Dive Brief:

• General Electric has recently lured top tech executives from Apple, Google and Microsoft, according to CIO.com, continuing the company's evolution into a leading digital organization. To tempt talent to join the company, GE had to change the perception others had, assuring candidates GE really was undergoing a massive digital transformation.

• To help do so, the company had to reinvent how it recruits and finds talent, bringing in technical recruiters with software domain expertise and offering Silicon Valley-types of compensation packages for its technical talent. 

• For example, a senior software engineer at GE Digital earns about $138,000, according to Glassdoor.com. That is on par with IBM and SAP, though Google and Facebook pay much more. 

Dive Insight:

While a legacy employer, GE has made a name for itself by innovating its employee management system — and by recognizing what modern talent seeks in a favored employer. Rebranding has been key, particularly for its digital division, in order to attract young talent with tech-oriented skillsets. Allowing flexibility by reworking offices and scheduling demands has also contributed to the company's growth.

GE is targeting industrial companies, which currently stand in the cross hairs of digital transformation as Internet of Things (IoT) technology ramps up. The company is betting big on Predix, its cloud-based platform that connects devices on the industrial internet, to help lead the transformation. 

The company's transformation success thus far is a testament to a driven CEO with a solid vision. Immelt took the challenge of transforming the 125-year-old company head-on. The GE we know tomorrow may soon be very different than the one we recognize for supplying a range of household appliances in days past.