A recent study of Canadian business leaders reveals an intensifying competition for top tech talent.
Research from International Workplace Group found that 70% of business leaders admit attracting and retaining top tech talent is more competitive now than ever before.
IWG, whose brands include Regus and Spaces, found that 57% of Canadian business leaders report that hiring top tech talent is a core business priority for the next year.
A big driver of change is rapidly evolving technology.
56% of leaders plan to add more artificial intelligence expertise to their senior leadership team, while advanced technology skills are now considered crucial for promotion.
“Technology is changing how careers develop,” IWG states. “Tech proficiency is increasingly being prioritized as important as formal university education.
Indeed, 20% of hiring forces now suggest advanced tech skills are being valued above degrees.
As a result, employees with strong AI skills are improving the trajectory of their careers, which bodes well for Gen Z.
But there are only so many with these top sets of skills—and they often know what they’re worth, which is more than just money in their eyes.
For businesses vying for top-tier AI and digital skills, focusing on compensation is not enough to attract the next generation of leaders, according to the report.
A majority of senior leaders in Canada warn that there is a scarcity of tech talent with the right skills, the data shows, and an even higher number say competitive salaries alone are not enough to retain premier talent.
The allure of hybrid working (34%) falls a close second behind competitive pay (39%) and ahead of financial rewards such as shares (28%) as the top strategies organizations are using to compete for the best tech talent.
And this trend is only strengthening: Among tech professionals under 30, senior leaders report that work-life balance and flexibility (50%) are ranking as the most important aspects of company culture, ahead of financial compensation (35%).
One telling figure: 74% of leaders believe that organizations offering hybrid working have a clear advantage over those that do not.
“The message from leaders, and particularly from younger generations, is clear,” says IWG chief executive officer Mark Dixon. “Companies that do not embed hybrid working into their culture risk losing out in the race for tech talent and accessing the skills they need to remain competitive.”
The research was conducted among 500 Canadian business leaders (directors and above in April 2026 by Mortar Research. Mortar is Market Research Society (MRS) accredited, and the research adhered to MRS guidelines.
International Workplace Group’s network coverage includes 4,000 locations across 120 countries, counting 83% of Fortune 500 companies as customers.
