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“Look, I know you’re not following what I’m saying anyway, right? That’s OK. That doesn’t matter. The real question is this: was all this legal? Absolutely f****** not, but we were making more money than we knew what to do with.”
Image credit: Paramount Pictures.
Connecting Employer Branding with Cinematic Storytelling: The Wolf Of Wall Street
Leonardo DiCaprio tells the viewer as he strides confidently through the office, clad in the 1980’s sartorial cliché of a wide pinstripe suit. A walking commercial for Brylcreem set against the backdrop of late 80’s excess in the finance world. It’s an iconic passage of dialogue from Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street but – I can already see your brows furrowing – what on earth has The Wolf of Wall Street got to do with employer branding? Well, everything, actually. This scene is a masterclass from Scorsese in how storytelling can be used to build trust with your candidates.
Allow me to explain. Scorsese is famous for employing the fourth wall break, which occurs when an actor or performer acknowledges the audience’s presence. Think Rob Gordon asking the audience what came first, the music or the misery in Stephen Frears’ High Fidelity or Frank Underwood sharing his truths in House of Cards. Why is it important? Well, that’s what I’m here to talk about.
Scorsese mitigated the risk of celebrating Belfort’s immorality in 2013 amid the lingering aftermath of the 2008 banking disaster. Aware of this risk, the Oscar-winning director uses frequent fourth wall breaks to obliterate any ambiguity around the profound immorality on display in the film. Scorsese employs fourth wall breaks to ensure his message resonates, offering a valuable lesson for EVP marketing strategies.
Scorsese crafted Belfort’s character in “The Wolf of Wall Street” to epitomize the excessive nature of the 80s and 90s finance world.
Translating Scorsese’s Technique to Employer Branding
Employers can use this skill to cement their employer brand. Whilst I’m not suggesting that you go in hunt of the Jordan Belfort in your business, I am suggesting that there is someone – or better still – some people in your business right now who can do a far greater job of connecting with candidates than any C-Suite exec ever could. Just as breaking the fourth wall used to be seen as a cheap trick – using employees to create content was a no-go area tied up in horrified looks from both HR and the C-Suite – now it’s a power play for brands who know their candidates trust authenticity. Who wants a scripted message from the stiff collared CEO when they could hear from the guy they’re going to sit next to in the canteen every lunch time?
Embracing Employee Generated Content (EGC) in 2024
We’ve long extolled the virtues of user generated content – well, I’m calling in the era of EGC – employee generated content. In 2024, the average employee is living on social media every day. They’re savvy to trends, cultural shifts and community engagement. Succeed in matching that with love and enthusiasm for your employer brand and that’s where the magic happens. We’re already seeing the crossover from employee to influencer with people like Mohammad Taher who worked at Heathrow as an Aerodrome Systems Specialist and has grown a community of over 500,000 people as The Airport Guy. Just ask the 53% of current engineering apprentices at Heathrow who found their role via his social channels. The best businesses understand the power of employee brands – just look at Peloton and the way they empower each of their online coaches to build relationships with their customers by developing their own personal brand.
Shifting Strategies: The Wolf Of Wall Street Style
In 2024, building candidate trust becomes vital for employers, considering broader socioeconomic factors. But, don’t just take my word. In Edelman’s 2024 Global Trust Barometer report, 61% of respondents said they felt business leaders purposely try to mislead people by saying things they know are false or are gross exaggerations. That’s a big problem for employer brand teams but the answer is already in your office. In 2024, recruit teams should engage staff directly, moving from boardrooms to staff rooms for valuable insights.
‘In our office, who stands out as the most popular person?’
‘Who engages in social media content creation as a side hustle?’
‘Who has generated the most employee referrals?’
And here’s an even bigger takeaway. To outthink your competitors: let them lead the way on content creation. Encourage authentic storytelling to build candidate trust—ditch scripts and corporate strategies for rewarding engagement with employee narratives.
As Scorsese once said ‘your job is to get your audience to care about your obsessions’.
