How to hire software engineers in Canada

This is the process I'd hand a team hiring its first or fifth engineer in Canada. Most of it comes down to not leaving gaps between steps.

Scope the role before you post it

Write down what this person will ship in their first six months, then work backwards to the skills. If the list of requirements is longer than the list of work, you've written a wishlist.

Pick five or six real requirements. Everything else is a nice-to-have, so say so.
Name the stack and the team size.
Decide who owns the hire. One person makes the call.

Set the pay range from public data

A senior software engineer in Toronto has a posted range of $139K to $185K, median $166K in base salary in 2026, from public job postings. Check your role and city on the salary pages and the calculator before you pick a number.

Post the range. Ontario has required it since January 1, 2026, for most employers with 25 or more people. B.C. has required it since November 2023.
Know your top number before the first call. If the range moves halfway through, people notice.
Write down the bonus, equity and benefits too. Explain equity in plain words: what it is, how it vests and what happens if they leave.

Write a posting people finish reading

Start from the software engineer job description template. It has the pay section and the Ontario posting rules built in.

Say what the work is, not how passionate you are about it.
Say if the job is remote, hybrid or on-site, and where.
Post it where engineers already look: your careers page, LinkedIn and the boards your own engineers use.

Go find people

The best people mostly aren't applying. Ask your team who they'd want to work with again, then message those people directly about the actual work.

Keep the interview loop short

First call, 30 minutes. The role, the range, why they're looking, what they want next.
One technical step. A conversation about real work, a short paid take-home, or pairing on a real problem. Score it with the interview scorecard.
References, with consent. After the second round, not after the offer. The reference check questions include the consent step.
Final conversation. The people they'll work with, and time for their questions.

Book the next step before the current one ends. Give feedback within a day or two, even when it's a no.

Make the offer fast

Call first, then send the letter the same day. The offer letter template is a Canadian skeleton with no at-will wording, and every risky clause is flagged for a lawyer. Give a few business days to decide. Exploding offers mostly make people nervous.

Onboard on purpose

Have the laptop, the accounts and a buddy ready before day one. The onboarding checklist covers the paperwork Ontario employers owe and a 30, 60 and 90 day plan.

What I'd do

Slow hires are usually slow for one of three reasons: the role changed halfway, nobody owned the decision, or a week went by between rounds.

Questions people ask

How long should it take to hire a software engineer in Canada?

I aim for about four to six weeks from first call to signed offer. That's my own practice, not a market statistic. When a hire runs long, the time usually goes to the gaps between steps.

Do I have to post a salary range?

In Ontario, yes, for most public postings since January 1, 2026, if you have 25 or more employees. B.C. has required it since November 2023. Even where it isn't the law, post it. People ask anyway, and the range filters both ways.

How many interview rounds should an engineering hire have?

As few as you can make a real decision with. I'd run a first call, one work-related technical step, and a final conversation with the people they'll work with. Add a round only when it answers a question the others can't.

Should I check references before or after the offer?

Before. I'd do it after the second round, with the person's written consent. It's cheaper to learn something there than after the offer is out.