Tech firms strive to attract, nurture talent in Vancouver
The Columbian
Published: January 21, 2015, 4:00pm
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A Digital Technology Innovation Showcase sponsored by the Columbia River Economic Development Council in November 2013 is an example of a tool for building Vancouver's growing software industry.
In the middle of the GarageGames office is a 4-by-8-foot air-conditioned server room. Four years ago, I wouldn’t have looked at an office space that didn’t have a room like that; today, I can spin up more cloud servers than I could fit in my entire office with just an hour’s investment and a credit card.
Advancements like cloud computing provide small, nimble tech firms with the means to focus on products that impact millions without the space or the overhead required even in the recent past. But technology isn’t enough to assure success; ultimately, tech companies are still run by people talented in their craft. Attracting this talent is one reason we moved GarageGames headquarters from Las Vegas to Vancouver last summer.
Technology startups are still rare in Vancouver, but if other tech companies conduct the same analysis as ours, it won’t be long before we have more tech-minded neighbors.
Vancouver has many attractive amenities that appeal to workers in our field. Those include short commutes, great schools, low taxes, and ample office space afforded to us by relatively low rental rates. The combination gives us an edge when hiring new talent.
While all of these amenities are attractive, it was a standard Web analytics test that drove our final decision to locate downtown. We posted two positions on a job board. Both were identical with one exception: one job offer was for downtown Portland and the other was for downtown Vancouver.
We not only received a higher number of responses for Vancouver, but the applicants from Vancouver were more experienced. On the flip side, less experienced technical talent may be more challenging to recruit and retain. What senior talent seeks in family-friendly amenities, the junior talent seeks in social, tech-theme experiences which are more prevalent in areas such as Portland, Seattle, and the Bay Area.
On that front, GarageGames and other companies are participating in a self-organized group called the Vancouver Tech Project. The initiative gives experienced talent the opportunity to give back to the community while giving less experienced talent the social and mentor experience they seek. While recruiting talent from across the country is important, so is nurturing our young local talent. The Vancouver Tech Project meets every other Thursday at Torque Coffee Roasters, across from the Hilton Vancouver Washington on Columbia Street downtown, for those who are interested in attending.
Finally, while the idea of being attractive to all levels of experience is great, we would be remiss if we didn’t mention the incredible growth of technology companies in Portland. Occupancy is at an all-time high and according to JLL Partners, Portland jumped from 16th to eighth in the ranking for tech hubs. Vancouver, along with other Portland suburbs, will undoubtedly benefit from the rising tide.
We look forward to seeing Vancouver continue to focus on its strengths, which in turn helps small businesses recruit talent. The investments in long-term goals like education and family lifestyle are paying off.
If you would like to get involved with the growing tech scene, please visit VancouverTechProject.org and get connected.
Eric Preisz is CEO of Vancouver-based GG Interactive/GarageGames.
