This is a partner message from VanHack.

Great ideas require great people. And in order to compete in the global race for innovation, you’ll need skilled and passionate tech talent on your team.

What’s the catch? Finding tech talent in your immediate vicinity can be a near impossible feat, especially when factoring in the tech talent shortage and the candidate-driven job market.

Plus, if you’re limiting your sourcing to local and regional searches, you’re 100 percent missing out on highly-skilled, top-tier talent from across the globe.

There is no doubt that the tech talent shortage won’t be resolved anytime soon. And for companies to gain a competitive edge, it’s time to leave geographical bias at the door and look towards new markets and creative sourcing strategies. After all, tech is evolving. Your hiring strategy should too.

3 Reasons why employers should start adopting a global hiring strategy:

1. Wider pool, diverse team

It’s no secret. Tech has a diversity and inclusion problem. If you still need a business case for diversity, consider the multiple studies conducted that have found companies with diverse teams produce more innovative products and features, and excellent end user experiences that translate into higher returns.

Many companies are taking the necessary first step, reassessing the makeup of their workforce and aligning their hiring processes with the company’s DEI goals and actionable diversity plans.

💡Pro Tip: To widen and diversify your talent pipelines, start by looking at tech talent of all backgrounds and skill sets from largely populated pockets of the world. Consider hiring tech talent from these locations, gathered from VanHack’s platform and community:

Top 10 countries where VanHackers (tech talent) live

1. India

2. Brazil

3. Pakistan

4. Nigeria

5. Pakistan

6. Colombia

7. Canada

8. Egypt

9. Kenya

10. Philippines

2. Lower barrier to entry: remote then relocate

The geographic centers of talent have shifted. The pandemic has significantly impacted companies and their policies and perspectives around remote and hybrid work models. It has also sparked an influx of people leaving high cost cities and tech hubs to move closer to family or locations with a lower cost of living.

Remote work has opened up a door of possibilities for candidates, including increased flexibility and job opportunities without the worry of constraints like geography and expectations of living nearby or commuting to a physical office.

From the employer's standpoint, the rise of remote work has also made the process of hiring and onboarding global candidates much easier and more streamlined, with increased access to tech and communication tools to facilitate virtual hiring, onboarding, and day-to-day work processes.

Hiring global tech talent for the first time may seem like a big risky leap. But it’s far easier than you might think.

💡Here’s why:

✔️ Try before you buy: Starting your new hire remote contractor first enables employers to ‘try before buying’ can help make the hire abroad process less risky.

It’s worth noting the end-to-end hiring and relocation process can often take between 4-6 months, when factoring in the immigration paperwork and work permit processing time. 

Employers are able to onboard and trial their new hires remotely, without waiting for the new hire to physically relocate. It’s also an opportunity to gauge your hire’s fit for the role, and team. Your new hire can get ahead with onboarding, and dive straight into their first project, while their work permit is being processed.

✔️ Moving abroad is an enormous step for anyone.  For talent, onboarding remotely gives them time to sort their personal affairs before making the big move. 

✔️ Legal frameworks and immigration programs in place: Compared with our neighbours to the south and H1-B visa limitations, the Canadian government has made it easier for employers to hire top foreign skilled talent through the Temporary Foreign Workers Program and Global Talent Stream.

The Global Talent Stream (GTS) is designed to support fast-growing Canadian companies to stay and grow in Canada. Employers are able to expedite global tech hires, given there is no available Canadian tech talent to fill specialized roles.

✔️Canada has been lauded as an attractive country for relocation. When reviewing our platform data, Canada has consistently been ranked as the top relocation destination for global tech talent. 

And with all these factors in play, Canadian employers are well-positioned to attract, hire and relocate top-tier global tech talent to Canada.

Read on for the full roundup and tips on hiring and relocating tech talent in the 2022 Ultimate Global Mobility Guide.

3. Trusted resources to streamline your recruitment process

Having an end-to-end solution, and support from a trusted hiring partner makes a world of difference.

💡Here’s how:

✔️Knowing Where to Look: With VanHack, employers are able to tap into a central database of 385K+ tech talent to source talent based on skill set, and years of experience, as well as the type of opportunities: remote, relocate, or remote-first then relocate.

✔️Global Mobility Support: Our global mobility and relocation team offers both employers and candidates expert guidance throughout the process, from sourcing vetted candidates from the VanHack platform, to preparing Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) submission and Work Permit application. 

✔️Relocation Logistics & VanHack Community:  Once your hire has officially touched down in their new city, they’ll have access to additional relocation support and resources to get settled and integrated.

✔️VanHackers are everywhere: We’re proud to have a connected community of VanHackers across Canada, who’ve gone through similar relocation processes and can be a helpful support network for new arrivals.

Having processed over 800+ applications, our hiring and immigration experts are well-positioned to provide expert guidance and best practices for both employers and talent.

🎥 Get Expert Insights Now: [Webinar-On-Demand] How to Hire and Relocate Tech Talent to Canada

🇨🇦 Are you a Canadian employer looking to hire and relocate global tech talent?

Connect with our Vanhack hiring experts for more information on the Global Talent Stream Program and how you can kick-start hiring and relocating tech talent.

📘 Bonus content: download the 2022 Ultimate Global Mobility Guide

Get the full overview, roadmap and tips on how to hire and relocate tech talent to Canada. Download the 2022 Ultimate Global Mobility Guide here.