In the last few years, remote work has grown significantly with the boost of digital technologies. Considering the trend continues to rise, we can expect to see even more companies reaching out to international workers and building a diverse remote workforce.
So far, most US companies would head to the Philippines, India, and other Asian countries to find offshore software developers. However, outsourcing software development to Poland and other European countries is becoming quite common. Because Polish developers offer high competency in the field but charge lower than their US counterparts, they are becoming a highly-sought employee base.
If you're considering outsourcing software development to Poland but don't know where to start, we are here to support your research. This article will discuss everything you need to know about software development in Poland and where to hire Polish developers.
The benefits of outsourcing software development to Poland
Before we jump to finding the best talent pool for your business, let's explore the reasons for hiring Polish developers. Outsourcing software development to Poland brings many benefits for US companies, and here are the three main ones:
Competent tech talent pool
Poland has been making a big push towards digitization in the last couple of years. The tech market in the country grew to an impressive 19.3 billion US dollars in 2020. At this rate, Poland is ranked seventh in the Europe Industry Index for software development and has been consistently in this place since 2017.
Software development is the 33rd biggest industry in Poland out of 107 others. As of 2022, there are 88,636 people employed in the field of software development in Poland. That translates into an average company in the country employing roughly 1.4 people in the field.
According to the Tholons Globalization Index 2021, Poland is 14th among the top 20 digital nations in the world, with Krakow being one of the top 20 cities leading in digital innovation. All of this data shows Poland has an expansive digital infrastructure that attracts more fresh graduates in the field every year and makes it an ideal place to outsource software development.
English-speaking skills
When looking for international hires, most US companies demand high proficiency in the English language. Otherwise, a language barrier can make it difficult for employees to communicate with clients and other teams.
The good news for US companies is that most Polish developers meet this need. According to the English Proficiency Index by EF Education First, Polish professionals are highly proficient in English, ranking 11th in the whole world and 9th in Europe. Considering most Polish students learn English from primary school, high proficiency is no surprise.
Let's have a look at the benefits US companies have when they hire English-speaking international professionals:
- Easy collaboration: When a diverse and international workforce communicates in one language, it becomes easier to manage projects. Employees can quickly and seamlessly collaborate on their tasks and deliver outstanding results.
- Fewer errors: Miscommunication due to language barriers can lead to errors in work. Fortunately, most Polish developers are already familiar with working across teams and are proficient in English, so chances for miscommunication are significantly lower.
- Swift client communication: It's natural for companies that have an international client base to prefer employees proficient in English, as they can easily communicate with clients and better understand their requests. Consequently, this leads to higher sales conversion rates.
Less expensive rates
Hiring Polish software developers is much cheaper than hiring developers from other locations, especially in the US. Companies can use online marketplaces and job boards to find workers in Poland easily and at a low price. Jump to the following section to see the exact costs of hiring Polish software developers compared to US counterparts.
Average rates for hiring offshore developers in Poland
As we mentioned, when you hire Polish developers, you get a chance to lower your expenses. Here are the average costs of hiring Polish software developers of different expertise levels.
Junior hourly rate
The monthly salary of a junior software developer in Poland is 146,016 Polish zloty ($35,043 USD).
In comparison, a US junior software developer makes $85,603 per year.
Senior hourly rate
On average, a senior software developer earns 372,000 Polish złotych ($89,280 USD) per year. A senior software developer in the US makes $153,155 per year.
Average hourly salary rates by tech stack
The salaries of Polish software developers also differ based on their skills, such as PHP, Java, JavaScript, etc. For example, Java developers in Poland make 10,000 złotych a month or 62.5 złotych per hour. In other words, Java developers in Poland make $15.76 an hour. In comparison, Java developers in the US make $44.76 an hour, more than twice what Polish developers earn.
In summary, hiring software developers in the US is more expensive regardless of the expertise. Although companies may have to spend more to hire niche or high-level professionals in Poland, they will still pay less than doing so in the US.
How to hire dedicated Polish developers
When hiring Polish software developers through an online hiring platform or a job board, it's essential to keep your expectations and requirements transparent. If you want to ensure only the most skilled and experienced professionals apply for the job, you should clarify what you expect in the first place. Here are some steps that can help you attract and hire dedicated Polish developers:
Write an extensive job description
A job description should tell the interested applicants about the hiring company, the team structure, and the available role. It should also contain other relevant information such as working hours and the expected amount of work.
A good job description should include a list of requirements and needed technical skills, so the applicants can weigh out whether they are a good fit for the role or not. Here are some specific segments you may want to put in your job description:
- Job purpose: Most prospective applicants will first look at the job purpose, as this is the part that tells them more about the responsibilities and requirements. When writing this segment, you may want to provide more details on the role, the general and specific duties, and the expected time management.
- Qualifications: If you want to single out only the most suitable candidates for the role straight on, make sure to mention the qualifications for the job. These can be the expected years of experience, skill sets, language knowledge, and more.
- Compensation: Another segment most applicants will check out first is compensation. Because the compensation section will serve you to attract applicants, consider including the salary range and benefits such as bonuses or holidays.
- Application process: Explaining the application process in the job description is a must if you want things to run smoothly. Make sure to clarify how you want applicants to send their applications and what other parts of the process they will go through.
- Trial period: Some companies offer a trial period for new employees with hourly contracts who will only work on a project basis. If you plan to hold a probation or trial period, you should let applicants know.
Conduct thorough interviews to ensure compatibility
When conducting a job interview to hire Polish developers, you may want to consider the following framework for ultimate success:
- Prepare adequately: Due to the diverse work cultures in Poland and the US, finding a fitting candidate may prove tricky. To avoid any mishaps, you should prepare for the job interviews carefully and thoroughly. Make sure to compose a list of questions related to the Polish work culture so you can compare them with your company culture and determine whether a candidate is a good fit or not.
