Many years ago, I was exploring an antique shop in Zurich that specialised in Asian objects. In a quiet corner, I discovered a beautiful Buddha statue. I was surprised that this work of art was so hidden and not on display near the entrance for all to see and approached the manager. She smiled cleverly at me. Her answer astonished me.
Peter Näf
Zurich, May 2025
She said that customers are like adventurers who like to discover the most beautiful pieces themselves. That’s why it’s clumsy to put them on display for everyone to see.
She was confirming what marketing expert Seth Godin describes: The process of discovery is more valuable to the customer, he said, than giving them the supposedly correct arguments in a lecture, which don’t exist anyway. And what does this have to do with recruiting new employees?
Recruiters also want to discover
The reason for the advantage of discovery lies in the fact that people differ in their ideas, needs and inclinations. Only the person in question knows what is important to them. As a provider, I can therefore only visualise my products or services and see whether customers are interested in them. And above all, I cannot know what exactly appeals to them about the offer. A more active approach can come across as pushy and may try to sell with the wrong arguments.
When looking for a job, applicants sometimes also tend to advertise themselves and their personal advantages. This type of self-promotion can come across as clumsy, to use the term from the example mentioned above. In addition, the antiques dealer, who is passionate about her profession, has no interest in selling her most beautiful pieces to the next best person. She wants her treasures to find a place with people who appreciate them and enjoy them every day. As an applicant, I would advise you to treat yourself with similar care.
Make yourself discoverable
The trick now is to strike the right balance between awakening the spirit of discovery and the necessary restraint. My customers often exaggerate the latter: they tell too little about themselves, thus remaining invisible and making it impossible for recruiters to discover them.
And what is a sensible approach? Once again: storytelling! Well-told, personal stories make you and your qualities visible to recruiters, who can see what interests them from your stories. And don’t be afraid to come across as a bluffer, even if you tell your most impressive success stories. After all, show-offs don’t tell stories; they promote themselves instead.
And why does storytelling work? Because we adults are big kids who love stories and discoveries. So, think of applications and recruitment in a playful way as a kind of Easter egg hunt for adults.