5 Top Trends for Hiring Software Developers in Poland in 2020

The new year is coming, so let’s take this opportunity to evaluate the 2020 specifics of the nearshoring market, and check which trends for hiring software developers in Poland are here to stay. 

1. Software houses keep expanding the Human Cloud model but on-site work provides additional advantages

The number of openings in remote or semi-remote software development keeps increasing and will continue to do so in 2020. This is a direct consequence of a few factors: 

• Work-life balance is one of the most appreciated factors among this professional group, and becoming a “gig worker” provides an opportunity to balance professional and family life.
• Living and commuting in bigger cities come at a cost of time and money, which seems unnecessary.
• Tech talent gap, however diminishing, forces a country-wide search for crucial competences.
• The number and variety of tools and platforms that support dispersed teams in reaching their goals, facilitate re- or upskilling, enhance cooperation and communication, increases, which results in higher team productivity.

However, the productivity loss caused mostly by asynchronous communication is still noticeable. To address this challenge, software development companies in Poland will extend their offer to provide exceptionally better working conditions for on-site employees. As relocation packages and diligence in creating inspirational office space were already present, the trend that started to emerge in 2019 (and is expected to continue), is the 10% salary difference between on-site and remote employees.

This advantage will be accompanied by additional perks for on-site teams, oriented at simplifying everyday life; from parking space arrangements to onboarding personal-assistant-as-a-service solutions. 

2. Javascript and Python are taking the lead for most popular tech 

Javascript and Python are the most popular software developers’ technologies of choice worldwide (followed closely by Java and C#, according to Stack Overflow survey) – and Poland is no different. PHP & RoR are still in play, as well as mobile stack, with React Native, Elixir and Kotlin. 

However, growing need for Big Data technologies and experts is moving highly-skilled engineers towards languages such as Scala, extending their experience with solutions such as Hadoop and Apache Spark. 

Scala is and will be still the dominating FP language in 2020 in Poland. Modesty aside, at Idego we are quite extraordinary, by having Clojure in our stack. Within Idego talent pool we also observe increased dynamic in the group of Big Data specialists – over 25% of the software development candidates from the last quarter of 2019 have experience in this area and are searching for further challenging projects.

 When it comes to front-end solutions, React and Angular will continue their battle for the top framework. Judging by the divided interest in them in Poland, one may want to bet on React + Typescript duo.

3. Organizations with meaningful culture will be chosen first by high  performers

With Millenials and Gen Z on the market, Polish software developers are becoming a group of higher diversity regarding expectations towards business. Some of them may still be choosing the path of a “gig worker” – taking various short-term assignments. But for those with a preference for long-term jobs, a company culture that matches their personal values will be crucial. 

Although differences between generations are usually a bit overhyped, Polish software houses in 2020 will keep addressing the diverse needs of their teams by: 

● increasing the level of transparency and flexibility in order to create a safe working environment 

● shifting internal communication from goals to meanings (“what for” instead of “what and when”) 

● as organizations and their leaders are expected to play the key part in bringing positive change on a social level, the CSR actions will continue to evolve, as well as the involvement of software houses in the creation of their ecosystem 

● facilitating the expansion of team skill set; ensuring opportunities to learn and change the main career path will be one of the major management challenges 

● switching from specialization to versatility on the individual and organizational level will become more noticeable 

Referring to the first point, remote and semi-remote software development companies will continue to expand. That means if you plan to open such a company you should take into consideration also the culture that you want to build regarding the remote part. 

Building a remote or semi-remote software house, you should read 7 tips to create a remote-friendly culture in your company. It’s important to equally take care of the on-site and remote part of your business. The environment you create reflects the quality you strive to deliver. 

4. Software developers’ salary will continue to change 

In Poland, the growth of average salaries is parallel to the increase in living space cost in bigger cities (over 250.000 citizens). 2019 statistics show that on average 101 monthly salaries are needed to buy a 50m² flat in Poland. 

Software developers will continue to be a privileged group regarding their purchasing power. Naturally, the analysis of developers’ salary ranges provided in job offers is a rough estimate (as there is still a trend to inflate the maximum presented salary and use it as clickbait), but it may also give an interesting estimate. 

In Pomerania, the median maximum software developers’ salary presented in job offers for senior software developers equals 150% of 1m² average flat price. The cost of living will continue to go up in 2020, however, there is no rapid peak to be expected. This trend will gradually decrease with higher housing availability caused by the population growth rate. 

However, software houses may manage to stabilize their headcount costs and scale by reaching out to experienced specialists who provide remote services. As this professional group left the centers of big agglomerations to optimize their living conditions, they are less vulnerable to housing and energy price changes. 

5. Software developers availability will continue to match the market needs faster than initial estimations 

Five years ago the European Commission estimated that in 2020 there will be around 1 billion new technical vacancies required in the whole EU. Currently, this estimate decreased by 40% and in Poland we observe c.a. 5 000 new technical vacancies to be filled quarterly as a stable trend. 

In comparison: around 30 – 40k of graduates express their interest in software development-related studies. Each year, there are new initiatives (governmental and commercial) empowering women in the tech business, as well as new, better-prepared players on the already competitive re-skilling market for people switching their jobs. With the top quality service already provided by highly skilled experts, the prognosis for filling the talent tech gap is quite optimistic. 

Do you want to ensure the high quality of your web app? Let’s talk! 

The process of hiring software and web developers…

is difficult and challenging. It’s not just about testing the developers’ knowledge and skills but also about asking the right questions. If you want to hire software developers that create the soul of your company, you need to try harder. But it’s a pure joy to expand your team with more and more talented members. 

Through the process of hiring web developers, you actually learn how you want your company to look like from the inside. The people you invite to your team should be carefully selected on the basis of the value they bring to the table. They should every day remind you that the goal isn’t to build an empire full of coders but a software house made up of smart and inspiring people.