We’ve seen lots of unusual tactics in the competition for engineering talent, but this must be a first.
GoDaddy plans to bring its IndyCar driver to Seattle later this week, adding a bit of star power to an invite-only recruiting event on the shores of Lake Washington for its new Seattle-area employees and, more to the point, software developers it’s hoping to hire.
Sorry, that doesn’t mean Danica Patrick is coming to town. As racing fans know, Patrick continues to be sponsored by GoDaddy but has shifted from IndyCar to NASCAR.
No, the guest of honor is GoDaddy IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe. We’re hearing that he might also bring his girlfriend, Australian swimwear model Kirsten Dee. In addition to food, drink and a festive atmosphere at an upscale waterfront home, we understand there might be Jet Skis involved.
How’s that for a recruiting tactic? Unfortunately, the party is not open to the public — you’ll need to know someone to wrangle an invite, and it will help if you know how to code.
GoDaddy CEO Blake Irving, the former Microsoft and Yahoo executive, announced plans for the new GoDaddy office earlier this year, inking a lease at Kirkland’s Carillon Point. The new office is part of the company’s effort to give itself a stronger engineering focus, expanding further beyond its domain business.
Engineering hires by GoDaddy in the Seattle area include longtime Microsoft architect Arnold Blinn, a 17-year veteran of Microsoft, who has joined GoDaddy as chief architect; and Scott Isaacs, the former Microsoft developer known for his work on dynamic HTML, who is now a distinguished engineer at GoDaddy. The company currently employs nine people via its Seattle-area office and is aiming to expand to 20 or 30 people here over the next several months.
Irving is reportedly evaluating the company’s racing sponsorships, but he’s clearly a fan of both Patrick and Hinchcliffe.
“Hinch is such a great fit because he’s got such a great understanding of social media, he’s actually popped on social media in a way Danica hasn’t,” Irving told the Associated Press, describing both drivers as “very, very unique and great for GoDaddy.”
We’ll soon see if that translates into recruiting greatness, as well.
