HR Strange But True

Tech Titan’s Talk Targets Top Tech Talent

Say that three times fast! Is your company looking to retain or attract top talent that specializes in technology-related fields? You may want to take a page out of the U.S. government’s playbook then.

iPhone

Mashable.com reports that the U.S. Digital Service (USDS)—a branch of the government that specializes in improving and expanding the government’s various online services—has launched a new marketing campaign designed to attract top tech talent. What’s so special about this campaign, you ask? It’s not what that’s special, it’s who!

The campaign’s marketing material features the late Apple® cofounder, Steve Jobs. In the minute-long video, Jobs is seen talking about life, work, and overall making a difference in the world. According to Mashable, “The hope is that Jobs’ words—a passionate recital of his worldview culled from a 1994 television [appearance]—will inspire at least some technologists to come to Washington, D.C., and serve for one of the temporary tours of duty on which the agency relies.”

This is the first time Jobs has been used in a marketing campaign that wasn’t exclusively for Apple advertising. “This campaign is part of an effort to really inspire a tradition of public service in Silicon Valley,” said David Kaufman, the USDS head of public engagement. “That’s the message we want to get out and what Steve’s words really did a good job of conveying.”

The USDS really hit the nail on the head with this one. Jobs’ speech is very inspiring and can be used in all aspects of work/life, not just the tech industry. It will be interesting to see how many techies flock to the organization. If your recruitment efforts haven’t been paying off, maybe it’s time to use a prominent figure in your jobs campaign as well.

Melissa BlazejakMelissa Blazejak is a Senior Web Content Editor at BLR. She has written articles for HR.BLR.com and the HR Daily Advisor websites and is responsible for the day-to-day management of HR.BLR.com and HRLaws.com. She has been at BLR since 2014. She graduated with a BA of Science, specializing in Communication, from Eastern Connecticut State University in 2008. Most recently, she graduated in 2014 with a MS of Educational Technology.

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