The competition for top talent across North America is fierce, and for good reason. Your people are one of the most important aspects of your business. With a strategic expansion, you can access new talent pools, build workforce resilience and position your company as one that’s growing with purpose.
Your location plays an important role in attracting and retaining talent. Some regions offer stronger talent pipelines and more educational institutions, while others stand out for quality of life and lower living costs.
Business expansion creates opportunities to tap into these benefits. Plus, expanding your footprint signals that your company is growing and driven by purpose — two qualities that draw ambitious candidates.
For HR leaders, here are five ways business expansion can strengthen your team.
Key Takeaways
- You can boost your hiring strategy by locating in regions with strong talent pipelines, top universities and affordable living, fostering talent attraction and retention
- Access to healthcare, green space and a rich cultural scene are important factors in where skilled workers choose to live, and where smart companies choose to set up shop
- Expanding to a diverse, multilingual area broadens your candidate pool and encourages a sense of belonging
- Waterloo region delivers on every talent front; we have a fast-growing and diverse workforce, world-class universities, excellent quality of life and immigration pathways that simplify international hiring
1. Access a rich talent pool
Expanding your business can open the door to a talent pipeline that looks different from your current one. Certain regions are growing exponentially in terms of workforce, creating deep pools of skilled graduates and experienced industry professionals across fields like AI, robotics, automation and quantum technology.
What Waterloo offers:
- #1 small tech talent market in North America for five consecutive years
- 58.2% tech talent growth from 2021-2024
- 49,000+ manufacturing workers across the Waterloo area, accounting for 14% of our total workforce
- Fastest-growing new graduate and millennial population in North America
2. Work with world-class educational institutions
Educational institutions are the backbone of a strong talent pipeline. As you evaluate expansion locations, consider whether post-secondary institutions in the area produce graduates in fields relevant to your hiring needs, and whether students tend to stay in the city after graduating. That’s a reliable indicator of a thriving business ecosystem.
What Waterloo offers:
- 95,000+ students enrolled at post-secondary schools across the Waterloo region
- The University of Waterloo is the biggest school of the top 25 computer science universities ranked by QS, and Canada’s largest engineering institution
- The University of Waterloo is home to the largest co-operative education program of its kind in the world, and is the #1 school in Canada for producing unicorn founders, with 639+ VC-backed founders
- Conestoga College is a leading polytechnic institution, with several research centres working in biotechnology, smart manufacturing, food processing and more
- Wilfrid Laurier University has the largest business co-op program in Canada, and has produced 2,000+ founders and 500+ CEOs
3. Enhance quality of life and lower cost of living
An affordable cost of living and strong quality of life are critical factors in attracting and retaining talent. Employees want to be able to afford housing, enjoy concerts and sports games, access quality healthcare and send their children to good schools. Expanding to a location that delivers on these fronts make it easier to attract and keep top candidates.
What Waterloo offers:
- The Waterloo region is made up of three urban cities and four rural townships, each with its own charm
- Rent in Waterloo is less than rent in New York, San Francisco, Boston and Toronto
- Access to quality healthcare facilities, including three major hospitals
- Access to green spaces, parks, a vibrant arts and culture scene and sporting events
4. Find recruitment and retention advantages
A strategic expansion plan is more than where you physically locate. It’s about the tools and programs available in that region to help you hire and keep the best people. Choosing a location with strong immigration pathways and government-backed recruitment initiatives can give your talent strategy a significant edge.
What Waterloo offers:
- The Global Talent Stream is a flagship business immigration program that promises a streamlined approach for bringing highly skilled and leadership employees to Canada
- The Intra-Company Transfer is another immigration pathway that allows companies with operations in Canada to bring international employees as transferees
5. Grow in an inclusive environment
Inclusion isn’t just a value — it’s a talent strategy. In an evolving economy, core values like community, diversity and purpose attract and retain quality employees. When evaluating expansion locations, look for regions that actively foster belonging and community engagement.
What Waterloo offers:
- 25% of our population was born outside of Canada
- 120+ recorded native languages spoken in our community
- Waterloo is part of the Toronto-Waterloo Corridor, where there are 9.45M people speaking 190 languages
The Waterloo region’s workforce advantages can help your company respond to changing hiring conditions at a regional, national and global scale. From a rich talent pool and world-class universities to an affordable quality of life and an inclusive business environment, our community is built to support companies that are serious about their people. Whether you’re expanding for the first time or deepening an existing footprint, Waterloo gives your talent strategy a competitive edge.
Start a conversation with one of our experts on talent and immigration.