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Марія БровінськаWork
6 January 2025, 11:00
2025-01-06
Hire an IT person if you can. What will the IT labour market look like in 205? Predictions from talent hunters SoftServe, GlobalLogic, Ciklum, ZONE3000, Railsware, and others
Finding the right person who will be useful to the team and the project is the main task of recruitment specialists, regardless of the conditions prevailing in the market. This is equally difficult to do in a scarce market and in a market where there are a lot of candidates. Among talent hunters, the idea sometimes prevails that it is easier to find specialists in the employer market, however, as most of them assure, often the variety of candidates only complicates the search and takes up precious time.
dev.ua spoke with recruitment specialists from key Ukrainian IT employers and found out what they expect from the market at Softserve, GlobalLogic, Ciklum, and leading product companies.
Finding the right person who will be useful to the team and the project is the main task of recruitment specialists, regardless of the conditions prevailing in the market. This is equally difficult to do in a scarce market and in a market where there are a lot of candidates. Among talent hunters, the idea sometimes prevails that it is easier to find specialists in the employer market, however, as most of them assure, often the variety of candidates only complicates the search and takes up precious time.
dev.ua spoke with recruitment specialists from key Ukrainian IT employers and found out what they expect from the market at Softserve, GlobalLogic, Ciklum, and leading product companies.
Hiring 2024: Is everything really difficult in outsourcing?
Stories about skilled candidates and top employers not being able to meet over the past year were not uncommon in 2024. The search for experienced specialists sometimes turns into a quest, admit recruitment experts. However, they do not call 2024 a special year — they say that despite the employer market, finding the right people was no easier than in previous periods.
«From the beginning of the war to the present, the market has remained a market of companies, not candidates. Before the full-scale invasion, the situation was the opposite. Now companies have decreased demand, and therefore they are choosing candidates more carefully. Most companies have an internal pool, so priority is given to internal candidates,» Yulia Shmulya, recruitment director at GlobalLogic, told dev.ua. According to her, last year the company found new projects for 1,115 specialists within the company. «The absolute number of vacancies has fallen, but this does not mean that hiring has stopped — open positions still appear,» she states.
According to Oleksandra Tolokh, Senior Talent Operations Manager at SoftServe, the Lviv service giant is currently managing to meet business needs and find candidates for clients’ requests. «So we haven’t seen any complications in the search process. The candidate market is quite saturated right now, as there are many courses that train specialists in both general and specialized profiles, but there are still more candidates in the usual profiles. If we’re talking about juniors, they’re easy to find; traditionally, the bigger challenge is finding Senior+ and narrow-profile specialists,» she told dev.ua.
At the same time, Viktoriya Tomchynska, IT Recruitment Director at ZONE3000, notes that over the past year, candidates' time to consider an offer has increased due to the presence of several offers between which they choose. «We are focused on hiring high-level specialists — Strong Middle, Senior, Tech Expert. Finding a candidate who meets the company’s request has always been difficult. Now it is further complicated by the fact that candidates use AI tools, for example, when completing a test task, which often leads to discrepancies between test results and actual knowledge and experience. You can avoid mistakes during hiring with the help of systems that track the use of artificial intelligence in answers, as well as by giving preference to live coding instead of previous test tasks,» she states.
According to Tomchynska, the market is also complicated by such key factors as war and mobilization, which leads to a significant outflow of personnel from the country, economic instability, as well as the mismatch of candidates' skills with the requirements of companies. The latter factor, says Victoria, is related to the rapid development of technologies, when candidates and training programs do not keep up with market changes.
In 2024, Ciklum received a sufficient number of responses for most vacancies, but at the same time considered a larger number of candidates, says Kateryna Kokhanova, Fulfillment Manager at Ciklum. «This is due to the fact that the number of vacancies on the market decreased, while the number of specialists in search increased. As a result, we approached the selection more carefully to find the best candidates for us,» she told dev.ua. According to Kateryna, during 2024, there was an increase in demand for positions with narrow specialization or increased requirements, and this requires additional search strategies.
She calls the main challenges of the year in hiring the rapid evolution of technologies and the imbalance between hard and soft skills. Vladimir Lobov, Fulfillment Manager at Ciklum, adds that the search was slightly complicated by niche vacancies (in particular in Embedded, IoT), competition in the GenAI specialist market, as well as the demand for full-stack positions.
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Features of hiring in 2024 in food companies
In turn, food company hiring experts identified other trends and challenges in hiring in 2024.
Tetyana Bohdan, HR Business Partner at RozetkaPay, says that finding talent is difficult at any time, both when the market is oversaturated with candidates and when the market is «stagnant.» «In IT, it’s also a question of price. There are stories when a specialist’s salary was inadequate in a big way and when looking for a new job, he has to face reality. It hurts,» she says. According to Tetyana, the main reason for the breakdowns is the mismatch of the expectations of the candidate and the employer. «Conventionally, we have a candidate who has completed courses and is trying to find his first job in IT. He sends out a resume to every vacancy and „gives up“ because it’s impossible to find a job now. But if he changes his strategy and focuses on self-development, finds a mentor and sends a resume with a purpose and a cover letter, his chances will definitely increase. The same story can happen not only with a junior specialist,» she believes.
