Presto is transforming the restaurant industry by offering innovative, enterprise-grade technologies. With over 100 million monthly active users and over 300,000 systems shipped across the U.S., Presto is the restaurant industry’s leading enterprise technology platform in North America. Presto recently expanded its operations to the Toronto Region for its globally renowned and growing technology sector and the large pool of highly-skilled candidates that could be recruited through local and international hiring.
Presto was drawn to Canada, particularly to take advantage of the Global Talent Stream (GTS) program – a timely, responsive and client-focused service to help companies access highly-skilled global talent to expand their workforce in Canada. The Global Talent Stream is designed for innovative firms in Canada that require unique and specialized foreign nationals in order to scale-up and grow, as well as firms that need to fill an in-demand highly-skilled position.
For Senior Software Engineer at Presto, Reaz Masud, the process of immigrating from Bangladesh to Canada as part of the Global Talent Stream program could not have been smoother. Masud moved to become part of Presto’s team in Toronto in September 2019.
“I have always wanted to learn more, work with different technologies, and develop large scale software,” says Masud. “Working for Presto, I have everything. There are so many talented engineers here whom I learn from every day. I also want to travel, see different places, and learn about different cultures and I think there are not so many places in the world like Canada, where we can meet so many people from different countries.”
Reaz Masud with the Presto Toronto team
The Global Talent Stream can be likened to the H1-B visa program in the United States, a popular visa for talented individuals seeking employment in technology and other specialty occupations, now suspended for the remainder of the year. However, the Global Talent Stream program boasts advantages such as fast processing times – candidates can be approved in approximately four weeks – and this pathway can help to increase the odds of individuals eventually seeking Canadian permanent residence. Since launching in 2017, the Global Talent Stream has helped to facilitate the arrival of an additional 40,000 tech workers to Canada.
For Masud, his experience with the program was a positive one. Presto took care of most of the necessary paperwork and fees, as well as provided guidance to Masud throughout the application process. Presto even made it a priority to obtain a work permit for Masud’s wife, allowing her to accompany him in Toronto.
Canada’s reputation for being welcoming endures. Even with the coronavirus pandemic affecting travel and immigration worldwide, the Global Talent Stream remains open. Masud’s advice for international applicants is that it’s never too late to apply, as Presto builds out its Toronto team and continues to seek diverse and skilled talent from around the world.
“We try to understand if someone has a basic understanding of software development while hiring engineers. They might have to brush up their problem-solving skills a little bit before appearing for a technical interview. I think it’s important to be confident and communicate effectively. I would say not to worry too much if you cannot solve a problem during the interview as we are always looking for someone who does not give up and keeps trying.”
“Reaz is humble, hardworking and curious to learn and improve the product,” says Milan Dhanani, Sr. Engineer Manager, Presto.
Masud’s first year in Canada has been anything but ordinary, but despite a global pandemic and the chilling winters, he has embraced the sense of community and multicultural environment that Toronto has to offer. In his free time, Reaz loves to listen to music and has started to learn to play the guitar during the pandemic, working his way up to learning a few chords and practicing during his leisure time.
About Presto Used the Global Talent
About Presto Used the Global TalentReaz also enjoys traveling and adventure sports, including mountain trekking and skydiving.
“I think celebrating diversity is one of the most important factors that made Canada a great
country to live in. I believe that organizations like Presto stand by the same set of beliefs. People from different parts of the world can bring different ideas on the table and can lead us to a way of building excellent technology products for everyone. As we grow, I think it is fundamental to understand the software localization so that we can scale, adapt, and add value to the people’s lifestyle.”