Remember Tourism Australia’s ‘Best Jobs in the World’ campaign? From Chief Funster to Outback Adventurer to Lifestyle Photographer, the wacky innovative campaign created not just huge mileage for the Australian agency but also got it talent from all over the world.

Now, an Udupi-based software company is borrowing a leaf out of Tourism Australia’s playbook and offering the lure of a laid-back lifestyle and dollops of natural beauty, to attract talent to its Dakshina Kannada shores.

Robosoft Technologies has come out with a social media campaign, playing up the natural splendour of Udupi and the balanced life that a small town offers.

“We wanted to create a campaign to help us attract people who are looking for a lifestyle change,” says Rohith Bhat, Managing Director and CEO of Robosoft. Thus was born the campaign ‘Change the Way You Live, Work and Play’ that has beautiful shots of enchanting locales within an hour’s radius of the Robosoft office.

From fishing boats on the Swarna river to mysterious isles, gurgling waterfalls to purple hued hills, blue oceans of the Kannada coast as well as cultural experiences such as Huli Vesha, the Robosoft team has shot captivating images of Udupi and showcased them in a calendar that is being sent out all over. He says Robosoft wants to add 150 people this year, 20 per cent of whom will have 6-7 years experience.

Ironically, despite educational hub Manipal being a stone’s throw away, graduates tend to push off to bigger cities. “It’s a good talent hub, with 100 per cent literacy, but people migrate to Mumbai and Bengaluru,” says Bhat. Of course, Robosoft is not the only one facing the challenges of hiring for a tier-3 town. At a recent Power HR round-table held in Delhi, most of the companies that gathered – including Jindal Steel, NTPC, and Lanco Infratech – lamented how tough it was to attract engineering talent to their plants that were located in small towns.

According to NTPC, it strives to overcome this challenge by providing furnished accommodation, creating all types of infrastructure facilities in the project location including sports and recreation centres.

“A range of welfare and sports activities are conducted from time to time to enhance the quality of life of employees and their families,” says an NTPC spokesperson.

Meanwhile, Bhat says the campaign has created great excitement among the existing employees. “Internally, there are animated discussions on office trips to these locations,” he says.

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