Montreal IT recruiter, Kovasys bullish on Quebec’s technology sector growth - Community Chronicle 4/7/2009 12:00:00 AM When Morgan Stanley sought to open an IT office in Montreal last year, this New York-based financial services firm needed to recruit employees with specific skill sets. That’s when the phones at Kovasys started ringing.
"Morgan Stanley has invested heavily in Montreal’s infrastructure and labour market. That has lead to job creation in the province and it’s something we’re proud to be a part of", says Howard Scholl, a senior associate with this Montreal-based IT recruiting firm that specializes in connecting firms south of the border with a range of technology professionals.
Kovasys is one of a growing cadre of the city’s IT-focused headhunters, and three years after opening its doors, it has become the number one Google hit for ‘IT recruitment in Montreal’.
"Despite the impacts of the recent economic recession in other sectors, IT in Quebec is a pretty good market to be in", says Alex Kovalenko, Kovasys co-founder and director of operations.
With four universities and the Cité Multimedia technology park, the city has a growing pool of qualified and talented employees from which to choose. Given this high level of education, the provincial government’s incentives to investors, and the relative savings on the dollar, Kovalenko is surprised more U.S. companies aren’t already coming north. In fact, he expects to see a lot of growth in the future.
According to Kovalenko, a senior developer in Boston making $85,000 Cdn would make about $60,000 Cnd in Montreal. "When you factor in tax credits, subsidies, lower salaries, a favourable exchange rate as well as lower real estate costs, companies can easily save 50 to 70% operating here." he says.
This small, up-and-coming agency in the Balfour building on St. Laurent Blvd. has helped companies like France Telecom and Ubisoft with their staffing needs and has established satellite offices in Toronto, Calgary and Edmonton to respond to the IT markets growing in those cities.
But Kovalenko’s strength is connecting to the Quebec market. To that end, he runs seminars about how IT firms locating in Quebec can save money. Frequently teaming up with government presenters as well as other HR professionals, his sessions examine accessing tax credits, applying for subsidies as well as running an effective recruitment process. "The seminars are for our clients who are interested in learning how to use technology to attract new hires and how to save money," he explains.
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