What happened
A new survey from International Workplace Group (IWG) finds that competition for tech talent in Canada is tighter than leaders have seen before, as reported by Talent Canada. Mortar Research polled 500 Canadian business leaders, director level and above, in April. 70 per cent said attracting and retaining top tech talent is more competitive now than ever. 57 per cent call hiring it a core priority for the next year, and 56 per cent plan to add more AI expertise to their senior leadership team.
The survey also points to a shift in how leaders are chosen. Seven in 10 say advanced tech skills, such as AI, data analytics and coding, are now crucial for promotion into leadership. 15 per cent of organizations say they are moving tech professionals under 30 into leadership earlier than usual because of their AI skills. 20 per cent say advanced tech skills are valued significantly above degrees.
On what wins candidates, 59 per cent of leaders say the right tech skills are scarce, and 68 per cent admit competitive salaries alone will not keep top people. Competitive pay was the most common tactic at 39 per cent, followed by hybrid working at 34 per cent and financial rewards such as shares or options at 28 per cent. 74 per cent believe employers offering hybrid work have a clear advantage. Among tech workers under 30, leaders ranked work-life balance and flexibility first (50 per cent), ahead of compensation (35 per cent).
Why it matters if you are hiring
This is a survey of leaders, not of candidates, and the report does not say how the sample was weighted by industry or company size. Still, the direction is useful. If you are hiring data analysts, developers, AI and machine learning specialists or data engineers, a pay band is only the starting point. Candidates will compare your working arrangement as closely as your offer.
Two decisions follow. First, your work policy needs to be settled and stated in the job posting, not left for the final interview. Vague answers on hybrid work cost you candidates early. Second, the leadership pipeline is changing. If AI fluency is becoming a promotion requirement, junior tech hires with strong AI skills may be your next managers, and your levelling and pay structure should allow for that.
Degree requirements deserve a second look too. One in five leaders now weighs demonstrated tech skill above a degree. If your postings still screen on credentials first, you may be filtering out the people your competitors are interviewing.
One thing to do this week
Pull your three open or most recent tech postings and check each for two things: a clear, specific statement of your hybrid or remote arrangement, and a degree requirement that could be replaced with a skills test or work sample. Fix what you find before the next candidate sees it.
Traverse places AI and data professionals, along with the operations and finance people who work beside them, and helps Ontario and wider Canadian employers shape offers that candidates actually accept.