Global Expansion:
The Best Countries to Hire Tech Talent
In today’s competitive tech industry, finding and attracting top talent can be a daunting task. But knowing the best countries to hire tech talent in can help you stay ahead in the digital landscape.
Katie Jones
Content Writer
Key Chapters:
The tech industry in particular has experienced a substantial number of job cuts in 2023, with tech giants such as Google, Shopify, and Virgin Media all having made significant staff adjustments. As a result, this has opened up exciting opportunities for other industries to attract and employ the highly skilled tech experts they require. One person’s loss is another person’s gain at the end of the day!
In this blog, we’ll explore the top countries for talent in tech and the reasons why. We’ll take into account factors such as job opportunities as well as cost of living, visas and work permits, and quality of life.
Here are our top picks for the best countries to hire tech talent.
Canada
Canada comes out at the top of our list as it is recognized as one of the most innovative and competitive economies in the world.
- Immigration-friendly laws – Canada has a number of immigration programs that make it easy for tech workers from all over the world to live and work in the country. This includes the Global Skills Strategy, which allows employers to hire skilled workers quickly and without a labor market impact assessment.
- Epicenter of innovation – Canada’s cities, such as Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal, are all major hubs for technology and innovation.
- Job growth – Canada attracted 32,000 global tech workers from April 2022 to March 2023 and will require an additional 250,000 jobs by 2025. This means that digital workers will make up 11% of all jobs in Canada.
- Significant investments – The recently developed Tech Talent Strategy is a significant investment that demonstrates the government’s commitment to making Canada a leader in global tech talent recruitment.
- High standard of living – Canada is also consistently ranked as one of the best places in the world to live, with a high standard of living, excellent healthcare, and a safe and welcoming environment.
Read more: Canada Country Guide
United States
Any list of tech talent hotspots would be incomplete without mentioning the powerhouse that is the United States.
- High salaries – Tech workers in the US are some of the highest paid in the world, with the average salary hitting the six figure mark.
- Growing tech workforce – Beyond headline-catching tech layoffs, the State of the Tech Workforce report actually showed that tech business establishment increased by 7.5% in 2022 – the equivalent of 40,500 extra companies.
- Abundant job opportunities – Earlier this year, the U.S. government invested $500 million to turn metro areas in middle America into the next hot spots of tech innovation. The government’s investment is intended to help create high-paying jobs in more parts of the nation.
- Vibrant tech ecosystem – With Silicon Valley, Seattle, and Boston among its renowned tech hubs, the U.S. boasts an ecosystem fueled by some of the world’s best universities and research institutions and a blend of established corporations and start-ups.
Read more: USA Country Guide
Austria
Austria stands out thanks to its high density of innovative companies. Its ecosystem may be one of the smallest in Europe, but it was also one of the fastest growing in 2022. Talk about small but mighty!
- Growing start-up ecosystem – Austria’s growing start-up ecosystem is attracting founders and workers with generous public funding and a top 10 European countries by VC investment.
- Strong education system – Education in Austria is one of the best in Europe, with a strong focus on STEM subjects. This means that there is a large pool of highly skilled and qualified tech workers to draw from.
- High salaries – The Austrian IT industry is known for its generous salaries, proof that the economy values and invests in its tech workers. IT professionals in Austria earn an average yearly salary of €49,524, which is much higher than the national average of €31,000.
- High quality of life – Austria offers a high quality of life, with a low crime rate, affordable housing, and access to excellent healthcare and education. In fact, around 80% of expat workers stated that their work-life balance saw tremendous improvements after relocating to Austria.
Read more: Austria Country Guide
India
India has become one of the world’s fastest-growing tech ecosystems – and for good reason!
- Large talent pool – India has a large and growing population of young, educated people, many of whom are interested in pursuing careers in tech. This means that there is a large pool of talent to draw from for tech companies.
- Cost-effectiveness – The cost of living in India is generally lower than in many Western countries. This lower cost of living helps keep wage expectations reasonable for employees while still providing a decent standard of living.
- A global technology hub – India is one of the world’s leading tech powers, with over 2.8 million employees and nearly $70 billion in exports.
- Skilled IT talent – India produces over 1 million IT graduates yearly, including top talent from IITs, NITs, and IIITs. Global corporations are also leveraging Indian technology talent through their capability centers in India, which employ 5 million people.
- Government support – The ‘Make in India’ initiative strongly supports the Indian technology market and foreign companies to invest in the country.
Read more: India Country Guide
Singapore
Despite layoffs, tech professionals are still in high demand as Singaporean companies of all sizes look to develop their digital capabilities.
- World-class education system – Singapore boasts a strong education system with renowned universities and institutions such as Nanyang Technological University (NTU), which produces a steady stream of highly educated tech professionals.
- Low tax rates – Singapore’s tax on corporate profit is lower than its neighboring countries at 17%. Capital gains are not taxed, which is attractive to venture capital funds and other investors in start-ups.
- Strong demand for tech talent – It’s been predicted that by 2030 the IT sector will require another 60,000 tech professionals. OCBC, DBS, and UOB, three major banks in Singapore, have launched programs to train technology staff and prepare students for careers in the tech industry.
- Business-friendly environment – Singapore has one of the world’s most business-friendly regulatory environment for local entrepreneurs and is ranked among the world’s most competitive economies, coming out at fifth on IMD’s world rankings.
Read more: Singapore Country Guide
How Gibson Watts Global can help
It’s no secret that competition for top talent is fierce in the tech sector. And with the pandemic having ushered in a new era of remote work, companies are no longer confined to hiring in their home country.
When you’re looking to bring in tech talent from abroad, it’s important to take into account various factors to ensure a successful and compliant hiring process, such as local labor laws, immigration regulations, and cultural differences.
Considering hiring tech talent internationally but unsure how to get started? Our PEO/EOR services will help you build your international tech team with confidence. Reach out to us today.
Read more: PEO vs EOR: What’s The Difference?