate storytelling. A corporation is more than a business. It becomes a community; one that is defined not only by what it sells but also by its values and people. More and more, businesses are being asked to identify what and who they are by multiple stakeholders: the shareholders, the customers, and (increasingly prioritized) their employees and future employees.

    Storytelling in business is not a new concept
     

    Effective marketing and advertising teams have harnessed the capacity of storytelling for decades—but the way storytelling is being used currently is evolving exponentially. The growing body of data that points to this is predominantly qualitative in nature, but quantitative stats are being collected rapidly. If disruption is a catalyst for change, then this evolution may be attributed in part to COVID-19. It necessitated a seismic shift in reckoning how society interacts and that affected how businesses operate. The need to forge connections and bring cohesion to a physically detached workforce became paramount to a company’s survival. Sharing stories, beginning with the shared experience of surviving the pandemic, is a natural means of connection, finding common ground between leaders and teams, coworkers, and even between companies and their customers.

    Beyond the initial two years of the pandemic lockdown, storytelling continues to be thoughtfully implemented. Its power—not just as a sales tool but for business as a whole—is being more fully understood and embraced throughout the corporate world. In a study by McKinsey that defined the skills that will help people thrive in the future of work, storytelling was one of the key foundational skills identified.

     

    56 Foundational Skills - Corporate Storytelling

     

    Is it any wonder that—from marketing strategies to shareholder meetings, inclusivity initiatives to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reporting, and from redefining how work gets done to how businesses survived in the wake of the pandemic—business leaders are embracing storytelling as the key to success in all facets of business, external and internal alike?

    Why is corporate storytelling important?
     

    Sales and marketing teams are the most practiced at storytelling, but in the era of too much information and, even more, misinformation, honing the right story of your company has never been as crucial, and the rules have changed. Trust in a product or service is imperative and must be impervious for its survival. It is no longer a question of whether any press is good press. Social media has changed the game forever and “cancel culture” can be a death knell. A company that wants to survive and thrive must have a great story—one that is relatable, memorable, universally embraced on many corporate levels, and most importantly, it must be authentic. Faux enthusiasm and positivity as the face of a business is no longer embraced by consumers, if anything, it is shunned. Likewise, younger professionals are demanding honesty and authenticity of their workplaces, that skeletons in the closet must not be hidden, but dealt with transparently in the story of how a company is learning and changing. Millennials are 22 times more likely to stay with a company long term if they believe it has a “high-trust culture” (Gen Zers are 16 times more likely). Furthermore, Gen Zers rank a company’s core values and commitment to global citizenship and sustainability initiatives higher than salary.

    Where is storytelling taking place?
     

    1. Leaders

    Storytelling in corporations is taking place at all levels. Top-down storytelling is paramount in creating a business’s narrative to compete in the marketplace and set the tone. Personal storytelling has always had a place in creating a great brand story of overcoming hardships and personal challenges, such as Richard Branson speaking openly about struggling with dyslexia and Howard Schultz working his way out of childhood poverty in the Bronx. Today, the best leaders are sharing deeply personal stories within their companies to create safe spaces for employees and stronger, more inclusive corporate culture.  

    2. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEI&B)


    In the case of inclusivity initiatives for instance, new and existing employees want to hear about their company’s DEI&B efforts from the experiences of their coworkers across the company, rather than through assurances from upper-level management. The most successful corporate storytelling is often from the bottom up and across teams.

    3. Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG)


    Leaders for ESG endeavors, also sometimes referred to as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), are also recognizing that they must embrace storytelling to be effective and own the narrative about their organization’s efforts to grow and effect change from within and without. These initiatives have been almost exclusively driven by the collection and dissemination of data and statistics and are perfect examples of telling stories with metrics, which leads us to… 

    4. Data Storytelling


    Data has always dominated the business world, and the deluge is only growing as our lives rely increasingly and irreversibly on a digital world. The demand for research analysts is expected to grow by at least 19% from 2021 and 2031, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But with all that data, companies need to make sure they are conveying the intended message. That is why job descriptions for data and research analysts now often include requirements for storytelling skills. Some companies are even creating data storytelling positions.

