We help startups hire at scale
by giving job candidates what they want.

What makes your company a fulfilling place to work? In 3-month sprints, we'll create content that answers that question, help you get it into candidates’ hands, and lead programs to build a long-term recruiting advantage.

Stand out in the
talent market

We skip everything boring about traditional job marketing and speak directly to the hopes and fears that motivate top candidates.

gain trust with
skeptical candidates

Candidates know when you're only showing them one side of the story. We'll complete the picture with authenticity and fairness.

save time sourcing
and screening

We’ll guide your recruiting team in deploying the content we create. Outcomes: improved response rates and streamlined conversations.

explore the service
Client: members of Eventbrite's eng team grab lunch in SOMA
Hiring is hard.
Unanswered emails. Applications at a trickle.
"What do you do again?" everybody asks.
The best talent is moving to companies that
play by new rules. Companies that lead with
impact, not role. Culture, not comp.
So we use storytelling to change the conversation
about working at your company, and help you
find candidates who fit, faster.
We've told stories for
Recent work

Mavenlink | San Francisco, Salt Lake City

Full-service consulting

Working directly with the SVP of Engineering, we built blog posts and videos, then helped wrap them up in a new Engineering careers page.

See Their Careers Page

Everbridge | Boston, Pasadena

Full-service consulting

By focusing on their life-saving mission, we helped Everbridge make the most of their post-IPO publicity boost—and cut their screening call times in half.

See Their Culture Blog

Eventbrite | San Francisco, Nashville, Mendoza

Strategy, storytelling, photography

Over a 12-month stretch, we created profiles of over a dozen teams to support hiring on four continents. Outcome: Faster growth with fewer recruiting resources.

Read A Story We Wrote

DoorDash | San Francisco, Phoenix, Remote

Storytelling, photography

Last-mile delivery is a crowded space, but DoorDash's approach is unique. Our stories cut through the confusion and piqued the interest of previously skeptical candidates.

Read A Story We Wrote
"You had me at 'Rockstar Wanted.' "
no talented person ever
"I took the job because they had a ping pong table on their website."
no talented person ever
"I love job reqs. They tell me everything I want to know."
no talented person ever
About us / Our team
Job Portraits is an employer branding and marketing studio based in San Francisco.

But we're not the usual agency-types. As former founders, journalists, and recruiters, we have one priority: give candidates what they want. 

Our work is based on research with engineers and sales people in the Bay Area and beyond. The gist? Tell real stories. Candidates will thank you. And after working with 40+ startups, we know what resonates with the most talented people in their fields.

watch our founders talk shop

Olivia Haas

Program Lead
Secret super power:
"I don’t know if it’s because I was born in Manhattan where there are no parking spots, or because I grew up in Los Angeles where parking is a competitive sport, but I somehow have the ability to spot and nab decent-to-excellent parking no matter where I am."

Miki johnson

Cofounder, Program Lead
Spirit animal:
"Definitely Turtle. Many turtle species are shore-dwellers. Likewise, turtle people are comfortable swimming the waters of emotion while also keeping their feet on solid, rational ground."

jackson solway

Cofounder, Wearer of Many Hats
Most impactful book:
"When I was 11 I found Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas in my parents' garage. I remember reading the first page and thinking, damn, I'm going to be in trouble. But I couldn't put it down. Been a psuedo-journalist ever since."

jonaki mehta

Content Lead
After hours:
"As a passion project, I'm co-producing a forthcoming podcast, and I work on—and listen to—as much audio storytelling as possible in my free time."

grace renninger

Writer / Social Media
Most impactful movie:
"I was in 7th grade when I first saw the movie Apollo 13. From then on, I soaked up NASA history, especially info on the Mercury program. Designing and testing rockets, when no one had flown in space before, still has me in awe."

sandra barry

Senior Editor
Morning routine:
"I worked late for years as a journalist, so now I treasure early mornings. I start the day by briefly torturing my cuddle-averse dog; then I stretch and eat breakfast (usually something mildly unhealthy—life is short!) before my 20-foot commute."

Mary & Myles (Forward Films)

Most-admired living person (Mary):
"I admire you, Oprah. If we meet, there’s a good chance I’ll try to learn your life story." 

Most disliked service (Myles):
"I'm not a fan of GPS. I'd rather get lost and see something new."

Mindy Tan

Intern Extraordinaire
On the bookshelf:
"Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close was the first book I read that didn't fall into the narrow definition of what I understood a book to be. I loved that scribbles and pictures littered the pages. And then, of course, came Tree of Codes, which blew me away even more!"
Drop us a line

Hey! I'm Miki Johnson—the friendly cofounder
at the other end of this form. You can also
chat with me now via the bubble in the lower right, email me at miki@jobportraits.com,
or call me directly: 740.707.3342.

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form
Notes from the field

A Guide to Exploring Your Employee Value Propositions

read on medium

Why Segmentation and Personalization are Key to Telling a Compelling Employer Story

read on medium

Job Candidates Are Busy. Here’s 4 Tips To Make Sure You Don’t Waste Their Time.

read on medium

Yay! You made it to the bottom.

explore the service

Job Portraits is a creative studio that helps startups scale their teams through authentic, culture-focused storytelling. In moments of weakness we fall back on jargon like Employment Marketing, Employer Branding, Hiring Branding, and/or Talent Branding. Oh, the cruelty of SEO.

Address

Job Portraits Inc.
1393A Hampshire St.
San Francisco CA 94110

Contact

Say hello: miki@jobportraits.com
Paperwork: jackson@jobportraits.com

P: 415 488 5524

CONNECT WITH US

© Job Portraits Inc. 2017. Made with love in foggy San Francisco. When in doubt, wear layers.