Figure Technologies, a financial technology company headquartered in San Francisco, expects to double the size of its current 75-employee staff in Reno during the next year.
But despite an unemployment rate that’s dipped down to 2.9 percent in the Reno-Sparks area, Figure doesn’t expect to have any trouble filling its positions.
In fact, the company’s decision to launch its operations office in Reno earlier this year was driven partly by its belief that its pay, benefits and startup culture would allow it to successfully tap into the region’s existing pool of workplace talent, says Figure spokesman Otto Pohl.
He says jobs in Reno have proven attractive, too, as the company recruits across the nation to fill engineering and customer-service positions.
“We have found tremendous success in Reno, positioning ourselves as a fast-paced, innovative San Franciso-based startup in a city with a lower cost of living and fantastic outdoor lifestyle,” Pohl says.
The Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada helps companies such as Figure tap into talent in San Francisco and elsewhere.
An EDAWN-sponsored Web site, www.workliveplayrenotahoe.com, tells job-seekers about companies that are hiring and tells them about life in Northern Nevada.
EDAWN staffers also sell the region’s job opportunities at events such as October’s TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco, an event that drew thousands of Bay Area techies.
Amy Fleming, EDAWN’s manager of workforce development, says the initiative targets hard-to-fill jobs that have been identified by employers.
“While the ultimate goal would be to match 100 percent of Reno residents and graduates to their ideal, high-wage job, given the historic and projected job growth in the region, the supply is not meeting the demand,” Fleming says.
