The Calgary Financial Improvement (CED) is praising a brand new report that surveys enterprise leaders and staff within the know-how sector about their perceptions of town.
Stone-Olafson, a neighborhood analysis agency, surveyed 1,875 enterprise leaders and staff from October 4 to October 18, 2022 throughout 10 markets in Canada, the US and the UK: Toronto, Vancouver, Seattle, San Francisco, Denver, Austin, Houston and London.
In accordance with a CED information launch Wednesday, key findings embody that 90 % of enterprise leaders surveyed have a optimistic impression of Calgary, up one % from 2021.
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Virtually 74 per cent stated Calgary is changing into a brand new hub for know-how and innovation, based on the CED.
About 76 per cent of enterprise leaders and 51 per cent of staff stated Calgary has a various financial system, the CED stated.
The CED added 75 per cent of enterprise leaders stated Calgary is best for doing enterprise than different markets and 55 per cent of enterprise leaders surveyed would take into account relocating or increasing to Calgary.
QR Calgary and World Information haven’t seen the report in query. The CED stated it doesn’t plan to launch the report back to the general public.
A spokesperson for Stone-Olafson declined QR Calgary’s requests to see the report.
“The numbers are up this 12 months, which is improbable,” stated Brad Parry, president and CEO of the CED.
“Individuals are beginning to consider that enterprise leaders and skills see the alternatives right here.”
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Parry stated he’s seeing a notion change amongst staff as nicely. An increasing number of tech staff are concerned with transferring to Calgary, not simply enterprise leaders.
“Once I first got here right here in late-2019 and early-2020, folks have been reluctant to maneuver to Calgary as a result of they have been afraid there would not be a profession,” he stated.
“We have been very intentional in altering the narrative by speaking in regards to the nice work being achieved, our metropolis and the game-changing applied sciences being developed.”
Mathew Stone, an affiliate at Stone-Olafson, stated that is the primary 12 months the agency has been capable of see the influence of outreach and rebranding efforts from the Metropolis of Calgary and the CED.
“We’ve got leaders who’re far more acquainted with Calgary and the expertise right here, however that additionally means they’ve a transparent understanding of the range of choices which can be right here,” Stone informed World Information.
“There was an actual solidification of information factors about Calgary and incremental development.”
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However the pollster stated tech staff’ perceptions of Calgary nonetheless lag. Many nonetheless view Calgary primarily as an oil market, however that notion is fading over time.
“Calgary will get extra credit score for issues like a know-how sector that retains actual jobs or extra profession alternatives than the standard oil sector,” Stone stated.
Tessa Brown, senior recruitment advisor for Procom Consultants Group, stated the know-how sector was in a “down interval” on account of layoffs.
Nonetheless, the general trajectory for the sector in Calgary could be very optimistic.
“I feel when you look again at the way it was two years in the past, how far we have grown since then is totally improbable,” Brown informed World Information.
“I feel Calgary has change into a really enticing tech hub due to the comparatively low-cost value of dwelling, and it is low-cost to maneuver for companies.”
Brown stated she is making an attempt to recruit native Calgary expertise earlier than increasing her search elsewhere.
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She stated that many startups come to Calgary as a result of there’s loads of alternative and funding.
“It is short-term ache (with the layoffs), however we’ll have long-term achieve and it will look actually good,” Brown stated.
“There are a selection of elements that make it enticing for each employers and expert staff to return and dwell right here.”
QR Calgary reached out to Mayor Jyoti Gondek and the Metropolis of Calgary with requests for remark, however didn’t hear again in time for publication.
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