Why it is High Time to Hire Ukrainian Developers

Large enterprises closed their Ukrainian offices all around the country due to the war and laid off thousands of Ukrainians. Despite having lost their jobs and suffered from a great deal of stress, software developers are more motivated than ever. As the war shifts in favor of Ukraine; now is the opportunity for strategic HR initiatives to recruit talented developers. There’s never been a more ROI-friendly time.

The war that started in Q1 of 2022 slowed down the economy; however, national and international investment continues to flow in, and even under such conditions as rockets and power outages, Ukrainian IT professionals continue to lead in the global market as the MOST RELIABLE producers of technology and innovative digital transformation. 

In this article, you’ll learn why Ukraine is a solid investment and why Ukrainian software developers continuously prove themselves to be the most energetic and passionate team members. The war has changed us all. It’s made us stronger, and it showed us why we work. It’s not just a process or a workflow anymore. The IT industry is a part of the Ukrainian heart and way of life. It’s how we survive!

Key Takeaways

Global layoffs and salary cuts by technology giants aren’t because of an economic recession

There are whispers of a global recession by the leaders in economics from the most prestigious and renowned institutions. These leaders back this information by citing the massive layoffs done by Twitter and Meta, leaving around 15,000 IT professionals jobless. In addition, they mention other technology giants like Netflix, Microsoft, and Tesla following the layoff trend and, in some cases, initiating large salary reductions. 

But let’s take a second and think about what that really means. Is it a recession? The market doesn’t support that. If you filter, read, and really evaluate what’s going on, you’ll understand that it’s not due to a recession or lack of technology budget. What’s happening is the removal of cancer. That cancer is a surplus of software developers that lack motivation and interest in their work. By removing them, these technology giants are not only freeing up capital, they’re getting rid of the people who damage their culture and don’t bring any value to the companies’ higher, long-term missions and goals.

Large international companies have exited the Ukrainian market, making great talent readily available

At the start of the war, Ukraine became a high-risk zone and a danger to international companies’ staff and, thus, their global reputations. Following the advice of government experts and disbelief that Ukraine would be able to resist and fight off the Russian invasion, these organizations pulled out of the market. And in that action laid off thousands of Ukrainian IT professionals, leaving them without stable incomes and a constant threat to their lives from the East. 

As tragic as this is, it created a whole new kind of opportunity for smaller companies to enter the Ukrainian market and hire some of the best professionals with IT consulting and development backgrounds. Ukrainian software developers are known for being the most talented coders and architects. World-renowned unicorns come from or were built by Ukrainian developers; companies like airSlate, Grammarly, Reply.io, People.ai, GitLab, PandaDoc, Ring, and many others.

The Ukrainian economy is recovering and already on an upward trend, creating new investment opportunities

Even though the war has greatly damaged the Ukrainian economy and brought an end to many investments; and infrastructure damages in the trillions of US dollars, the trend is upward. The world has shown tremendous support for a Ukrainian victory. Investment has already reached billions of US dollars, and the war isn’t even over yet. According to international experts in economy and war, Russia is losing, doing everything it can to save face and develop an exit strategy. 

What does that mean for business growth and ROI-friendly investment opportunities? Times of distress and loss are the best times for prosperity and big margins. As mentioned above, there is trillions of dollars worth of damage. This will be rebuilt. And if you look into the past for answers, you’ll find that the most money is to be made during reconstructions. Now is a great time to invest in Ukraine’s future because by investing, you’re setting yourself and your business up for massive profits.

6 reasons why the big international companies chose Ukraine as their R&D hubs

Starting around 2010, Ukraine began to position itself as a hub of talented, math-oriented engineers. It was a no-brainer in terms of financial opportunity as the country was on a direct path to EU integration. This meant that the country began to update laws to make international investments and market entry easier and safer. 

