Zenefits and Tableau now have engineering offices in Vancouver. Fluke or trend? | Hacker News Reader

Zenefits and Tableau now have engineering offices in Vancouver. Fluke or trend?

2 pointsneptunespear3 comments

A trend of big US companies setting up in Vancouver, that is.

The reason why I have a hunch it could be a fluke is:

1. For Zenefits, the WorkBC job postings (https://www.workbc.ca/Job-Seekers/Employer-Profile/117670/Zenefits-Development,-Inc.aspx) mention the job type as "temporary". It's the company's first office outside of SF so there's a chance the its primary purpose is a L-1 visa holding tank.

2. Tableau's co-founder Chris Stolte is a Vancouver native and an SFU computing science graduate. Maybe he was just homesick.

Further complicating things is the news that Hired.com's Canadian arm (Hired.ca), which went live yesterday, will soon roll out in Vancouver as well (source: http://betakit.com/hired-launches-in-canada-as-talent-crunch-grows/). I can't see how that's not promising, although it's possible that the emphasis is on poaching Vancouver talent for Seattle jobs.

What do you think?

I honestly believe it's a trend. If I'm not mistaken, there are quite a few tech companies that have set up shop in Vancouver.

Canadian tech labour is generally comparable to the States and have almost the same work culture as well. With the Canadian dollar dropping, companies are paying great talent for less. It's a no brainer. The visa/immigration laws are also more lax making it easier to get the best foreign talent in.

In my opinion, it's a pretty smart move.

I don't know if the critical mass of tech companies is here yet. The real estate prices probably scare off senior staff as well.

Obviously Amazon and Microsoft have expanded here, SalesForce.com is also expanding but they're more of a darkhorse company that doesn't get a lot of media attention.

I've taken notice of Slack and Joyent coming up here. They were followed by Zenefits (assuming they're hiring locals), and Tableau. I read this morning that the secure chat app developers OxCEPT (out of Oxford University, got lots of funding from the UK government) are opening an office here by the end of the year. So Slack, Joyent, Zenefits, Tableau and OxCEPT are the five non-local companies that have legitimately gotten my attention. Plus Hired.com is coming to Vancouver soon.

But I come back to the critical mass of tech companies. I'm not sure Vancouver's there yet. Still no Facebook, no Google, no Pinterest, no Yelp, no Palantir, no Quora, no Dropbox, no Square. These are all companies with offices in Seattle, Toronto, K-W, Ottawa or Montreal, if I'm not mistaken. Vancouver is close to SF and Seattle, and APEGBC doesn't regulate the title "software engineer" (PEO regulates it, so Google's K-W office hires "software developers"). Yet big companies are looking at Ontario or Quebec, not BC. This needs to change. Our average salaries are lower than even Cleveland or Pittsburgh.

Do you know any specifics about the difference between Canadian and US immigration laws?

You're right. It might not be there yet but I think it may eventually get there. The talent is there but I think because the majority of current economic activity is mostly on the East coast (apart from oil and gas in Alberta), that's probably the draw right now.

But I would look to see Vancouver (and B.C.) slowly prop up once the ecosystem starts to build and there's less reliance on the East coast. As more talented engineers start setting up their homes in Vancouver, I'm expecting to see more startups propping up which means more opportunities and thus, the West coast can stand up against its own. It's something that's puzzled me quite abit. Vancouver and B.C. is in a great position to be an economic powerhouse with a close proximity to China, India and Japan. You guys are practically our gateway!

Unfortunately, I'm not too sure about the specifics between the Canadian and US immigration laws. I do know that my relative had a really tough time being recognized as a PR and citizen in the US as she had to prove a number of things. Another relative came to study in Canada and you're allowed to stay as a permanent resident if you can find a job within certain period of time after you graduate. Canada is also part of the Commonwealth so member countries also have privileges to work here and then convert. The TN visas that Canadians can receive may also be another factor.

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