In a bold move to attract top talent, Felicia Tang, the chief of staff at the startup Exa, took an unconventional approach to recruiting by covering the streets of San Francisco with intriguing math problems. This initiative reflects not only the competitive nature of the job market in the Bay Area but also Tang's creative strategy to engage potential candidates.

San Francisco is notorious for its fierce competition in the tech sector, particularly for specialized roles such as machine learning engineers and proficient backend and full-stack engineers. Traditional outbound recruiting methods, such as leveraging Harvard alumni networks or sending personalized messages via LinkedIn, often prove time-consuming and yield moderate results, prompting Tang and her team to seek a more effective and engaging way to attract talent.

The concept of nerd-sniping, which refers to captivating the minds of intelligent problem solvers who can't resist the urge to tackle challenges, served as the inspiration for Tang's recruiting campaign. She contemplated various creative approaches, including a treasure hunt or distributing posters throughout the city. Ultimately, she settled on the idea of using math problems as a means to draw in candidates who possess the characteristics Exa values.

Tang tasked her engineers with developing a series of math problems that playfully hinted at the company's nameExa, a prefix denoting 10¹⁸. Each completed problem would lead participants to a specific URL on Exas website, offering an enticing incentive: a free dinner for those who engaged with the challenges. If youre interested in working with us, email me, Tang added, cleverly inviting potential hires to make contact.

The team initially printed around 100 posters featuring five different math problems and took to the streets of San Francisco. Starting on foot proved to be inefficient, so they opted to scooter to various high-traffic areas. Their strategy included targeting tech-heavy districts where many tech companies are located, as well as popular hangouts like Hayes Valley and Dolores Park, where they handed out posters directly to passersby.

Despite initial doubts about whether anyone would pay attention to their posters, Tang and her team quickly experienced a positive response. We were a bit apprehensive at first, thinking nobody would look at these posters, she admitted, reflecting on the experience. But it actually worked out remarkably well.

The campaign generated over 100 emails from individuals interested in solving the posted math problems. Furthermore, Tang shared her experience on LinkedIn, resulting in her connection requests skyrocketing from around 100 to nearly 600. Some people expressed a love for puzzles, while others submitted their rsums, eager to explore job opportunities with us, she noted. The response came from a diverse pool, including candidates from prestigious companies like Google and Apple, as well as numerous Ph.D. holders in machine learning.

Interestingly, not all responses were job inquiries; some individuals humorously asked for Uber Eats credits, referencing the offer of a complimentary dinner. One even asked Tang out, adding a light-hearted twist to the recruitment efforts.

The unique approach did not go unnoticed online, as various blogs and forums, including Hacker News, began discussing the initiative. While some critiques emerged, labeling the problems as overly simplistic, Tang took it all in stride, recognizing that criticism is often a sign of success. If you have haters on Hacker News, youre probably doing something right, she remarked with a smile.

Through this campaign, Tang has conducted introductory chats with approximately 30 candidates, and many more interviews are scheduled. Although no job offers have been made yet, the recruitment pipeline remains active and promising. The objective of this experiment was to identify curious, enthusiastic individuals who are eager to tackle challengesqualities Tang believes are essential for success at Exa.

With a small team of around 25 employees, hiring the right person can significantly impact the companys trajectory. A single wrong hire, conversely, has the potential to lead down a detrimental path. In the startup environment, we work long hours and tackle challenging problems. If someone can brute force their way through a 5-minute puzzle, it suggests they might be willing to tackle much larger challenges, Tang explained.

As the tech industry continues to evolve, the number of software engineers has increased, but the bar for hiring talent remains high. Tang notes, Our startup culture is vastly different from that of larger tech corporations, where employees may have different life goals, such as pursuing leisure activities instead of grinding in a startup environment.

Looking ahead, Tang envisions puzzles remaining a part of their recruitment strategy, serving as an excellent filter for attracting talent. We might even consider developing more complex puzzles for future campaigns, she suggested.

Post-pandemic, the social landscape in San Francisco has shifted, with fewer spontaneous interactions among strangers. However, Tang found that the public responded positively to their math puzzle posters, regardless of their ability to solve them. It showed that people are still willing to engage and connect when given the opportunity, she concluded.

If you have a compelling story about innovative recruiting methods or job searching, reach out to this reporter at sjackson@businessinsider.com.