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Canada facing ‘brain drain’ as tech talent leaves for Silicon Valley

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Re: Canada facing ‘brain drain’ as tech talent leaves for Silicon Valley

#111

Post by frakkingcylons »

nvarsj wrote: post #86
Kelbit wrote: post #13

If Canadian companies were willing to offer a competitive salary, maybe Canadian grads would stay. It doesn't even have to be 1:1 with the US, even 75% would be nice. As it is, there is little incentive to stay here. I know a new grad who was faced with the choice of staying in Canada to earn $40-50k CAD per year starting, or heading to the US where he had a job offer with one of the big five for $120k USD plus signi…

Big 5 new grad salary in the bay area (and Seattle for Amazon) is a microcosm. Those kinds of salaries aren't sustainable for most companies.

> You won't even get those salaries from the big 5 outside of the bay area.

Flat out wrong. FAANG will absolutely give you similar salaries in metro areas like Seattle, NYC, Austin. Where are you getting your data?

Re: Canada facing ‘brain drain’ as tech talent leaves for Silicon Valley

#112

Post by okfine »

Kelbit wrote: post #13

If Canadian companies were willing to offer a competitive salary, maybe Canadian grads would stay. It doesn't even have to be 1:1 with the US, even 75% would be nice. As it is, there is little incentive to stay here. I know a new grad who was faced with the choice of staying in Canada to earn $40-50k CAD per year starting, or heading to the US where he had a job offer with one of the big five for $120k USD plus signi…

"If Canadian companies were willing"

This comes up in every thread about Canada, but it seems a lapse of logic to anthropomorphize a market like this. The market doesn't "will" anything, and people's willingness to offer/accept a salary is more a consequence of local conditions than a cause. Those conditions include the option of getting paid more if you're willing to leave the country, which some are. Presumably that affects the market for those who choose to remain, but it would be interesting to know by how much. It's not obvious.

Canadian companies complain about lack of talent about as much as their employees complain about lack of salary. Isn't it a sign of a market reaching its level when both sides complain about the price but nevertheless accept it?

Re: Canada facing ‘brain drain’ as tech talent leaves for Silicon Valley

#113

Post by merinowool »

downrightmike wrote: post #100
bluGill wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They don't actually want tech talent, they want CHEAP tech talent.

Hence the "hour of code" and "everyone should code" movements.

Funny times we live in, people think as if this was something like hunting or riding a horse. I wonder if in the history there was a moment where people organised "hour of making baskets" or "everyone should write books"

Re: Canada facing ‘brain drain’ as tech talent leaves for Silicon Valley

#114

Post by afterburner »

criddell wrote: post #31

I've often wondered why Canada doesn't have way more entrepreneurs. With a strong social safety net, you can work on your startup and not have to worry about losing your health insurance.

Less rich VCs gambling big on startups.

Re: Canada facing ‘brain drain’ as tech talent leaves for Silicon Valley

#115

Post by graeme »

merinowool wrote: post #109
m-p-3 wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm wondering how that salary difference really is when comparing the cost of living of many Canadian cities vs Silicon Valley, the taxation rate and the social services provided (universal healthcare, etc).

Is Canadian healthcare any good? Where I live, you pay for this privilege quite a lot of tax at still you have to go privately, because the quality is just not worth your health. I really wish "universal healthcare" was scrapped, so I could afford better services privately.

Yup, Canadian healthcare is generally excellent. The main complaints thar hit the news are generally long wait times for elective surgeries like knee fixes.

For anything other than that I've had effectively zero wait time and excellent care. There are even free health lines you can call for basic info.

Re: Canada facing ‘brain drain’ as tech talent leaves for Silicon Valley

#116

Post by giarc »

chrisseaton wrote: post #60
giarc wrote: post #3

One main caveat "graduates from three of the country’s top universities – University of Waterloo, University of British Columbia and U of T – were working outside Canada." There are many other schools in Canada offering STEM programs.

Oh great so they're only losing the best then?

Although I'm not arguing the fact that Canadian grads are going south, I'm just pointing out the specific details which are important. Not only the fact that the rates are for 3 schools in Canada, but also their techniques to find people were to view their linkedin profiles. Why not go to Alumni Affairs at these schools and get contact lists? Not everyone has a LinkedIn profile, and by only contacting those with a profile, you are potentially introducing bias into the selection.

Re: Canada facing ‘brain drain’ as tech talent leaves for Silicon Valley

#117

Post by wk_end »

merinowool wrote: post #109
m-p-3 wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm wondering how that salary difference really is when comparing the cost of living of many Canadian cities vs Silicon Valley, the taxation rate and the social services provided (universal healthcare, etc).

Is Canadian healthcare any good? Where I live, you pay for this privilege quite a lot of tax at still you have to go privately, because the quality is just not worth your health. I really wish "universal healthcare" was scrapped, so I could afford better services privately.

Canadian living in the US: in my experience Canadian health care is as good or better than in the US. Waiting times are probably somewhat longer for non-emergencies because of triaging, but (again, my experience, subjective, etc) I've often felt doctors are more interested in providing care and less interested in unnecessary upselling.

I've only ever lived in the GTA, though. It's my understanding that in many places away from major cities there can be a shortage of doctors.

Re: Canada facing ‘brain drain’ as tech talent leaves for Silicon Valley

#118

Post by mabbo »

Kelbit wrote: post #13

If Canadian companies were willing to offer a competitive salary, maybe Canadian grads would stay. It doesn't even have to be 1:1 with the US, even 75% would be nice. As it is, there is little incentive to stay here. I know a new grad who was faced with the choice of staying in Canada to earn $40-50k CAD per year starting, or heading to the US where he had a job offer with one of the big five for $120k USD plus signi…

> staying in Canada to earn $40-50k CAD per year starting

Amazon Toronto starts new grads at like $80-100k last I heard. It's not as good as you can get in Silicon Valley, but rent in Toronto (while still high) is much lower than in the Valley.

Re: Canada facing ‘brain drain’ as tech talent leaves for Silicon Valley

#119

Post by chrisseaton »

giarc wrote: post #116
chrisseaton wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oh great so they're only losing the best then?

Although I'm not arguing the fact that Canadian grads are going south, I'm just pointing out the specific details which are important. Not only the fact that the rates are for 3 schools in Canada, but also their techniques to find people were to view their linkedin profiles. Why not go to Alumni Affairs at these schools and get contact lists? Not everyone has a LinkedIn profile, and by only contacting those with a pr…

> Why not go to Alumni Affairs at these schools and get contact lists?

Because of data protection laws?

Re: Canada facing ‘brain drain’ as tech talent leaves for Silicon Valley

#120

Post by dang »

Kluny wrote: post #56

Canadian here. I get $65,000 USD from my remote American job. That's low enough that people on this forum snicker at me, and high enough that companies in the "tech town" that I live in physically wince when I tell them my salary expectation. I'd rather work locally, but what can I do?

> people on this forum snicker at me

I hope you just mean that metaphorically, but if it's actually happening, please let us know so we can scold them. Putting others down that pettily is a breach of civility.

https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

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