- Ask questions about daily routines: You'll also want to know whether candidates can work at your time and schedule since there's a significant time difference between the US and Poland. Asking a question or two about a daily routine will help you determine whether an applicant can adapt to your work timing or not.
- Ask open-ended questions: To get a deeper insight into the personality of your applicants and discover whether they possess the qualities you are looking for in prospective employees, ask open-ended questions. Allow candidates to express their thoughts freely and stay curious rather than strict.
- Explore plans of your applicants: To further learn about the goals of your candidates, ask what they hope to achieve by working for your organization. The answers will help you understand applicants' aspirations and determine if they are suitable for the role in the long run.
Where to find Polish software engineers
Now that you are well familiar with the benefits of hiring Polish developers and equipped with tips to start the hiring process, it's time to explore your options for finding these professionals. We selected the most prospective cities in Poland for finding tech talent and the popular job boards for posting your offerings.
Biggest tech talent centers in Poland
Apart from the capital, a few other cities in Poland have solid tech centers and universities for students interested in technology. US companies are likely to have the highest luck finding competent software developers in the following cities:
- Warsaw
- Krakow
- Poznan
- Wroclaw
- Katowice
Warsaw is the capital of Poland and the most popular city among developers. Many Polish software engineers work in Warsaw due to its high concentration of tech centers, universities, and companies. Katowice also houses many technology corporations such as IBM, which attract Polish software engineers to this city. It is also home to many universities that produce skilled tech students every year.
Polish job boards
You can also search for Polish developers on local job boards that allow you to post jobs by category, expertise, region, and other factors. Some popular options include:
- GoWork.pl
- Pracuj.pl
- JOBS.pl
The disadvantages of building a development team in Poland
Despite an attractive talent pool, outsourcing software development to Poland isn't as feasible as most business owners in the US think. Here are a few disadvantages of hiring Polish developers you should consider:
Huge time zone differences with the US
Poland is about six hours ahead of Washington, DC, USA. With such a notable time difference, it may be difficult for development teams in Poland and their US-based clients to communicate and collaborate efficiently. For instance, the involved parties may have to schedule meetings in a specific period when both are in the office or choose to work in the evenings. The time difference can also cause other complications, such as scheduling daily tasks, especially when working on time-based projects.
Smaller population and saturated talent pool
With a population of 37.95 million people, Poland is a small country saturated with talent. US companies may find it challenging to find and hire niche Polish developers. Moreover, many talented software developers in Poland chose to become entrepreneurs. They may be reluctant to consider remote work opportunities since they can make more money with their start-ups than working for an international company.
Why you should consider Latin America over Poland for hiring developers
Software development in Poland is indeed a brimming field, but US companies can't access it that easily. Due to the significant time differences between the two countries and the smaller Polish population, the US companies may find it tricky to find the right professionals for their team.
Fortunately, there's an alternative that proves to be not only more feasible but attractive. Hiring software developers from Latin America may be a way to go when composing your new workforce. Here's why you may want to consider it:
Time zone overlap with the US
There's little to no time difference between Latin America and the US, which means teams from both countries can communicate smoothly. Thanks to overlapping time zones, employees and clients can schedule meetings easily and track progress on tasks simultaneously. Naturally, as communication becomes smoother, the chances for mistakes are lower, and client satisfaction is guaranteed.
High cost/quality ratio
The median yearly salary range of annual cost to hire Latin American software developers is between $90,000 to $125,000. The pay may vary depending on the talent's expertise and the company itself. Still, compared to Poland, you get a better cost to quality ratio if you hire software professionals from Latin America.
Software developers in Latin America are highly skilled and proficient in English, which ticks the most significant requirement boxes for hiring an international team. According to Statista, Argentina is the most English-proficient country in Latin America, scoring 566 out of 800. Chile, Paraguay, Cuba, Bolivia, Dominican Republic, Honduras, and Uruguay follow.
Larger population and talent pool
Compared to Poland, Latin America constitutes 33 countries and has a population of 662,953,902. Finding the right professionals in such a large population is bound to be an easier task, especially if you're looking for people experienced in specific niches.
Latin America is making impressive strides in the tech world as well. The governments of its countries are investing in tech initiatives and research, inspiring more students to graduate in IT and software development fields. Such steps significantly expand the tech talent pool that US companies can benefit from in the long term.
Hire Latin American engineers with Revelo
Are you interested in hiring software developers from Latin America but don't have the time or resources to vet hundreds of applicants? Your best bet is to use a talent marketplace.
Unlike conventional boards that only allow you to post job advertisements, a talent marketplace matches the employees to your needs, easing the entire recruitment process to save you time and resources. Software developers on a talent marketplace get pre-vetted to reduce the effort you would otherwise invest in scanning all the applications. Instead of interviewing a hundred applicants, you can choose the best ones among a handful and hire the person that makes a perfect fit.
Revelo is a talent marketplace that lets companies hire software developers from Latin America without the hassle of vetting them. Our talent pool consists of highly talented and experienced professionals who don't make you wonder about their skill sets. You get to make your pick solely on personal needs and preferences.
Here's how it works. You schedule a meeting with Revelo's representatives to share your needs, demands, and goals. Once we understand your business requirements, we match you with vetted candidates in just three days. You then get a chance to interview the candidates yourself and choose one or all of them, depending on your needs.
To help you make sure Revelo is what you need, we offer a 14-day free trial. Start using our services today and hire the best development talent from Latin America.
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