It’s a big, wide tech world out there and not all of it is based in the Silicon Valley. In fact, our neighbors to the south in Los Angeles have been experiencing a burgeoning technology ecosystem as of late, with more public offerings, more financing rounds and more hiring. While it used to be a bit of a challenge to get Bay Area engineering talent to make the move southward, it’s getting easier these days. Still, it’s no cakewalk. For tips on attracting SF talent to LA, check out Riviera Partner Eric Larson’s latest article on SoCalTech.com.
(SocalTech) – Attracting Bay Area Tech Talent to Southern California.: It’s Not as Hard as You Think
The greater Los Angeles area is on a phenomenal roll in terms of movement in the tech space. We’re seeing more and more public offerings; exciting activity in the music, media and entertainment space; an expanding pool of tech talent; and, more recently, several high caliber acquisitions and financing rounds, all of which will really help the whole ecosystem grow. Given all that, it’s not as tough as you might think to get Bay Area based tech talent to make the move down south–and get them to stay here. In fact, I’ve observed a 100-percent retention rate for all of the placements who have relocated over the past couple of years. Here’s how to get them in the door:
Start with a comparable salary
It doesn’t matter if the cost of living in Southern California is less than the Bay Area; a top quality candidate is going to want to see a comp package comparable to what he or she is already receiving. You don’t necessarily need to offer more, but definitely keep things even. The same goes for companies in Chicago, New York and so on.