Young start-up thrives thanks to young talent
What do you get when you mix an informatics specialist, a designer, and a Doctor of Philosophy? For Halifax-based start-up Harbr Inc., the answer is: better products and business growth.
Harbr uses software analytics to help construction-industry projects stay on time and on budget. CEO Dave Kim says the hard-working and diverse collection of grads he’s hired fresh out of university and college are helping build a better company.
“Over the past year, we’ve been able to reach more new markets than ever before, and we’ve just been recognized by a Silicon Valley tech magazine as one of the Top 10 Construction Technology Solution Providers of 2019.”
Dave has hired three recent graduates over the past couple of years: Dalhousie Bachelor of Informatics grad Eric Desjardins; Ontario community college grad Wooyoung Choi; and Philosophy PhD Sarah Pyke, who also has a master’s degree in Business.
“Eric started as a member of the technical team and now he’s Director of Engineering, and Wooyoung is now leading all of the design work for our company,” says Dave. “Sarah came from academia and very quickly became our Vice President of Marketing.
“With the dynamic of our company and the capabilities of the grads, we’ve been able to grow, and this is reflected in their growing responsibilities.”
All three of Harbr’s recent grads were hired with the support of Graduate to Opportunity (GTO), which provides a two-year salary incentive to small businesses, start-ups, social enterprises and non-profits who commit to hiring a recent post-secondary graduate within 12 months of their graduation.
Employer receive 25% of Year 1 salary (35% if the grad is a member of a designated diversity group) and 12.5% of Year 2 salary.
“Because of the GTO program, we were able to move fast and easily,” says Dave. “This is a huge help for smaller companies that might not have the resources to deal with more paperwork.”
“GTO is important because it helps start-ups and small businesses create these well-paid sustainable jobs,” says Sarah. “This in turn, supports the youth like us who want to stay here and contribute to economic development in the province.”
Originally from Quebec, Eric credits his new life and career in Nova Scotia to the support of government-funded employment programs that have helped him make professional connections in Nova Scotia.
“I did all three of my co-op placements in Halifax,”, which allowed me to build my network here and have a better appreciation for the city,” Eric says. “So, when there was an opportunity to start my long-term career here, I did not hesitate. I was hired through GTO, which provided Harbr with funding for my role. Both Co-op and GTO are two driving facts that made it possible for me to stay and start a career here.”
Over 800 grads like Eric, Sarah and Wooyuong have already been hired with the support of GTO funding in Nova Scotia, and application submissions have always been turned around within 5 days.
Learn more about how you can access funding to hire recent grads though the the GTO program.
