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IBM Canada today announced it would be merging four Toronto-based offices into a single flexible workspace to be located at 16 York in Toronto’s downtown core.
The new office will include an AI and hybrid cloud client showcase centre, collaboration spaces for use by both employees and clients, and space for IBM Garage, a globally recognized design approach to innovation and digital transformation.
The decision to transition to a hub design was accelerated over the past year when virtual work environments became commonplace. “We envision a flexible return-to-work model,” said IBM Canada President Claude Guay.
“A great deal has changed over the last 15 months, and we have heard from our employees that flexibility between home and office work environments is important to them. Continuing to support that work-life balance for IBMers is a priority for us as a company.”
He also recognized that how the company interacts with clients has changed. “The past year has shown us that, while not every meeting must happen in person, there are certain situations when being face-to-face is invaluable,” said Guay. “The client showcase centre and collaborative spaces will facilitate even more teamwork and innovation, investments that will deliver additional value for our customers.”
The larger space at 16 York is also expected to accommodate some of the new employees who will fill 500 job openings in the Greater Toronto Area – a portion of the more than 800 open positions in Canada.
The company is recruiting people with specific industry-leading technology skills for various areas of its business, including the IBM Technology unit, IBM Services, IBM Garage and more. IBM Canada has filled more than 1,200 roles since January, including 250 students who will participate in internship programs.