From One Recruiter to a Brand Movement: How Story House Built Connection Through Content

Kelly Murphy has spent the past seven years reshaping how Story House Early Learning attracts, engages and celebrates its people. What began as a company with no talent function, no EVP and no employer brand has become an organisation where educators are empowered to share their stories and recruitment feels human, creative and connected.

In this episode of the VMJPod’s Employer Brand Series – Brisbane Edition, Kelly reflects on how she built Story House’s talent capability from the ground up, forged a genuine partnership with marketing, and proved that real voices outperform polished production every time.

Building Trust from the Ground Up

When Kelly joined Story House, she stepped into a role that barely existed.

“At the start, it was just me and our Head of People and Culture,” Kelly recalls. “There was no talent acquisition function, and the managers were running recruitment themselves. My job was to bring it all in-house and build it from the ground up.”

Her first focus was reducing agency spend. Through early process changes, talent pooling and building strong internal relationships, Story House moved from heavy reliance on agencies to almost zero external spend.

“It wasn’t just about saving money,” Kelly explains. “It was about making sure our hiring managers could focus on their strengths, while we focused on finding the right people.”

From Process to Purpose: Crafting an Employer Brand

Once the function was stable, Kelly turned her attention to telling a clearer story about what it meant to work at Story House.

“All our marketing was focused on families and enrolments,” she says. “But there was nothing about why someone should work for Story House, what made us different, or why they’d want to be part of it.”

A strong relationship with the marketing team became the foundation for building that narrative.

“Marketing owned the templates, and I owned the content. That’s how we built trust. I wasn’t there to take over their space, I was there to bring in the educator voice.”

Together they shaped an EVP anchored in the line ‘Where the pieces fit together’, weaving themes of growth, belonging and purpose into real stories from educators across the country.

Turning Educators into Content Creators

As the culture matured, Kelly shifted her focus to amplifying voices from within.

“I didn’t want our content to be overly polished or scripted. I wanted it to be real, fun and true to who we are.”

That philosophy found its perfect home on TikTok. Kelly launched a friendly competition that encouraged educators to share glimpses into their day-to-day experiences.

“Our educators are competitive. We gave them a simple guide – no children in videos, be respectful, and have fun – and the results blew us away. It was real people, real culture, and it worked.”

It sparked community, visibility and connection across a dispersed workforce — and resonated with both candidates and families watching from the outside.

Collaboration that Drives Commercial Impact

Today, recruitment marketing and brand storytelling sit within a shared rhythm.

“At the start of the year, we sat down with marketing to plan together. They had their monthly campaign themes, and we took those and turned them into employee-focused stories.”

Aligning calendars and narratives delivered measurable results:

• 30% reduction in job board spend

• Higher-quality candidates and stronger retention

• Stronger referral performance

• A 300% increase in sponsorship offers after creating relocation resources

“Our career site is now our number one source of applications,” Kelly says proudly. “Social media is third, referrals are fourth, and that combination means we’re attracting the right people for the right reasons.”

Continuous Learning Through Data

Kelly is clear that employer branding evolves only when you stay curious.

“You have to keep listening. The data tells you what’s resonating – like the post that went viral about free first aid and CPR training. That surprised us, but it told us what our educators really valued.”

That feedback now plays directly into Story House’s EVP and content strategy, strengthening the link between storytelling, attraction and retention.

Key Takeaway

For Kelly, the heart of Story House’s employer brand is simple: trust your people.

“When you empower employees to be part of your brand, they don’t just share content, they share pride. And that’s what builds real connection.”

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