Communications of the ACM
At Mature Techs, A Young Vibe
IBM took its Watson computer to Carnegie Mellon University to play 'Jeopardy!' against students.
Credit: Associated Press
The largest technology companies, from IBM to Microsoft to Hewlett-Packard, are ramping up their efforts to attract the best and brightest at America's top campuses. IBM, for example, has taken its Watson computer on tour as a way of winning over the hearts and minds of potential hires. As a result of the recent IPO boom, the competition over the best students has reached a fever pitch, with mature technology companies constantly looking for new ways to compete with start-ups like Facebook and Twitter. While they may not be able to offer stock options, they can offer a start-up like environment that prizes creativity and initiative.
These established tech companies instead are emphasizing their resources, global scale and a desire to create a more start-up-like environment. H-P recently began holding pizza parties and tech talks for freshmen and sophomores, hoping to court them before they are hired away by other tech companies and start-ups. Microsoft trains its recruiters to tell students that despite the company's size, developers can work on teams that move as quickly as start-ups. The company recently sent alumni who work at Microsoft back to schools to talk up the company. It also holds tech meetings at which it demonstrates its newer technologies, such as the Microsoft Kinect motion sensor for gaming.
This isn't the first time young tech companies have been hot career destinations. But in the decade since the previous dot-com boom, start-ups have stepped up their efforts to recruit on college campuses. As Facebook and other ventures took off in recent years, college career-services offices began to court such companies. The start-up image was also burnished last fall with the release of "The Social Network." When they are able to replicate the excitement of younger start-ups, more mature companies can attract top talent, especially when they also host events like game nights and final-exam study parties, or arrange one-on-one meetings with alumni. Based on anecdotal evidence, established companies may have an edge with older more risk-averse students, who may already have families.
From The Wall Street Journal
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