The Remote Work Revolution is Here to Stay
December 14, 2022
The recent pandemic has been a catalyst for remote work. Amidst fast-paced change, we’ve seen employee mobility, increased salaries, flexible work, an uncertain economic climate and an increasing number of employers extend job offers to a global playing field this year. All of which brings with it innumerable benefits and corresponding challenges.
Hiring and leading remote teams is the norm, as is competing for tech talent on a global playing field with borderless opportunities. Tech employers are finding new opportunities to improve how we source, hire, and increase diversity amongst our teams.
TAP Network’s Stephanie Hollingshead recently sat down with Ilya Brotzky – CEO at VanHack, for an insider look and discussion on the advantages for Canadian tech companies hiring global remote tech talent. In their discussion we gained insight from Ilya on exploring borderless opportunities, remote hiring and building a remote-first culture.
Trending Remote Work Models
Should employers be doubling down on borderless remote hiring? VanHack sees demand from candidates who want to move to Canada, but with borderless hiring, a lot of them are getting US jobs. They are either moving to the US or working remotely for US dollars, making it harder for Canadian tech companies to compete.
That said, Canadian companies still have an advantage when they can hire from anywhere and use the global talent stream platform to relocate talent, which is where Ilya is seeing both opportunities and challenges at play.
The “work remote, relocate, then remote work” model gives Canadian companies a competitive advantage over their US counterparts. Developers have a lot of options in this environment, and this is how Canadian tech companies can stand out. Relocation becomes a competitive advantage over the US. It gives the candidate the opportunity to start a new life abroad, which has a lasting impact not only on the person but on their families. It is life changing.
Response to the Economic Downturn
Some companies that are planning for growth are seeing this economic downturn as a great opportunity to scoop up tech talent (due to costs savings and availability of talent) and some are taking a more cautious approach. For companies that are still in growth mode, there has never been a better time to add talent to your team.
Remote Work Pay Philosophies
A candidate who starts remotely at a slightly lower rate than they would in Canada, also often relocates with a salary that is slightly lower, for the opportunity to get their foot in the door of a Canadian tech company. Candidates are typically staying for about 2.5 years and want to prove themselves to their new employer. The salary piece is of course only one variable in remote work pay philosophy.
Hot Spots for Global Tech Talent
Although VanHack sees great talent everywhere, employers will want to pay attention to the following regions and countries if looking to hire globally:
The top markets are Latin America, Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe. Top 3 countries are Nigeria, Brazil, and India.
For niche tech talent they are also seeing an increasing amount of talent for cyber security in Israel, React front end developers from Nigeria, Elixer and Elm from Brazil, Blockchain from Latin America and Africa.
The benefit of hiring globally is always the diversity of culture you will gain on your team.
Logistics of Managing International Teams
When it comes to advice on how companies can effectively manage the logistics of distributed teams, don’t overthink it. There is no difference between someone who is remote in Canada or in Brazil or somewhere else in the world. They may have to work different time zones, but a lot of candidates are open to that for the opportunity. Offering the same weekly meetings and socials works well.
It’s always important to employ a metric-based achievement framework. VanHack has worked with a remote model for many years, and one way of helping remote teams feel connected is to work from goals and metrics for the company and your team. Having a system where you have metrics in place and can track results ensures the team feels connected and is working together towards a common goal.
Advantages of Hiring Globally
Two key advantages Ilya sees when hiring globally:
✅ Offering a combination of relocation to Canada then work remotely, is a competitive advantage over a 100% remote work model when competing with the US for tech talent.
✅ Hiring a senior engineer remotely, from one of the global tech talent hot spots, can put you in a more competitive position when it comes to maximizing your salary budget.
VanHack takes care of the entire mobility process. As the largest international tech recruiter in Canada with a community of over 400K+ tech talent, they have supported 800+ relocations to Canada and work with companies such as Best Buy, Skip the Dishes and Deloitte.
In addition to several value-added services for international hiring, VanHack has recently launched a Global Mobility Tracker which tracks all of the documentation for the global talent stream process as well as all the steps that the candidate is taking during the relocation process.