How Twitter, Airbnb, And Uber Use Engineering Blogs To Attract Top Talent

How Twitter, Airbnb, And Uber Use Engineering Blogs To Attract Top Talent

How Twitter, Airbnb, And Uber Use Engineering Blogs To Attract Top Talent

Yossi Mlynsky
Author
Yossi Mlynsky

The talent war in the technology sector could not get more heated. To attract the best engineers, some companies are turning to engineering blogs as their secret weapon.

Twitter, Airbnb, and Uber are just a few examples of firms that have used this method to great effect. All three companies have built up large followings for their engineering blogs, which they use to share insights into their work and culture with prospective hires.

In this article, we will discuss how these companies use engineering blogs to attract top talent. We will also offer some tips on how your company can use this same strategy to hire the best engineers for your team.

The Problem with Attracting Top Tech Talent

The overarching problem that technology companies face when trying to attract top talent is that there are more job openings than there are qualified candidates to fill them. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were over 700,000 unfilled computer and information technology jobs in 2018. The situation is only getting worse as the demand for tech workers continues to grow.



The pressure to hire talented engineers is especially intense for startups, which often need to staff their entire engineering team in a short period of time. This was the case for Uber, which went from zero to 1,000 engineers in just four years.

To solve this problem, many companies have turned to engineering blogs as a way to reach out to prospective hires. By sharing insights into their work and culture, these companies hope to attract the attention of talented engineers who might not otherwise consider working for them.

The Benefits of Engineering Blogs

There are many benefits that come with having an engineering blog. In addition to attracting top talent, these blogs can also be used to:

  • Build your brand: An engineering blog is a great way to build your company’s brand. By sharing your company’s story and culture, you can make it more attractive to prospective hires.
  • Educate your audience: An engineering blog is a platform for sharing your company’s technical expertise with the world. This can help you educate potential customers about your products and services.
  • Boost morale: Sharing successes and innovations on your engineering blog can help boost morale among your team. This can lead to increased productivity and retention.

The Power of Content

Crafting quality content is very important. Consider, for example, the case of Airbnb. The company’s engineering blog is one of the most popular in the tech industry. It is frequently cited as a major reason why prospective hires decide to work for Airbnb.

One of the reasons for the blog’s popularity is the quality of its content. The articles are well-written and offer insights into the company’s engineering process that would be difficult to find elsewhere.

Another key factor is the frequency with which new content is published. Airbnb publishes a new article on Backchannel every week, without fail. This consistency keeps readers coming back for more.

The Importance of Design

It’s not just the quality of the content that matters; the design of the blog is also important. Uber’s engineering blog is a good example of this.

The blog is designed to be easy to read and navigate. The articles are short and to the point, and they are accompanied by clear visualizations that make complex concepts easier to understand.

This design makes it more likely that readers will actually finish an article, which is important given the competition for attention on the internet.

Creating Communities

Content helps tech talent to feel they are part of a wider community. When a software engineer reads about how a company is using the latest technology to solve interesting problems, they can feel good that they are keeping up with the latest trends. But more importantly, they can also see how their skills could be applied at that company.

When Airbnb decided to start an engineering blog, its goal was two-fold: to attract top talent and to build its brand. Their strategy was to write about the unique problems they were solving and the interesting technologies they were using.

In addition, they wanted to show potential employees what it was like to work at Airbnb. As a result, their blog posts are filled with stories about the people who work there and how they are making an impact on the world.

The same is true for Twitter. Its engineering blog is full of stories about the company’s culture and how its engineers are using technology to make a difference. This is an effective way to attract top talent because it shows that Twitter is more than just a social media platform—it’s a place where people can use their skills to change the world.

Uber also understands the importance of community. That’s why its engineering blog is filled with stories about the people who work there and how they are making an impact on the world. By sharing these stories, Uber is able to attract top talent and build its brand.

Uber's blog focuses on the unique problems that Uber is solving and the interesting technologies it is using. In addition, Uber’s blog posts are filled with stories about the people who work there and how they are making an impact on the world. This is an effective way to attract top talent because it shows that Uber is more than just a ridesharing platform—it’s a place where people can use their skills to change the world.

These are just a few examples of how companies are using engineering blogs to attract top talent. If your company is looking for ways to attract the best and brightest engineers, consider starting an engineering blog. It

The Takeaway

Engineering blogs can be a powerful tool for attracting top talent to your company. By sharing your company’s story and culture, you can make it more attractive to prospective hires. In addition, by sharing your company’s technical expertise, you can educate potential customers about your products and services.

Finally, by sharing successes and innovations on your engineering blog, you can boost morale among your team. When done well, engineering blogs can be a powerful tool for attracting top talent to your company.