Take a look at 6 of the most prominent reasons why the big international companies chose to place their R&D centers in Ukraine:

• Pool of math and computer science graduates: the country was producing an average of 30,000 programmer-oriented degrees per year and had over 200,000 IT specialists ready to work.
• Scale-friendly tech stack: the country is home to the most extensive number of C++ programmers worldwide with other common programming languages like Python, JavaScript, Go, Java, Typescript, Kotlin, and C#.
• Outsourcing-friendly business model: more than 70% of the technology-based companies registered in the country were engaged in IT outsourcing.
• Investment-friendly startups: in 2021, Ukrainian startups managed to attract more than $571 million in investments.
• Budget-friendly rates and good English: the country’s average programmer costed $2,200 monthly, and around 85% spoke an upper-intermediate level of English. 
• High-quality development services: the country was listed as the 5th top best location for software developers worldwide, a “Delivery Destination of the Year 2021” award, and had 88.7 points out of 100 according to HackerRank Rating.

The challenges Ukrainian IT professionals are facing on a daily basis and how outsourcing and outstaffing companies are solving these challenges

Reduced productivity due to power outages and country-wide blackouts

A major challenge that’s plagued productivity as of late are the country-wide blackouts caused by Russia’s attack on Ukraine’s power infrastructure. With the loss of several nuclear and hydropower plants, the country suffered greatly; millions of people are without light for 6-8 hours per day, creating a massive strain on digital workers and their employers.

Autonomous power

To solve this, innovative companies determined to prove themselves reliable partners and keep their positions as global leaders in outsourcing and outstaffing are using generators and batteries to provide independent power to their officers, allowing them to work 24/7 without being affected by blackouts. 

By empowering their teams with stable light, these leaders are providing more than just the ability to work. Sitting in the dark with nothing to do makes you feel useless. Ukrainian developers with light are inspired to work hard and make the most of simple things that other developers not faced with war take for granted. Something as simple as electricity is enlightening to spirit and determination to do a good job. 

Reduced productivity due to distributed, remote teams

It’s strange to say this in 2022, going into 2023, but remote teams make it difficult to ensure productivity. Because the blackouts happen on a schedule and, in some cases, at random. When teams are distributed remotely, it’s almost impossible for a company to guarantee its software developers have access to stable power and internet, meaning productivity isn’t guaranteed, projects run behind schedule, and costs grow. 

Office-based teams

To solve this, innovative companies determined to prove themselves reliable partners and keep their positions as global leaders in outsourcing and outstaffing are bringing their developers back to the office, allowing them to work in stable conditions where management can provide power, internet, culture, and shelter. 

By empowering their teams with everything they need to be successful in wartime conditions, leaders are able to create environments that promote productivity and positive culture, thus creating more determined and passionate delivery teams. 

Why you should be jumping on the opportunity to hire Ukrainian developers

Motivation

Try to find more dedicated software developers than Ukrainians. You won’t. Their lives have been turned upside down, and those who develop, develop because it’s their livelihood, and they know why they do what they do. They’re not just collecting a paycheck. They’re trying to create the best lives they can and enjoy every moment of building innovative solutions.

Talent pool

Benefit from one of the largest pools of IT professionals in the world with a solid reputation for being the best. The country hosted more than 1M specialists as of 2021, and the number is growing as professionals without tech backgrounds are using the war environment to transition into the IT industry. 

Quick onboarding

Hire good talent fast. There are thousands of Ukrainian developers of all levels ready and waiting to be placed on good projects. If you choose a reputable vendor partner, you’ll benefit from some of the best in software development with experience from giants like Samsung, Deloitte, Spotify, and Snapchat. 

Good and meaningful work over charity

To quote the president, Mr. Volodymyr Zelensky – “We need work, not charity.” 

Ukrainians want to live in a civilized country with the most innovative approaches to technology and how it integrates with society. 

Every business can become a part of history and help Ukrainians in their fight for freedom against Russia’s invasion. Hiring Ukrainians and allowing them to earn money is the best thing you can do to bring value to your business and help develop the Ukrainian economy.

To sum up, #workwithukraine

In the darkest of times, the brightest projects are born. While some see crisis, hopefully, you see opportunity. Ukraine is a supplier of the most qualified tech talent motivated to work at ROI-friendly rates.

Ukraine has been and still is the number one choice for offshore outsourcing/outstaffing services in the IT industry. UA Tech People is working 100% autonomously from central power and internet. We’re dedicated to delivering the best under any circumstances, and we’re ready to supply your team with bright, motivated software developers.