Recruiting in B.C.'s tech sector requires good dogs, benefits and vacations
Credit to Author: Derrick Penner| Date: Wed, 19 Feb 2020 14:24:27 +0000
Recruiting in Vancouver’s technology industry has always been a challenge, but holding on to new hires is increasingly the issue, said Kathy Enros, vice-president, talent at the compliance-software firm Galvanize.
“It’s definitely more competitive, definitely a job-seekers’ market,” Enros said. “You’ve got more tech companies coming to Vancouver, including some of the big names, which is great because it helps attract people.”
However, the competition also opens up options to jump ship, which tech professionals will do if they see the right fit somewhere else, Enros said, so once companies recruit new hires, they must “fight to keep them once you get them.”
Kathy Enros is Galvanize vice-president, talent.
For Galvanize, formerly known as ACL Services Ltd., that makes it all the more important to be seen as a top employer by winning a spot on the B.C.’s Top Employers list, which it has done again for 2020. (It also won a spot on the 2019 list when it was still ACL Services.)
The company has also won a position on the Canada’s Top 100 Employers list, the national-level competition produced by the same recruiting publisher, Mediacorp Canada Inc.
“It does weigh in a decision for what companies (candidates) should look at,” Enros said. “A lot of candidates only look at employers on the list.”
Mediacorp has seen increased interest in the B.C. regional competition, which has been expanded to 95 from 85 a year ago, said Richard Yerema, the company’s managing editor.
“That’s a reflection of the economy in B.C.,” Yerema said. “B.C. is a destination, not just for people but for organizations.”
And the competition in the tech sector could very well continue ratcheting up, with forecasts estimating continued growth in its industries as a bright spot in the economy.
“Labour market conditions in Metro Vancouver are very tight with high job-vacancy rates (and) low unemployment,” said Bryan Yu, deputy chief economist at Central 1 Credit Union.
Yu, in his latest forecast, estimates that unemployment in B.C. will creep down to 4.2 per cent in 2020, despite weakness in industrial sectors such as forestry.
However, Yerma said the stereotypical reputation of B.C.’s economy being just about resources doesn’t hold true anymore.
“I think when you are competing for talent in a market like Vancouver, the need to be noticed, to be attractive, would cut across all lines,” Yerema said.
When it comes to technology talent, “every large firm has a need for such skills.”
“So you’re not just competing against your own industries, you’re competing against the market in general,” Yerema said.
At Galvanize, standing out includes offering employee wellness accounts, generous parental-leave benefits, better-than-average vacations and a dog-friendly office environment.
“We absolutely adore our dogs,” Enros said of the well-behaved best friends that are welcome on a regular basis — thanks to understanding landlord Manulife.
Their presence, she said, makes conversations easier, breaks down barriers and helps reduce stress.
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