Stories disappear in 24 hours, which is exactly why they work for hiring: they feel urgent, personal, and current. This We’re Hiring Instagram Story is a full 1080 x 1920 pixel vertical design that fills a phone screen. A team photo covers the top half and ends on a slanted edge; a tilted yellow band shouts WE’RE HIRING across the cut in huge Anton capitals, and the dark lower half introduces the company, the open roles as four rounded pills, and a bright yellow APPLY NOW button. It is perfect for shops, cafés, gyms, salons, restaurants, agencies, and any business whose customers already follow them on Instagram, Facebook, or WhatsApp.
Photo on Top, a Yellow Band Across the Middle
The story is split into two zones. The top is a full-bleed photo slot whose bottom edge slopes gently upward from left to right. Over that slanted edge sits a wide yellow band, rotated a few degrees, with a soft shadow, so it looks like a strip of tape slapped across the photo. The rest of the screen is a deep charcoal navy:
- JOIN THE TEAM AT in small, spaced grey capitals.
- The company name, MAPLE & CO., in tall white Anton.
- Four outlined pills in a two-by-two grid: Store Manager, Visual Merchandiser, Stock Associate, and Cashier.
- A rounded yellow APPLY NOW button.
- mapleandco.com/jobs · tap the link to apply and our small logo at the very bottom.
Story Safe Zones, in Pixels
Instagram places its own interface over stories: the profile picture and progress bar at the top, and the reply box at the bottom. Anything important should stay inside the safe area. On a 1080 x 1920 canvas, the usual guidance is:
| Zone | Pixels from the edge | What this template puts there |
|---|---|---|
| Top overlay (profile, progress bar) | About 250 px from the top | Only the photo, nothing that needs to be read |
| Safe centre | 250 px to about 1,720 px | The yellow band, company name, roles, and button (which ends at 1,712 px) |
| Bottom overlay (reply bar, stickers) | About the last 200 px | The link reminder and logo, which are fine to partly hide |
| Side margins | At least 60–80 px | All text is kept 80 px or more from the sides |
If you add text, keep it inside the centre band, and it will stay visible on every phone.
A Three-Frame Hiring Story
A single story frame is easy to tap past. A short sequence holds attention better. Use the editor’s Add Page feature to build three frames in one file:
- Frame 1, the hook: this design as it is, with your team photo and WE’RE HIRING.
- Frame 2, the details: keep the yellow band, swap the photo for your shop interior, and replace the pills with pay, hours, and perks.
- Frame 3, the action: a big APPLY NOW button, your link sticker, and a DM us with questions line.
Post all three back to back, then save them to a Jobs or Careers highlight so they stay on your profile after 24 hours.
Editing Roles and the Apply Button
- Photo: click the top area and choose Replace Image. A vertical photo of your team smiling in your space works best; keep faces in the upper part, above the yellow band.
- Company name: double-click MAPLE & CO. and type yours. Anton is condensed, so even long names fit.
- Roles: each pill has its own text; retype the job titles. For fewer roles, delete a pill and centre the rest; for a single role, delete three and widen the last one.
- Button: the button is a shape with text on top; change APPLY NOW to DM US or VISIT IN STORE if that is how you hire.
- Colours: recolour the yellow band and button together to your brand colour; keep the text dark if the new colour is light.
Choosing a Photo That Works in Portrait
The photo area is tall and fills the width of the phone, so a vertical or square picture gives the best result. Horizontal group shots lose their edges when they fill a portrait frame, which can cut people off at the sides. The most effective hiring stories use a photo of the actual team in the actual space: staff behind the counter, the crew on the shop floor, or two colleagues laughing at the till. Faces should sit in the upper two-thirds, clear of the yellow band. A photo with some empty background space above the heads also leaves room for Instagram’s profile overlay at the top. If you do not have a good team photo yet, a bright shot of your shopfront or interior works well too; the yellow band and the company name carry the message on their own.
Keeping Hiring Stories Visible After 24 Hours
Stories vanish after a day, but hiring usually takes a few weeks. Reshare the frames every few days while the roles are open, perhaps with a small change such as 2 roles left or Interviews this Saturday. Save them to a highlight with a clear name like Jobs or Join Us, and give the highlight a simple cover in the same yellow as the band. When the roles are filled, archive the highlight so nobody applies for a job that no longer exists.
Link Stickers and How People Apply
A story image cannot contain a clickable link by itself, so add Instagram’s link sticker when you post, positioned over or near the APPLY NOW button, and point it to your application form. The printed line at the bottom repeats the address for people who prefer to type it. If you hire mainly through direct messages, change the line to Reply to this story to apply; replies land straight in your inbox.
Downloading for Stories, Status and Reels
Download as PNG or JPG; both upload to Instagram and Facebook stories at full quality. The same vertical file works as a WhatsApp status, a TikTok photo post, and a cover image for a Reel about the role. On a WhatsApp status, the top and bottom are also partly covered, so the same safe zones apply.
Instagram Story Questions
Can I print this story design?
It is designed for screens, but it prints well as a tall poster in a shop window if you print it on 11 x 17 inch paper and trim the sides slightly, or scale it to fit.
Why is the band tilted?
The slight angle adds energy and follows the slope of the photo’s bottom edge. You can rotate it back to straight, and the text rotates with it if you select both together.
Can I add a countdown?
Instagram’s countdown sticker can be added when you post the story. Place it in the space between the roles and the button.
Open the template, add a photo of your crew, list your openings, and share it to your story today. Tomorrow, share it again.
