Building tech teams in the CEE region

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! 

(And if you want to get deep into the topic headfirst, skip right into our comprehensive guide to CEE nearshoring.)

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

Rising costs. Global inflation. Unpredictable job market. Now, throw in AI-driven skill shifts, and it’s no surprise that by 2026, 90% of organisations worldwide will face the IT talent crunch. The price of falling behind? Delayed product launches, slower innovation, and missed opportunities. Maybe even shutting down.

So, what does all this mean for your hiring plans?

The traditional ways of recruiting and retaining talent are under pressure, forcing companies to explore new, more sustainable approaches. If you have ever tried bringing in skilled developers, you know it’s brutally hard. 

Hiring locally is pricey and unpredictable, especially when top talent isn’t nearby. To cut costs without killing innovation, companies are looking elsewhere. Working with a team augmentation partner to nearshore expert teams is a smarter, leaner way to tap into top-tier skills.

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 its:

• 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 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 talent from CEE. 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.

The real cost of building internal teams

So, you're ready to try a CEE-based dedicated team. But what will it cost? First, look at the full cost of your in-house hiring. Many overlook or oversimplify hidden expenses, a mistake we see all too often.

Because in-house hiring isn’t just about salaries; they account only for about 50% of total employment costs. Bringing in a new employee can run up to four times their annual pay, and with IT turnover rates at 13-20%, odds are one or two team members will leave before delivering real value. Plus, 83% of Gen Z workers identifying as job hoppers (ready to jump ship for the next best opportunity) suggests even more churn and bigger losses for companies like yours. 

Hiring speed matters, too. Finding niche talent through our network takes weeks, not months, so your team ramps up faster, and ROI comes sooner. Additionally, getting easy reach to top talent in more cost-effective countries means the base salaries will be lower. 

Just to give you some idea, a mid-level software engineer in the U.S. makes about €99,000 a year, while in Poland, it’s around €70,000 and in Ukraine, about €55,000. When you factor in additional expenses like benefits and office space, you’re looking at up to 50% savings annually when building the entire tech team in Central and Eastern Europe compared to the United States. The bigger your team, the more your savings stash.

How much you’ll pay for nearshored 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:

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.

Where to find CEE tech talent?

Start with us! 

Need skilled tech talent without long hiring cycles or extra costs? Cooperation with a nearshoring partner providing CEE-based teams is a smart choice. Scale fast, fill skill gaps, and cut costs - without sacrificing quality. 

No overhead, no exit fees, and no volume commitments. Just expert teams ready to begin on your cue.

Want to get started? Contact our team augmentation experts and build your CEE tech team today.

Still deciding? No rush. Get our FREE IT Salaries Guide with salary benchmarks, hiring trends, and cost insights, and decide when you're ready!