Turning John Deere into a tech company
A robust recruitment brand helps the leader in AgTech attract new talent.
Services PROVIDED:
BRAND STRATEGY
VISUAL & VERBAL IDENTITY
BRAND GUIDELINES
MARKETING ASSETS
WEBSITE/UI DESIGN
Insight
A recruitment brand is not just about attracting top candidates—it makes a lasting first impression that gives an employee’s work meaning. This pays long-term dividends for company culture.
Challenge
As the leader in agricultural innovation, John Deere sought to highlight their unique tech culture and draw top-tier technologists away from Silicon Valley mainstays.
Solution
Strategy, messaging and a dynamic digital experience help the Tech@Deere recruitment brand showcase real-world impact and demonstrate how they are breaking new ground—literally.
TRANSFORMATION
Recruiting with purpose
John Deere has led agricultural innovation for more than a century. Where that once meant cutting-edge plows, today it means autonomous tractors, sensor fusion and machine vision powered by AI. Deere technologists bring all this into the field; we had to bring it to the fore.
But cutting-edge tech isn’t all it takes to attract top talent. In a purpose-driven job market, compelling messaging and a firm ideology are crucial to foster motivation and belonging.
A series of candidate-centric engagement goals were part of a robust strategy guiding Deere’s recruitment experience.
STRATEGY
Growing talent
Before any technologist could feel they belong at Deere, they’d have to understand the innovative approach behind their three core units—John Deere Intelligent Solutions Group, Blue River Technologies and Bear Flag Robotics. We brought all stakeholders together in exercises and interviews that revealed a common drive to sustain our planet and a fervor for hands-on work that makes a difference.
We positioned Tech@Deere as a different career for a different kind of technologist: one who wants to make products that truly hit the ground and benefit not only farmers, but all of humanity.
MICROSITE
“That’s why you’re Deere”
This ethos is conveyed in a microsite that allows prospective employees to “choose their own adventure” at Deere. Visitors are presented with a dynamic header emphasizing the lasting impact of their career, while animated type conveys the company’s iterative process—a place where reinvention is the norm.
The site is a portal into the entire Deere tech ecosystem. Whether seeking the global reach of John Deere or the leaner, startup-style of its subsidiary brands, users can explore across the company and view the industry-leading tech that awaits applicants.
RESULTS
Fertile ground for the future
We created Tech@Deere to support the grand opening of John Deere’s Austin tech hub, which debuted during SXSW 2022 and marked their entrance as a tech presence in the city. As Deere now fills positions across the globe, their tech-forward brand and compelling recruitment messaging are sure to attract talent the world can count on.
