Waymo, Alphabet’s self-driving car unit, is turning heads with an unconventional hiring tactic: job listings featuring handwritten notes. Spotted across platforms like LinkedIn and X, the ads blend polished tech branding with personal, scrawled messages like “Join us!” or “We’re driving the future!”—a quirky bid to stand out in the competitive AI and autonomous vehicle talent race.
The campaign comes as Waymo ramps up expansion, with its driverless taxis now operating in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix, and plans to scale further. Industry insiders say the notes aim to humanize the company, countering the cold, algorithmic vibe of typical tech recruiting. “It’s a signal they value creativity and individuality,” one recruiter noted, though some X users called it a “gimmick” for a firm backed by Google’s billions.
Waymo’s not alone—startups and tech giants are increasingly using bold marketing to lure engineers and AI specialists amid a talent crunch. A recent report pegs the U.S. tech sector as short 200,000 skilled workers, with autonomous driving roles among the hardest to fill. The notes, paired with Waymo’s promise of cutting-edge work, target coders and researchers wary of Big Tech’s bureaucracy.
Reactions are mixed. Some applicants on X praised the “personal touch,” sharing photos of notes tailored to their skills. Others questioned if the handwriting was AI-generated, pointing to Waymo’s own tech prowess. A company spokesperson declined to confirm the notes’ authenticity but said the campaign reflects Waymo’s “human-first” mission.
Whether a clever ploy or genuine outreach, the ads are working—job applications reportedly spiked 15% since the campaign launched. As Waymo races to dominate the driverless market, its handwritten pitch might just steer top talent its way.
