Dive Brief:
- Payment processing firm Stripe is turning to traditional content marketing, including an online newsletter, to appeal to IT talent, reports ERE Media. Increment, which has been called the 'New Yorker for geeks,' features insider coverage of Silicon Valley's biggest IT companies, according to Recode.
- Susan Fowler, the former Uber engineer whose published experience led to scandal at the start-up, will take the lead on Increment. Stripe sends targeted marketing to subscribers, including new career opportunities.
- Stripe is a long-time proponent of IT thought leadership, and the company recently purchased Indie Hackers, an industry knowledge-sharing platform geared for entrepreneurs.
Dive Insight:
Stripe is pursuing an aggressive strategy in an effort to establish itself as a leading brand in the tech sector. Its decision to hire Fowler as the face of the new publication seems to imply a drive toward diversity and cultural authenticity, the former seriously lacking in recent harassment incidents at Uber and elsewhere.
On a more practical level, Stripe is employing proven methods of gathering passive candidate information through the subscriptions. Relevant forums should aid in creating a sense of community among users and interested job seekers.
These features also serve to break down the barriers that often plague recruitment management. New tools can speed up the application process, but they may also appear impersonal to candidates. Fostering a sense of connectivity with tech industry members seems a wise strategy.
Tech is one of the most difficult industries for which to recruit in 2017, and talent shortages exist across the board. Employers don't have the option of skipping out on social media platforms and other marketing vehicles in their quest to spread the word about new opportunities.
