IT and Software Development Recruitment in Poland: 5 Reasons Why US Companies Move Their Tech Hubs

Relocating IT services to Poland is not a new phenomenon. In fact, central Europe, and especially Poland, has been known for IT operations for years now. What makes the country stand out is lower costs in combination with exceptional quality and consulting. Poles are technically proficient and know their way around business operations. That way they can develop your application while advising on architecture, security and features.

Poland is a gold mine when it comes to technical talent. It ranks 4th in the European Union when it comes to STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) graduates and 1st when it comes to female graduates (according to Eurostat and OECD). Poles are very meticulous; they can not only engineer a digital product but also spot bugs and changes for improvements. That’s the chance for companies that want to not only build on a new but also legacy code.

What makes Poles stand out and why should you consider software engineering recruitment in Poland?

Poland is on cloud nine while usually 3rd in the world

There are many rankings and methodologies for measuring anything, especially technical skills. Under these conditions, it’s very hard to be objective about virtually anything. There are multiple studies on which software developers are the best in the world. Country X leads this year, country Y wins the next. There are not that many constants in these reports but one stands out – Poland’s position is very stable and it ranks in the top 3 every single time.

Just look at this – according to HackerRank’s report in 2016, Poland was 3rd in the world. According to 2019’s study by Skill Value, Poland is yet again 3rd. One could guess that these reports show different styles of thinking and crunching numbers but if a country ranks high, something is definitely going for it. Trust us, there is a lot of “somethings”.

Here are the reasons you should consider software development recruitment in Poland.

1.   Software development recruitment advantage – Poland is affordable 

According to multiple reports by the Association of Business Service Leaders (ABSL) Poland has the most affordable labor cost in the entire European Union. As an EU member since 2004, Poland has benefited dramatically from the participation in European structures. Living standards and wages are on the rise but it’s still very profitable to hire someone from Poland, not Portugal, France in the U.K.

No Fluff Jobs, a specialized Polish job portal, released a report in which it summarizes 2020 market conditions. A median salary of a frontend developer here ranges from $28000 to $45000 a year. Sure, some of the highest-paid specialists can earn more but it’s still nowhere near $88000 in Switzerland or $58000 in Germany, as PayScale shows.

2.   Poland has the most skillful IT workforce in the world

Kerney (formerly AT Kerney) published a study on the IT workforce and Poland is among the countries with the most skilled population. Central Europe as a whole is a great spot to move your tech hub and business operations but Poland, as the leader of this part of the continent, grows and attracts the highest number of talented individuals.

The best recommendation? Google and Microsoft massively invested in this region, especially Poland.

Google’s mega-investment of cloud region officially launched in 2021, other companies are getting ready for their operations.

3.   The country’s engineers are ambitious

„Impossible is nothing” – this ad phrase by Adidas is one of the most powerful slogans in the history of marketing. It’s also true when it comes to Central European, and especially Poland’s developers. Software development isn’t easy. There are technical bottlenecks, budget obstacles, legacy code issues. Engineers have to navigate all these reefs to not only write code but also develop digital products as a whole.

Their character traits are not limited to building applications. When they are faced with a challenge, they simply want to tackle it. Sure, no one is perfect, it’s hard to make generalizations. But the trait leading to a “never giving up” attitude is very common in the country. That benefits you in many ways and leads us to another point.

4.   Large-scale consulting, not only development 

Poles are multi-talented. They know how to write code but it’s just the beginning. Polish software developers can advise you on the technology stack, programming language, methods of controlling the project, application’s features. They are very versatile and interested in more than mere development.

They bring to the table a deeper understanding of how the application works. Since they can place an app in a market and business context, you benefit from multiple layers of consulting. Software development recruitment in Poland starts with evaluating technical skills but ends with a dinner.

Poles like to meet with clients and discuss projects. Face-to-face and online meetings during agile sprints are not popular but even mandatory. If you want to hire Polish specialists, be ready to actively participate in the development process. Ask questions, provide feedback, and be active. It will take a little of your time but it’s worth every penny.

5.   Language proficiency match technical expertise

Many managers are worried that English proficiency could be a real problem. When it comes to software development recruitment and outsourcing, the need for seamless communication is especially important. Projects and their business requirements have to be communicated and understood perfectly. Project managers, product owners, scrum masters and developers themselves should know the language on a level that allows them to perform.

Poles don’t have issues with English. In fact, Poland ranks high in the world when it comes to proficiency. According to English Proficiency Index, Poland is 11th in the world and 9th in Europe. In terms of English-related skills, the country beats Portugal and is slightly behind Germany.

That’s because Poland learned English in the early .90s from MTV, movies, TV series, and video games. The country’s population is eager to work in international projects not only because they’re interesting. Also, because people can enjoy different cultures and languages.

Technical and cultural fit

That brings us to the conclusion. Poles are technical experts and the cultural fit is there. The same language, geographical and cultural proximity are strong factors for outsourcing software development recruitment operations to Poland.

The world has become not only flat (globalization rules everything) but also digital. To create your digital product, you need technical experts that understand your business needs and can advise on the entire process. The country’s populations proved time and time again that software development recruitment here is not only cheaper but optimized.

It simply makes sense. The price factor is not the only thing you should consider. Some countries can deliver software for even less. There are not many countries that offer a whole package. If you have a problem you want to tackle, visit Reddit or Kaggle. Chances are the person behind the answer was born and lives in Poland.

And if you still have doubts, ask Google, Microsoft, Nvidia, or Activision – Blizzard. These companies invested heavily in the capital city of Warsaw and other Polish cities. They run R&D (research and development) centers, filled with top-quality talents. Many of them are female employees, which is not that common among California’s Bay Area and other U.S.-based tech centers.

If you look for the future, visit Poland. It’s already here. Below is a great video from Dominik Andrzejczuk that inspired us to write this article.