The Elusive UI Developer
The Canadian FinTech sector is constantly evolving, spurred on by the increasing number of start-ups looking to disrupt financial services. But, at the core of this evolution are the talented people that make up our industry. Without them, our industry would become stagnant. So, why are we having so much trouble acquiring or hanging on to this talent? More specifically, UI Web Developers – a position we’re in the process of filling.
Linda Nguyen from the Canadian Press recently wrote a piece on this issue, titled “Wanted: Web developers and coders for Canada’s tech ‘gold rush’”. In it she takes a closer look at the demands of the ever-evolving tech industry, the Canadian tech-skills gap, and the struggle to keep Canadian tech-talent Canadian. Here are my thoughts:
Applying a new-age mentality, to an age-old problem
With the millennial generation fully integrated into today’s workforce we’re faced with a unique issue, especially as it pertains to Web Developers. Web Developers are, by a nature, a bit nomadic – a strong portfolio of work is sparked by diversity, and a steady supply of freelance work. Pair this with the millennial mentality of moving on to something new every 6 months to a year, and you’ll see how rare it is to find a Developer that has the experience that comes from being with a company for an extended period of time. The prospect of repeated, yet consistent design, direction, and message just isn’t something that appeals to many these days, and that leaves prospective employers in a precarious situation when it comes to making new hires.
The proof isn’t on the paper
With any design role, Web Developers included, the viability of your skills is proven by your portfolio and the products you’ve built. The traditional way of leveraging a Diploma or Degree in design just isn’t applicable anymore – by the time a curriculum is finalized, taught, and used by its graduates, many of the techniques or tools may have become dated.
Within the initial 2-3 weeks of a new hire, employers already know if the candidate is capable of producing quality code with the UX background that fits the needs of the product. Nothing else matters because it’s a skill that you either have or you don’t. It is not what is listed on a piece of paper telling others what education you have.
Supply and demand
A report released earlier this month by the Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC) revealed that by the year 2020, there won’t be enough qualified people to fill more than 218,000 new information and communications technology jobs in the country by 2020. This might seem like a ways away, but we’re already seeing the demand for certain positions outpace the supply, especially for Web Developers. This position has been undervalued by the Canadian market, with most job offers coming under those offered by our American counterparts in Silicon Valley – here the pay is nearly double for a similar entry-level position, and offers a wide range of career growth opportunities within or outside of the company.
Canadian organizations like ours, are already feeling the pinch to find qualified applicants. This isn’t a trend that needs to continue but it might if we don’t take an honest look at the Canadian FinTech market and the strong tech talent we’re losing faster than we can generate it.