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    Building tech teams in the CEE region

    As AI reshapes the tech job market and local hiring becomes harder, more companies are turning to Central and Eastern Europe. This guide breaks down why CEE tech teams offer a strong mix of quality, scale, and cost efficiency, and how nearshoring can future-proof your hiring strategy.

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    IT Outsourcing Staff Augmentation Global Capability Centers

    Just when we thought we could breathe post-pandemic, AI crashes in, wreaking havoc on the tech job market. Roles, skills, and work are shifting. Ready or not, the change is underway. That’s not all bad news, but CTOs and HR Managers must adapt fast. 

    92 million jobs will be gone by 2030. 170 million new ones will emerge (according to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025). Already, 86% of global employers expect AI to completely transform their business by this time.

    As demand for new skills soars, local talent pools shrink. The job market takes time to catch up with tech advancements, leaving companies feeling the impact of the talent gap. With diminishing hiring budgets, many are exploring new ways to source essential tech skills.

    One smart move? Looking to Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) – Poland, Ukraine, or Bulgaria – for fresh hiring strategies and fresh talent pools. The region offers top-tier tech talent, adaptability, and cost efficiency, all in one. And with a trusted nearshoring partner, you’ll get instant access to the vetted tech team you need to stay ahead.

    Join us for a breakdown of the cost wins, team augmentation trends, and the strategic edge of CEE’s dedicated tech teams. Brace yourself for the AI market shift, stay ahead, and stay sharp! 

     

    Why it’s the time to rethink your team-building strategy?

    Volume, quality, savings.

    The case for CEE in tech skill building.

    When local hiring falls short, team augmentation opens the door to a world of possibilities without borders. The key question is: where should you look first? If CEE isn’t already on your radar, it should be for the reasons below.

    High-quality STEM education

    Central and Eastern Europe has become a reliable source of tech talent thanks to its skilled workforce and strong STEM education. Poland, for example, ranks third globally in STEM education quality, demonstrating a job market that attracts and retains highly qualified specialists.

    Multi-million skilled talent pool

    In 2024, CEE's ICT sector employed over 3.5 million professionals, making it a promising option compared to other emerging markets. Engineers from this region are experienced in working with international teams, facilitating smooth collaboration.

    Well-established IT and tech markets

    Take Ukraine, for example. Despite geopolitical challenges, its IT sector remains one of the country’s strongest economic pillars. With over 1,500 AI specialists driving cutting-edge solutions, the IT sector contributes 4.4% to Ukraine’s GDP and is the largest exporter of services, accounting for 38% of total service exports. Meanwhile, Poland has emerged as a fintech powerhouse, having seen an 82% increase in fintech companies from 2022 to 2023, and continuing on the upward trend.

    Foreign language proficiency

    Poland, Bulgaria, and Romania rank among the top 20 countries  in the world for English proficiency. Many tech specialists from CEE also speak German, Spanish, Ukrainian or French. Multilingual experts from the region are a big win, especially for global projects. That’s why we offer free language classes for the specialists we provide. You can be sure their skills stay sharp, and communication is seamless.

    Cultural proximity

    Professionals from CEE are located within the same time zone, or a maximum of two hours ahead of Western Europe. They also share their clients' work ethics and communication standards, so it’s easier to work out an alignment. 

    Familiarity with a corporate setting

    CEE is among the biggest BPO destinations in the world, next to India, the Philippines, and Mexico, meaning their professionals are used to working with international clients. Many have worked in multinational companies and are familiar with the workflows, rules, and protocols, leading to easier teamwork, quicker training, and fewer misunderstandings.

    Continuous talent enhancement

    The region is quickly improving its digital skills, catching up with the world's top economies, and making its way up the Digital Skills Index and other analyst reports.

    The time to assure future skills is now

    Companies that get it are already sourcing the top talent from the CEE region.

    One example is our client, c-Quilibrium, a Belgian fintech firm. They needed to grow their software development team. Instead of recruiting independently and risking long hiring costs and times, they partnered with us for a faster, more reliable, and sustainable way to meet their complex hiring needs. 

    We provided a dedicated team that completed product development and enhancements, coming in 25% under budget. The nearshoring approach also helped c-Quilibrium to quickly onboard skilled developers without language or cultural barriers often found with more distant hiring. 

    And we’ve got many more examples like this.

    Success story

    Digital transformation in media: Building News UK’s tech hub in Sofia

    News UK and Nortal established a Sofia-based development unit to scale their digital publishing platform and support key newsroom products.
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    Funding Circle: Machine learning boosts lending money to SME companies

    Funding Circle and Nortal established a Sofia tech hub to expand the UK fintech’s engineering capability and modernize its global lending platform.
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    Building a dedicated engineering back office for Agidens

    Agidens partnered with us to build a reliable engineering back office in Kraków, giving them stable access to PLC/SCADA, electrical design and instrumentation specialists. 

    The real cost of building internal teams

    How much will you pay for nearshore CEE tech teams?

    Now, compare that to talent nearshoring. We maintain a 95.7% employee retention rate, meaning new team members will likely stay long-term. When partnering with us, you only pay for their salaries and our service fee, plus a one-time onboarding fee for each candidate you choose to join your team. In return, we take care of: 

    • Recruitment and onboarding (remember that, depending on various factors, the cost of filling vacancy through traditional hiring can set companies back $5,000-10,000 per hire);
    • Learning and development (which includes access for your teams to a learning and development platform and participation in internal workshops to enhance their technical skills, improve English and other language fluency, and become more valuable employees);
    • Continuous performance monitoring (so your HR team doesn’t need to spend time on skills assessment and adjustment while work quality remains intact);
    • Team bonding and employee engagement (we organise company events, team building activities, hackathons and other events to foster teamwork and strengthen motivation);
    • Full back-office support, including payroll, HR, IT, travel, and equipment accounting and expenses;

    But while businesses need to show a profit, seeing CEE-based tech specialists as just a cost-saving option misses the bigger picture. Yes, they’re often more affordable than local hires, especially with a nearshoring partner. But more importantly, they offer exceptional value, not just lower costs.

    CEE tech experts bring top-tier skills in coding, DevOps, and IT. They excel in communication, cultural alignment, and language proficiency, backed by strong educational foundations. The ability to access all of this and more, at a price typically much lower than similar resources from Western Europe, Canada, or the USA strongly supports the case for nearshoring your IT teams from Central and Eastern Europe.

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    Where to find CEE tech talent?

     

     

    Start with us! 

    Cooperating with a nearshoring partner that provides CEE-based teams is a smart choice. Scale fast, fill skill gaps, without sacrificing quality.
    No overhead, no exit fees, and no volume commitments. Just tech teams ready to begin on your cue.

    Contact us

     

     

    Get in touch

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