Also, Tatyana notes, in order to be at the previous level of market and salary compliance, candidates need to run twice as fast as before. «In conditions of blackouts, shelling, worries about friends and relatives who are defending the country, it is becoming increasingly difficult,» she says.
Sofia Oleksiuk, HR Generalist at Futurra Group, agrees with Tetyana. «Hiring is just as difficult now as it was before. The main difficulty is the competition for young talent in Kyiv, where dozens of product companies are fighting for specialists with relevant experience and strong soft skills,» she says.
In product vacancies, according to Sofia, the requirements are higher than in outsourcing, but the market offers fewer and fewer specialists who meet these criteria. Often, says Oleksiuk, among the numerous reviews, it is difficult to find specialists with experience in similar businesses and ready-made cases that can easily be integrated into our processes. And when there are few reviews, you have to actively hunt.
«Product companies have always placed high demands on cultural fit, proactivity, and initiative, and now the fight for A-players is only intensifying. These are the specialists who are involved in business, strive for rapid development, and are ready to create results right from the start. The solution is obvious: candidates need to develop A-player skills, and companies need to stand out among competitors and create the best conditions to attract and retain the strongest,» the specialist states.
Head of Global Recruitment at Master of Code Global Natalia Yerisova says that, analyzing the results of the recruitment process, the company noticed that many candidates, striving to get the desired job, often ignore the mandatory requirements for the role. «They apply without having the necessary knowledge or experience, which creates the so-called ‘mismatch’. This not only does not help them find a job, but also complicates and slows down the search process for us,» she says about the challenges of hiring in 2024.
The specialist emphasizes that the qualities of candidates are of great importance. «In particular, we value the ability to explain complex ideas in simple words, an interest in innovation, and a proactive approach. We have examples where candidates did not have direct experience in conversational design, but wanted to learn and develop in this area. We were happy to consider them. It is important for us to find people who share our passion for creating high-quality conversational solutions and are ready to develop with us,» she told dev.ua.
The main reasons for the mismatch in the labor market, according to Olena Oleksienko, Chief of People Team EVO (Prom, Bigl, Kabanchik, Shafa), are that, firstly, the requirements for candidates are increasing, in particular, a combination of technical and soft skills, such as adaptability and the ability to learn quickly, is expected. «There is also high competition for the best specialists. Strong candidates often have several offers and choose employers with the most attractive conditions. It is also more difficult to find talent due to the fact that the opportunities to work remotely continue to increase. This allows specialists to work for foreign companies, which complicates the search on the Ukrainian market,» she states. Finally, the expert notes, specialists in starting positions often overestimate their salary expectations, not always meeting the declared level of hard skills.
«There are still many candidates on the market, but the expertise and skills of many do not always meet current business requirements and needs. In particular, product companies need specialists with deep knowledge in specific technologies and domains. In our example, for Product Lead positions, we are looking for practical experience with B2B SaaS products — it has historically been lacking in the Ukrainian market. Therefore, on average, we still hire one out of a hundred applicants — the percentage has even become slightly smaller in 2024 compared to the past,» Vladyslava Pertsatiy, People Operations Manager at Railsware, gives an example.
She notes that cultural fit is no less important. «We are looking for those who share our values and approaches to work. Therefore, although we have already passed the 200-strong mark, we continue to pay great attention to hiring and spend as much time as necessary to find our next colleague. However, we strive to develop the market of product talent in Ukraine,» she told dev.ua.
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What to expect from 2025
Oleksandra Tolokh, Senior Talent Operations Manager at SoftServe
Transformations in the labor market will largely depend on artificial intelligence and the ability to use it. Candidates who have mastered this tool and can effectively use it to increase their productivity and efficiency will have an advantage. In addition, on the client side, the demand for solutions using artificial intelligence is also growing, and this will affect the need for specialists in Data Science, Machine Learning, R&D, Robotics, etc.
Victoria Tomchynska, IT Recruitment Director at ZONE3000
In the current conditions of our country and the world in general, it is appropriate to take on a forecast for a maximum of six months. So our vision is that the market will still belong to the employer. At the same time, it is necessary to understand that the number of offers for candidates is growing both from Ukrainian and from local companies of those countries where Ukrainian specialists moved due to the war. So we need to be prepared for a shortage of highly qualified specialists. We expect that the responses to vacancies will remain, but with changes to a lesser extent.
If we talk about global transformations of the IT market in Ukraine, then first of all they will depend on the political and economic situation in the world, which directly affects the situation in our country. So far, we are not betting on a super-successful year, at least until the end of the war, but we do not lose optimism.
