This is part five of The Logic’s in-depth series exploring how Canada is faring in the global competition for tech talent, as economies reopen and companies and governments jockey for advantage in a remote-work world. Read the rest of the series here.

VANCOUVER — As AbCellera looks to add hundreds of staff to its growing Vancouver headquarters, it must tap into a global candidate pool to fill some highly specialized positions in a heated tech-talent market.

To gain an edge in recruiting, the biotechnology company is adding a concierge service to its ranks. AbCellera’s so-called relocation specialist will help its hires settle into the city, assisting with details such as the logistics of work permits and finding the best schools for their kids.

The relocation specialist will “be the point of contact for new hires and existing [employees] when it comes to everything related to relocation and immigration,” according to the job posting. The person will get to know the candidate and their family “to develop tailored relocation experiences that will continue beyond their arrival in Canada.” They could also help outline the benefits of living in Canada, such as public schools and health care.

“We find ourselves often having people who come from all over the world,” said co-founder and chief operating officer Véronique Lecault. “We want to make sure that they’re well supported.”

AbCellera, which aims to find antibodies that can be developed into drugs, was founded in 2012 and is now building a massive campus that will total nearly 600,000 square feet once completed.

The company anticipates hiring hundreds over the next few years to support its growth. Since August, it has added roughly 50 staff, with more than 350 working for the company now. It’s seeking to fill a variety of roles, including at its manufacturing facility where therapeutic antibodies will be produced starting in 2024. “There are some very specialized roles,” said Lecault of those for the manufacturing facility, which the company called the first of its kind in Canada. “So that expertise may not necessarily exist here.”

AbCellera’s international hiring comes amid increased competition for tech talent. With the COVID-19 pandemic making remote work more common, Canadian tech firms can more easily access talent abroad. At the same time, though, companies from around the world are scooping up Canadian workers. 

With this backdrop, strong recruitment has become critical. “I think [it] is brilliant on their side,” said Celina Close, practice lead of international recruitment at Tal Group, whose focus includes the technology sector. The industry is “an employee-driven market,” she said, and anything companies can do to attract people internationally can help fill roles.

Close said some firms are offering condos with fully stocked refrigerators to people who come to Canada to work on a project, for example. “Companies are having to get creative on how they get people and how they keep them happy.” The competition, especially as remote work becomes increasingly popular, remains so fierce that Tal has about 300 to 350 roles among its clients that have yet to be filled.

“It’s a complete shortage in the market,” she said.

AbCellera’s plan to make moves easier for new hires is “a great offering,” she said, noting it makes it more attractive for people to accept positions.

Candidates from outside Vancouver, and especially from abroad, AbCellera found, asked questions about not only logistics, but also lifestyle. They wanted to know the differences between neighbourhoods, like why they might want to settle in Kitsilano over Mount Pleasant. They asked about local sports clubs to keep skiing, lawn bowling or participating in other activities. They wondered about which schools would best suit their children’s needs.

When Bo Barnhart joined the company as its scientific director at the start of 2020, he and his family moved from California. Barnhart, his wife and their two kids were excited at the prospect of living in Vancouver—a city they’d previously visited and fallen for—and exploring its urban offerings and access to the outdoors, especially hiking and skiing. Still, he had all those same questions.

The company dealt with them on an ad hoc basis, finding someone internally who could answer each candidate’s particular queries. But as their job listings grew and the questions became more frequent, it decided to create the new position.

Barnhart, who has a major role in hiring for the new manufacturing facility, believes the specialist will help the company’s recruitment process.

Other companies sometimes have roles related to global mobility, said Lecault. But AbCellera’s position differs in that the vast majority of its workforce is located in one city, Vancouver, she said, and its scope extends beyond immigration paperwork.

“There’s, I would say, a softer approach; an aspect to the role that is almost like a guide for people who come to Vancouver that perhaps is not the industry standard in those types of roles.”