Scarcity of tech jobs in Calgary a growing challenge for IT grads

Calgary's IT graduates are struggling to find tech jobs in the city as companies see an increase in the demand for jobs.

According to Andrew Chau, CEO and co-founder of Neo Financial, his company has seen a significant growth in the number of job applicants.

"Year over year, we've seen, you know, 30 per cent more applicants come through our job postings. The highest we've ever seen them.

Similarly, Joel Pollard, the director of talent growth at Arcurve, a leading technology company in the region, also said he has seen an increase in the number of applicants to job posts.

"We're seeing an enormous amount [of applicants]. Last year, we were looking to bring in between 25 and 30 students and within three or four weeks of posting the advertisements we were at 4,500 applications," he said.

Calgary's tech industry has grown significantly over recent years, according to Vince O'Gorman, CEO of Vog App Developers

However, after ramping up hiring to meet accelerated demands during the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies are now scaling back. 

"A lot of people aren't using the services or the technology that was making those companies go further and faster during the COVID," O'Gorman said. 

O'Gorman, too, has seen a surge in the number of applicants to his company. 

"Fourteen to 16 months ago, the markets were crazy and you couldn't find people. Now, we're seeing that softened, heavily."

He added that cutting back on employees is helping tech companies get back to a more normal growth pace that would have happened without the pandemic.

A growing number of job seekers means companies can be more selective with candidates. And that's particularly disadvantageous for new graduates trying to get their foot in the door, he said.

"We're just applying more due diligence on the people that we do hire because of the opportunity to hire the right person versus hiring people for the sake of just hiring people because you need people," said O'Gorman.  

According to Chau, his company seeks candidates that are ambitious and high performers and who fit into the company culture.

"Technology, especially in startups, are a lot more fast-paced, there is a little less structure and there's a lot more independence when it comes to doing your own work. So that autonomy, that independence, generally sometimes isn't what people are used to," he said.

Jeff Aplin is the CEO of Aplin, a local company that has recruited for Calgary's tech industry since the 1970s. He said candidates might have a better chance at seeking technology support roles in non-tech companies.

"In Calgary, if you're talking about tech jobs, it would be wise, in my view, not to go looking for jobs in big tech necessarily because that's not particularly good timing at the moment," he said.

Aplin added that most new graduates rely more on online application processes, which is often a "black hole" because they never hear back from the companies.

"It's wise to correlate all the activities that you're doing with your job search. That includes reaching out proactively to hiring managers and asking them what are you looking for in people that you're hiring."

Although unable to accommodate the high demand for entry level jobs, some companies recognise the importance of new graduates to Calgary's tech ecosystem. 

For instance, Pollard said Arcurve has various internship programs that cater to students and new graduates.

It provides "opportunities for people to get a foothold or get started in the technology industry."

O'Gorman said since tech companies rely on hefty investments for growth, things should improve when the economy improves. 

"The expectation is that the interest rates will fall, money becomes cheaper, the appetite for investment will grow again and I think we'll see, you know, companies start to pick up and you'll see a lot more hiring".