Mass layoffs in Big Tech, the collapse of Crypto, and the dynamic development of AI – these are just some of the factors that are transforming today’s IT industry. Where before IT specialists were inactive on the job search market, they are now looking for work and responding to offers. Is this a harbinger of things to come for the Recruitment Sector? Why are there more and more active IT candidates on the labor market in Poland? And what conclusions should recruiters draw from these unfolding events? 

These and many other questions are answered by Yana Ruzhantsava – Team Leader in Recruitment Process Outsourcing at Devire. 

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IT workers… are looking for work

Currently, it can be considered a novelty in the IT industry that candidates have begun to respond to job advertisements. Compared to 2022, there has been a threefold increase in applications. The average is currently 56 CVs per month. Compared to 15 applications sent in the same period of 2022. This is truly a changing landscape.  

The difference can be seen on the example of positions such as Java Developer. Just a few years ago, there was a high demand for these specialists, and it was very difficult to find suitable candidates. Currently, many Java Developers are actively looking for a position – maintains Yana Ruzhantsava.

Did you find the article “The rise of active IT candidates – causes and effects” interesting? For further in-depth analysis of the IT job landscape in Poland, check out our comprehensive report. Give it a read!

What has brought about this increased IT job-search activity?

Over the years, qualified candidates changed employers regularly and negotiated ever higher rates. High salaries or bonuses, even for novice engineers, were not uncommon. Tech companies had to offer free lunches, SPA vouchers, unlimited vacation days, and other benefits. And all in the aid of finding the right specialists for their organisation. 

What was commonplace in other industries, such as responding to advertisements and actively searching for positions, was almost unthinkable in the IT space. IT specialists waited for proposals from recruiters and almost never sent out their CVs. 

But now, following layoffs in Big Tech and with companies cutting costs and scaling back on technological projects, more and more engineers are finding themselves having to look around for a new job. In addition, IT specialists, who until recently could have chosen from dozens of offers, find that they are having to compete with other candidates – notes Yana Ruzhantsava. 

Active IT candidates - here's everything you need to know

Recently, the number of applications for technology positions has increased by an average of 111%. At Devire, we have noted an increased activity on the part of IT specialists across the industry. However, this activity is not evenly distributed among all candidates. The largest increase in the number of applications can be observed primarily in the positions of DevOps Engineers (173%), Python Developers (110%), Big Data Engineers (93%) and Java Developers (71%). 

It should be emphasised that this data only represents the standalone applications of IT experts. This means that candidates with specific skills are responding to advertisements in which employers are looking for specialists with a specific skill set – says Yana Ruzhantsava. 

Employers can increasingly dictate terms

Due to the uncertain economic situation, employers are less willing to offer increased salary levels. This is quite the change, as up until now they have had to bend to the dictates of IT specialists regarding earnings, work modes and benefits. 

Currently, the downturn, a reduced demand for technological services and a decrease in the number of projects have led to a stabilisation of salary levels, which had previously been growing at a disproportionate rate. These current indicators have therefore given organisations more room to negotiate when it comes to salaries. Remuneration levels are still high, but they are not exceeding recruitment budgets or the capacities of employers. It also seems rather unlikely that the nominal growth rate for salaries in the IT industry will catch up with galloping inflation levels. 

This does not mean, however, that companies are not prepared to make huge efforts to secure and retain people. Indeed, employers should continue to focus on ensuring that the IT professionals employed in their organisations are adequately compensated and motivated. However, the earnings of IT specialists should be realistically aligned with the contributions they make and the benefits they bring to the organisation – contends Yana Ruzhantsava. 

The “IT Salaries in Poland – The first half of 2023” report is a must-read for HR experts who want to bring themselves up to date with the changes taking place in this dynamic sector.