Kateryna Kokhanova, Fulfilment Manager at Ciklum
In 2025, the labor market will continue to adapt to new conditions. If we talk about technology, we can quite expect an increase in demand for specialists in artificial intelligence, blockchain, cybersecurity and data analytics. We are already seeing this trend in our company, as the number of clients in these areas is increasing. Given the constant changes in client requests, the need for upskilling and reskilling programs will only grow.
Transformations will obviously also depend on the security situation in the country. An improvement in the situation on the front will contribute to the development of the IT sector, and therefore an increase in the number of vacancies.
Tetyana Bohdan, HR Business Partner RozetkaPay
It depends a lot on what the situation will be in the country. The potential of our specialists is crazy! After the victory, we will have a lot of investments and economic growth. We are all really looking forward to this.
But if we return to the realities of today, we expect a slight growth in the market. Salaries of specialists already in 2024 gradually began to return to the previous level. At the same time, we see fewer and fewer cases of «overpaid» candidates. Let’s hope that this trend will continue.
Also, in 2024, many Ukrainian food companies announced staff reductions. Let’s hope that in 2025 we will not observe such a trend and vice versa — Ukrainian products will gain momentum and expand teams.
Sofia Oleksiuk, HR Generalist Futurra Group
First, the share of non-technical vacancies is expected to increase, which may even become dominant. Ukrainian product IT companies continue to actively scale, and this requires the expansion of teams focused on marketing, analytics, and user acquisition. Vacancies for the positions of Creative Marketing Manager, User Acquisition Specialist, and other non-technical roles will become increasingly popular.
Secondly, the requirements for candidates will increase. Companies are looking to attract specialists with bright cases, relevant experience and the ability to quickly integrate into business processes. All this increases competition among job seekers, which requires them not only strong technical or professional skills, but also highly developed soft skills, proactivity and creativity.
Third, more and more companies will launch educational programs, internships, and courses to quickly hire talent with minimal experience. This strategy allows you to create an internal talent pool and reduce the adaptation time of newcomers.
As for salaries, they will probably remain at the same level as they are now.
Natalia Yerisova, Head of Global Recruitment at Master of Code Global
The IT labor market will be actively transformed next year under the influence of two key factors: the stability of the situation in the country and technological progress. If military operations cease or the situation stabilizes, this will reduce risks for investors and clients, which will help attract new projects and strengthen the positions of Ukrainian IT companies in the global market.
Technological innovations, including artificial intelligence, automation, and cybersecurity, will continue to change the industry landscape. The demand for professionals working with AI, data analytics, and IoT integration will only grow. It is also important to consider possible changes in the tax and regulatory environment of Ukraine, which can both stimulate the development of the IT market and create new challenges.
Overall, demand for highly skilled professionals is expected to grow, but the pace of this growth will depend on internal stability and the ability of businesses to quickly adapt to changes in the global environment.
Olena Oleksienko, Chief of People Team EVO (Prom, Bigl, Kabanchik, Shafa)
The labor market will increasingly demand cross-functional skills, combining hard and soft skills. The ability to collaborate, adapt quickly to change, and learn quickly will become as important as technical expertise. The development of artificial intelligence will also directly impact the market, reducing the number of routine tasks. This may lead to a decrease in demand for operational and simple roles. Finally, companies will increasingly focus on supporting the mental and psychological state of employees as an element of retaining and attracting talent to the company.
Daryna Kuzmyk, Talent&Culture Lead, Railsware
Given the current uncertainty, we could ask a crystal ball about this — and the forecast would probably be just as accurate. All joking aside, our colleagues in the tech industry understand perfectly well how dynamic and unpredictable the situation is. We would like to be optimistic and see the market in Ukraine continue to recover and all security and economic risks minimized.
If we look at the situation more globally, there are several trends that are gaining momentum. We can expect that in 2025 the role of AI in hiring will increase. Automation will become commonplace, and some stages of the process will be transformed by artificial intelligence. For example, special programs can be used to assess candidates during the interview. Or the interview can be done without the involvement of a recruiter (there are already platforms on the market for this).
However, the decisions will still remain with the hiring teams. The processes will simply become faster and more convenient. It is also worth considering that generative AI is changing the approach to testing tasks, in particular for technical specialists. We have already encountered cases where testing was obviously done with the help of AI.
As for other trends, companies may be moving towards greater inclusivity, but this depends on the values of a particular business. We can also expect an increase in the number of positions in the field of robotics and the emergence of new opportunities for older professionals who want to continue working. In addition, veteran employment and retraining programs will become more relevant for Ukraine. In addition, we are already observing an increase in the proportion of women in stereotypically «male» industries, including IT. We can definitely expect that candidates will increasingly be required not only to have technical knowledge, but also to have strong competencies and soft skills. Among the most in demand: communication skills, leadership, flexibility, as well as personal time management and project management. For non-engineering positions, a personal brand is also becoming increasingly important.
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