Why the Time Is Now for Hopeful Tech Talent Expats

Why Now is the Perfect Time for Tech Talent Expats

By Anneli Aab, Head of Work in Estonia

It’s well known that most countries, including the UK, are facing a mass exodus of tech skills. With labour shortages increasing each year, countries around the world are unable to meet the demand with the tech skills needed to support the rapid growth of the technology and digital sectors.

According to new reports, 3 out of 5 tech workers want to change jobs, with 62% having at least one new job interview in the last 6 months. Another survey of 1,500 tech workers and leadership found a mere 29% wanted to stay with their current employer.

Prompted by a high number of vacancies and pandemic-related burnout, tech talent has been increasingly looking outward to places like my home country, Estonia – a place which has established itself firmly on the map for entrepreneurs and innovators thanks to the 1200 startups (and counting) local to Tallinn and Tartu.

Estonia’s journey to put the up in startup

With Estonian-grown startups like Bolt, Wise and Pipedrive setting stifling investment records, a sophisticated technology ecosystem has followed, harnessing high levels of innovation and commercial growth, and has been significant in attracting interest from overseas labour as well as investment.

Since Skype’s inception, the evolution of Estonia’s startup culture took root and began to boom exponentially, creating what has now been rated the most entrepreneurial country in the world, according to the World Economic Forum’s standards.

And with figures like more unicorns per capita than any other country, skilled workers have been eager to be part of such exciting innovation and rapid development.

Indeed, the number of Brits applying to live and work in Estonia has doubled in the past 12 months. Some want to start their own business, or give themselves a fresh start after months of lockdown, while others want to be part of Estonia’s thriving tech scene.

Still, the scarcity of skilled talent is not uniquely a British problem. Indeed, The Estonian Association of Information and Telecommunications (ITL) has reported that, while Estonia’s tech sector employs around 20,000 people, it is still short of several thousand skilled workers.

And the number of opportunities is only growing – hiring foreign talent has become a key method to plug the skills gap.

Why we’re hiring global talent

As we offer more and more opportunities to startups and entrepreneurs from around the world, it’s important to understand the genesis of the country’s ‘open arms’ policy.

When Estonia gained independence in 1991 from the Soviet Union, it was a relatively poor nation.

Hence why, with a population of just 1.3 million – a variable that required a transcendent vision to succeed digitally and economically – the government focused heavily on technology to streamline its services.

And the will to attract overseas talent has been borne out of a similar kind of thinking.

This story begins with a radical focus on technology, particularly in education. For example, the Estonian government ensured that every school in the country would have access to a computer in 2000, which followed shortly after.

In a similar vein, we purposefully started welcoming non-European talent to work in all sectors, but especially in tech. Indeed, over 18% of the employees in Estonia’s startup sector are foreigners and companies are keen on bringing more outside talent into Estonia.

Now, expert engineers, C Developers and highly skilled programmers are flocking to Estonia’s shores to get a taste of our tech scene, whilst capitalising on the dominance of companies that adopt a primarily English-speaking policy.

Estonian success has broadly focused on an incentive-based culture with many programmes that are attractive to prospective expats and their accompanying spouses!

The Start Up Visa, launched in 2018, is one that has attracted many entrepreneurs and their families.

But also, one of the more pastoral favourites is the ‘Reinvent Yourself’ programme, where groups of international spouses are connected and given the chance to build their own network, whilst also being provided with the opportunity to develop professionally through individual career consultations.

Affordable living & laid-back culture

e-Estonia’s digital democracy has carved a novel social contract between government and citizens, which expats have found dreamlike in adjustment terms – zero bureaucracy goes a long way in helping families settle into a new country.

It’s also a question of lifestyle, too – our focus on work-life balance and highly affordable costs of living are proving a draw for Brits wanting to relocate.

For example, parliament has recently been discussing eliminating Kindergarten fees and providing free preschool for all – a welcome contrast to London’s hefty nursery admission fees.

And public transport is entirely free for residents of the Estonian capital, Tallinn and an express train from Tallinn to Tartu takes just over two hours and costs around 10 euros.

Career boosts too are offered. Estonians believe in fostering a culture where ideas are prioritised over age and experience which is what we believe makes us so successful for a small country. This is especially true for our young ones, where educating tech-entrepreneurship at school has become, in a sense, part of their formal education.

For example, the CEO of Bolt was just 19 years old when he founded the company. Similarly, Kaarel Kotkas, Veriff’s CEO, was just 21 years of age when he founded his trailblazing identification service. A smaller scale example is Change Ventures – Estonian teen co-founds a platform to motivate students to study mathematics, raising €50,000 in the process.

Before technology comes nature and frosty pints of Kvass

For the outdoor enthusiast, much of our landscape is there to be relished, too – with a diverse terrain eclipsed by noise and congestion, Estonians like to take advantage of the quick distance from nature. Lakes or old-growth forests are never more than 30 minutes away. However, our winter climate is not for the faint hearted – stand up paddle boarding in sub-zero temperatures is a popular excursion in both winter and summer and helps us to be in touch with our Viking roots, but for spa dwellers who like to stay cosy – the Estonian love of saunas travels deep and are always easily accessible.

Take the plunge

Taking an idyllic train ride around Estonia’s lakes and forests for less than 2 euros might sound good to the relocating Londoner or commuter bogged down by high travel prices.

So, aspiring expats look no further than my home (Estonia). With such a huge number of companies looking to hire, it’s an exciting time to be part of our ascent as the most digital society in the world.

And you’ll be able to find adjustment to life relatively easy, with a huge number of expats already here.

Taking the plunge to move abroad with your family comes with all sorts of apprehensions and anxieties, but I think Estonia could be the place for anyone seeking a better standard of living and a new start in a buzzing tech epicentre. Come and see for yourself.