In the realm of Canadian tech, the ethos of work culture has undergone a profound shift driven by adaptability and resilience. Gone are the days of rigid 9-5 routines tethered to physical office spaces; what works is a culture of flexibility and autonomy. As tech companies evaluate remote and hybrid work models, they need to understand the opportunity and trade-offs in employee empowerment, collaboration, and innovation.
As headhunters, we’re often asked what type of work arrangement our partner companies have adopted - remote first, hybrid, or in-office. We recently surveyed our network of tech leaders to understand the sentiment with their current work arrangement; what’s working, what’s been challenging, and what they’re learning.
Let's dive into the fascinating world of remote work and how Canadian tech companies navigate this dynamic landscape. Buckle up, because we've got some eye-opening stats and insights to share!
(Sample size: 400+ Canadian tech talent coming from predominantly SaaS, start-ups/scale-ups)
The Remote Revolution
Did you know that a whopping 50.2% of all respondents in Canadian tech have embraced fully remote work? Another 43.3% have adopted a hybrid setup, blending the best of both worlds, while a small 6.5% remain tethered to traditional in-office setups.
Function Matters
When it comes to remote work, not all roles are created equal. Sales, Finance, and Customer Success professionals lead the charge, with 57% fully remote. On the flip side, Operations pros are holding it down in the office, with only 38% fully remote. CEOs? Well, they're mostly holding court in person, with a hefty 33% reporting fully in-office setups.
Certain functions benefit from in office over others - for example: having the Engineering team work together a few times a week vs a Sales team being able to take calls and travel remotely
Leveling Up
Now, here's where it gets interesting. While you might think higher-ups would be all about that corner office life, there's no correlation between level and remote work, except for CEO’s. Whether you're an individual contributor or a Director, you're likely to have similar remote work preferences, with 58% fully remote for both.CEOs tend to be in the office so they can get a sense of how their employees are feeling, be involved in strategic sessions, and set the tone for an in-office culture
Breaking the Gender Barrier
Remote work knows no gender, folks! Males and females are enjoying the remote life at identical rates of 48% each. But when it comes to in-office preferences, there's a slight difference, with 6.6% of males opting for traditional setups, compared to 5% of females. While strides toward gender equality in remote work are evident, these subtle differentials warrant further exploration
Compensation Conundrum
Here's a juicy tidbit: our sample highlighted that remote work status doesn't seem to affect pay. Whether you're logging in from your living room, rocking the hybrid setup, or holding it down in the office, your compensation is pretty much on par with your peers.
Satisfaction Station
Now, let's talk about job satisfaction. Those fully remote and hybrid workers? They're feeling pretty darn good about their compensation, averaging 3.5 on a scale of 1-5. But for our fully in-office pals, there's a bit of a drop, with a satisfaction score of 3.36 on the 1-5 scale. As time goes by and in-office routines get established, we’re curious how this may change. We also would love to dig next into how the length of the commute affects this.
Job Seeking Scoop
Last but not least, let's chat about job seeking. Turns out, those fully in-office folks are the least likely to look for an exit sign over their remote and hybrid counterparts. About 32% of them plan to look for a new gig in the next 12 months, compared to 44% and 45% of fully remote and hybrid employees, respectively. Interesting, huh? Our hot take is that teammates at all levels build relationships with their IRL peers, feel more connection to the company mission and more clearly see the growth opportunities.
Artemis’ take:
On top of all this data, here’s what we’re hearing in conversations with some of Canada’s most in-demand talent…
Most candidates aren’t super enthused about coming into an office 5x a week but would embrace a hybrid schedule requiring 1-2 days at home and 2-3 in the office each week.
Many leaders prefer to have key strategic hires in the office with the opportunity to build their team remotely - this will ensure important meetings take place face-to-face and help build a cohesive culture
If you are mandating in office days, people want to make sure that the time spent together is intentional and drives value for everyone attending
Our partners often prioritize a more local geographic recruitment strategy and then switch things up to being more remote if they aren't finding specialized talent / domain expertise locally - this was true pre-pandemic
Quarterly on-sites are becoming common. People still see the value of getting together in person!
As the Canadian tech scene continues to evolve, remote work is shaping up to be more than just a trend—it's a game-changer. From breaking down barriers to redefining work culture, the remote revolution is here to stay. So, whether you're dialing in from your couch or holding meetings in the boardroom, for Canadian job seekers, how they work is becoming the deciding factor in where they work.
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Artemis Canada is a boutique executive search firm specializing in placing top talent in the tech sector across Canada, the United States, and Europe. Our team of experienced recruiters has a proven track record of finding exceptional candidates for a variety of roles, from C-suite positions to high-demand individual contributors. For more information on our services, please visit our website at https://www.artemiscanada.com/
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