    When spreadsheets are no longer enough
     

    Yet, facts and figures have never been sufficient. This is where the science of storytelling comes into play. Listening to a story engages the entire brain. It evokes emotion. It creates a shared experience between the listener and the teller. Therefore, when a CEO shares their quarterly report with its shareholders, or the marketing team disseminates its strategy with the salesforce—not in numbers and percentages earned or needed but rather through story—that message is conveyed and received and remembered exactly as intended. Data, beyond being tough to discern and understand—and sometimes quickly forgotten—is open to interpretation. The brain is apt to come to an unwanted conclusion regarding its meaning. This graphic created for a sales team is an excellent explanation of a brain processing data versus a brain processing a story (not to mention an excellent example of visual storytelling in its own right).

    The bottom line
     

    A new era of corporate storytelling has emerged in tandem with a new era in business, and the consensus is they are both here to stay.

    • Remote and hybrid work requires the enhanced communication that personalized storytelling can foster to ensure ongoing team engagement in the absence of office proximity.
    • A normalization of storytelling in office interaction should also bolster DEI&B efforts, which are partially dependent upon authentic shared experiences from leadership and among employees to be truly successful.
    • A combination of storytelling and authenticity is surging across corporate culture; from consumer demand for brands they can both trust and respect, to conveying a business’s commitment to social responsibility and sustainability (i.e. ESG). 
    • Leaders and managers are creating safe spaces for employees to tell personal stories by sharing their own.
    • Employees are being encouraged to share/exchange stories with customers, to build even more trust and glean intimate, authentic brand stories to share with stakeholders and in marketing campaigns.

    Corporations that have yet to introduce storytelling into their culture can use any of these areas as an entry point to start their journey. Now is the time. In the ever-expanding digital landscape, business is homing in on data storytelling as a fundamental skill of the future and quantitative studies as to its efficacy are forthcoming. As the power of storytelling continues to be understood and utilized and quantitative data becomes available, we will share more insights and strategies for incorporating storytelling into your corporate culture.

    If you need help developing a strong company culture, register for this UKG webcast “Rated G: Becoming Great For All” featuring Michael C. Bush, CEO of Great Place to Work, and Brian K. Reaves, Chief Belonging, Diversity, and Equity Officer at UKG.

     

    Cecily applies her 25 years of experience in Design Thinking and leadership training to innovate and improve employee experiences through new UKG products and services. Look out for her next post on “data storytelling.”

     

     

    • The People Purpose Blog
    • What is Corporate Storytelling and Why It Matters

    Related Stories

    Purpose at work
    The People Purpose Blog

    How to Connect to Your Purpose at Work

    Purpose isn’t something you find—it’s something you value and nurture. Here are five ways to make your work more purposeful. 

    People Are Key to An Effective AI Strategy
    The People Purpose Blog

    Why Your People Are Key to An Effective AI Strategy

    Human-centered, people-focused AI is the key to building an effective and purposeful AI strategy. 

    Using AI Storytelling in Business
    The People Purpose Blog

    Using AI Storytelling in Business

    Learn the difference between predictive and generative AI, plus 10 advantages for incorporating AI storytelling into your business strategy.

    UKG logo

    Footer menu

    • Human Capital Management
      • Human Resources
      • Payroll
      • Talent
      • Reporting and Analytics
    • Workforce Management
      • Time & Attendance
      • Scheduling
      • Compliance
    • Product Suites
      • UKG Pro
      • UKG Dimensions
      • UKG Ready
    • Customer Experience
      • Implementation
      • Support Experience
      • UKG Community
      • Customer Stories
    • About Us
      • Why UKG
      • Culture
      • Our ESG Program
      • Leadership
      • Newsroom
      • Careers
      • Privacy and Security

    Sub Footer

    • Modern Slavery Statement
    • Accessibility
    • Cookie Choices
    • Cookie Notice
    • Terms of Use
    • Trademarks
    • CCPA Notice
    • Licenses
    • Privacy Notice
    © 2023 UKG Inc. All rights reserved.

    Kronos SaaShr, Inc., a UKG Company (NMLS ID#1698726) provides money transmission services on behalf of UKG Inc. customers and in connection with certain UKG products.