Q: Your success in international recruitment is impressive, especially given the skills gap that many technology companies are currently facing. How much of a challenge has that been for you?
A: It’s by far our biggest challenge. We are seeing a global shortage of IT talent. Every industry needs programmers and this demand continues to grow.
As it is, we continue to work tirelessly to attract top talent. We have made 35 new hires since January of this year, and we are still actively recruiting. I think it is more acute for us now than it has ever been in our 19-year history. It helps that there are many people across Canada who want to try and come back to Nova Scotia. There is a work-life balance we enjoy here that appeals to candidates, and that has helped us to some extent.
It also helps that we are chasing industries that are in the midst of a huge shift. People are moving from traditional linear cable TV to streaming video platforms. We build a lot of that technology for television networks, and we are constantly experimenting with new ways to deliver content across every device from TVs to smartphones to millions of users around the world. That means we can offer people the kind of challenging work they are looking for to ensure their skills and knowledge remain relevant. Moreover, we offer the opportunity to work on projects they can be proud of, something they can tell their friends and families about. As a result, we have been able to remain competitive when attracting talent.
Q: Overall, what have been your most effective tactics when attracting and retaining talent?
A: It always starts with the fundamentals. We strive to be a reputable company with great a compensation package. We’re attracting talent from around the world, so we need to be on the same level as the top companies in our industry.
But in some ways, that’s just the base – a great office environment, free snacks, a training allowance, and benefits. I think the real magic is the fact we offer world-class projects, with opportunities to solve problems that haven’t been solved. That’s what gets people excited to be part of our brand – the knowledge that they can contribute to projects that win Emmy Awards, or work on business technology that their parents know or use. That’s how we set ourselves apart: by telling talent they can be part of a conversation that helps shape an entire industry and impacts everyday life.
One tactic that I think will become more important is to tell the story about the work-life balance in our region. Atlantic Canada’s always had a reputation as a lovely place to live and raise a family, but people have told us they’re worried they’d have to sacrifice their career prospects to achieve the life they want here. I think there’s been a fundamental shift on that front in recent years. Certainly, it’s true here at REDspace, and I can see it happening with the technology investments and initiatives such as the Centre for Ocean Ventures and Entrepreneurship and Canada’s Ocean Supercluster. It has reached the point where we no longer have to convince people there is no sacrifice because they can see that for themselves. I’ll give you an example. We interviewed a candidate who had moved out west after graduating. She has worked on several world-class projects but was looking for a reason to come back. She is thrilled to know that there are opportunities here to continue doing the calibre of work she is doing and advance along her career path. That’s the kind of story we’re happy to share.
Q: Having toured your offices, I know you’ve made significant investments in your work environment. Why is that important to you from an attraction and retention standpoint?
A: We used to have a more traditional office space, but it didn’t speak to the kind of game-changing solutions we are developing for our clients. It said ‘let’s do things the way they’ve always been done’ and we needed a space that said ‘let’s do things in a new way.’
In theory, it shouldn’t matter because all of our clients are remote and we could serve them with a remote workforce. In fact, we do have staff who work for us from locations around the world. But we determined it was important to have a nexus of people in one office who can learn from each other.
To enable that, we have invested in a work environment that balances innovation with functionality, so we have an open concept, but with sound abatement and breakout areas, plus a mix of traditional and standing desks. We’ve also invested in a fireplace lounge, a slide, and an outdoor patio area, which may seem silly to some, but it demonstrates that we do things differently here. After all, we are working at the level of a company in Silicon Valley and we are solving global problems for major clients in Manhattan, so why shouldn’t we present ourselves as their equals in every way?
Ultimately, the investments we make in our space help us tell a story about working here so we can attract talent. We want parents to encourage their kids to take a look at us and universities to tell their students to check us out. If our workspace helps us build a brand that garners us recognition and has a multiplier effect, then it is doing its job.
Q: Based on these experiences, what should we be doing as a region to continue to compete for talent on a global scale?
A: For one, we need to focus on immigrant and international student retention. By that I mean finding ways to encourage people to come and stay. Although we’re fortunate to have an outstanding talent pool here, we need more people from outside the region who want to want to work here and share our quality of life.
We also need to brag more. We are a humble region. We are reluctant to brag about how good we are, or the projects and the research we are doing in Atlantic Canada. We all need to work together to do a better job at telling the world our story—that Atlantic Canada is a place where anyone can do exciting, groundbreaking work that advances their careers while still being able afford a lovely home, and find plenty of opportunities to go kayaking on the weekend.
