Tech in Calgary is thriving, says panel at Collision 2022

The Calgary Economic Development panel discussion held at Collision 2022 discussed the issue of attracting and retaining talent in its growing tech sector amid a time of turbulence and uncertainty.

Technology in Calgary is thriving

Arlin Dueck is the executive director of talent for Harvest Builders, a Calgary-based talent source company. He suggested that companies should use the current chaotic hiring environment as an opportunity to reevaluate the future direction of their staffing plans.

“During the great resignation, it’s a great time for companies that are looking to extend their runway to be very mindful and strategic with their hiring,” saidDueck is responsible for finding talent for early-stage ventures. “Anytime there’s a downturn, it’s often a good time to invest in your people and find really good people coming in that are gonna help you build towards the next iteration of what your company’s gonna look like when we emerge.”

Jyoti Gordek, Calgary Mayor, said that Alberta’s tech sector has been growing in recent years. The province, which was once known for its energy sector is now attracting tech talent across the country. Gondek saidWhile Calgary’s properties are more affordable than other major cities, businesses find Calgary attractive because of the committed talent pool.

“When we look at talent…in 2021, I believe we had more talent hired in Alberta and in Calgary than you’re seeing in New York, than you’re seeing in Seattle,” added Jill Macdonald, vice president of business development at AltaML, who leads her company’s efforts in applying AI to both public and private sectors.

Macdonald also highlighted the growth in Calgary’s opportunities over the past few years.

“If you went back even three, four years ago, there wasn’t a big enough talent pool in Calgary and we were kind of shifting deckchairs, almost, between many of our partner organizations. We were almost poaching from each other,” she said. She attributed the scarcity to be a driving force behind the city’s push to create a larger pool.

This growth requires a concerted effort of both the public sector and the private sector. Mayor Gondek pointed out a lack of communication on this front. She noted that policymakers and regulators need better understanding of the implications of investment in technology, and that innovators need more clarity to present their ideas.

“I think the danger that tech faces is that decision-makers and policy makers have no clue what you do, and we’re too scared to ask,” said Gondek. “So by unpacking all of your lingo and your terminology, we are better decision-makers now.”

To illustrate the point, Gondek pointed out that she had a difficult time understanding the difference between a startup and a scale-up, which caused confusion about how to spend the Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund, set up to attract and drive growth in the city.

To grow, it is important to embrace diversity

Despite Calgary’s tech sector now flanking its energy industry in the downtown core, there’s still work to be done. The panel agreed diversity is key to fostering a wider talent pool. This not only helps to boost innovation in the immediate, but also helps to unlock greater potential long-term.

“Immigration is a fundamental piece towards bringing in the world’s best talent,” said Dueck. “And we’ve seen how software developers play such a key role in the domain of companies we’ve already talked about today…Sometimes these developers, after accomplishing what they set out to accomplish after a few years and starting their next company, could very well turn into another unicorn. That’s really, really exciting.”

Dueck said that companies should not believe that foreign workers will only be there to fill temporary needs. He saidCanada should offer more opportunities to foreign workers who are looking for permanent residence.

“The whole mindset, as far as I’m concerned, should be shifted in terms of how we treat these people who are coming in, who are so excited to come to Canada and build things and start a great life with their families,” said Dueck.

Dueck was asked what the biggest motivator is that makes people turn away. He said that, as with any relocation, it’s still difficult for many to uproot an established life.

“Life becomes the biggest sticking point,” said Dueck. “Whether it’s a partner, your children in school, whatever the case is…I think that’s honestly the biggest thing.”

Talent bleed continues be a problem

Calgary’s focus is still on attracting talent. But, it is important to keep it there. Smaller businesses have always had to deal with the possibility of losing their employees to big tech, especially for smaller ones.

In an interview with Entrepreneurs, Serene Yew, chief executive officer of Pixeltree and director for technology, highlighted the discrepancy. IT World Canada.

“In Canada, for a full-time salaried senior developer…one hundred to one hundred fifty thousand would be a pretty good offer in Canada. Amazon and Google will offer you three- to four hundred thousand for the exact same job. You can’t really compete with that.

She explained that while the gap isn’t as great for junior developers, they’d still be making much more with big tech companies.

Yew experienced this firsthand in her own company when one her favorite employees decided to leave.

“I didn’t think [the employee] was ever going to leave our company because of how bought in he was to our values and what we’re bringing to the city,” said Yew.

Dueck encourages companies create opportunities that are both lucrative and meaningful to reduce this risk. Still, he conceded that it’s a thorny problem.

“It’s a really challenging problem,” said Dueck. “This doesn’t solve the question completely. But if your company is effective in terms of driving a value prop that people can feel attached to, it should not be exclusively about salary, there has to be other components to a job.”

“There’s always going to be the people that leave for money, but that’s just the way they are,” added Gondek. “There’s something to be said for youth as well, when you’re chasing a dream. I think we’re starting to see a very different workforce. We’re starting to see people that need a little bit of space in their lives to take care of their aging parents, to take care of the kids, all of those things. And if you build a company that allows them that flexibility, they’re not going to leave you for money.”

Yew said that even more important is the need for people with potential to be hired and supported in their growth.

“One of the issues is that we actually have a lot of junior talent, but we don’t have a lot of companies that want to hire them,” she said. “If we have funding for the training to get junior developers up to speed, we’re just going to have more talent in the market.”