Ukraine is one of the world leaders in IT outsourcing. Ukrainian software developers create products for companies from Europe, North America and Asia. The IT sphere in Ukraine is steadily growing by 20-25% each year, and more than 100 Fortune-500 companies have chosen to hire programmers in the country. There is everything here to meet your IT service needs: skilled staff, low taxes, the possibility to sign B2B contracts between programmers and foreign clients thus simplifying the hiring process, knowledge of English, as well as a large pool of developers in Ukraine with the communication skills and experience needed for working in an international environment.
We have made a list of top 10 reasons why you should hire Ukrainian developers.
1. Ukrainian developers are professionals
Ukraine is a country with a transition economy, but technology is currently changing this paradigm and making the country a leader in the export of IT services. The reason lies not only in the quantity, as we have already a large pool of developers in the country that is growing day-by-day (according to Beetroot, their number is already 200+ thousand), but also in the quality of programming talent. This is confirmed by many different industry rankings: according to the SkillValue report, Ukraine is in the top 5 countries with the best programmers, and HackerRank says that the country occupies the 11th place in the world in terms of the professional qualities of developers, surpassing such countries as Germany, Canada, Hong Kong and even the United States.
Most Ukrainian developers are people who did not complete formal IT courses but transitioned to the IT sector after completing higher education, often in a related field such as mathematics, natural sciences or engineering. According to various studies, between 6,3% and 75% of Ukrainian developers have even completed two higher education degrees. According to the IT Ukraine Association, Ukrainian universities produce more than 20 thousand technical specialists every year. These people have been trained not only in programming but also in mathematics, logical thinking and English during 4-5 years of study. Therefore they know how to process new information and put it into practice, while benefiting from additional insights beyond the IT sphere which can be crucial for successful projects.
2. Ukrainians are used to working remotely
Before the pandemic, about 15% of Ukrainian IT specialists worked remotely. This figure has now increased to 92%. Over the past two years, many developers have become so accustomed to working from home that they actively seek such opportunities. They also have all the necessary tools in place for the remote working and can ensure data protection and secure online communication.
The shift to remote working is a big plus for hiring: it creates a level playing field for international companies, as you can hire Ukrainian IT talent without the need to set up any local office or business entity. Ukrainian IT specialists will be equally happy to work efficiently on projects for local Ukrainian, European or American companies.
3. Ukrainian programmers speak English
85% of Ukrainian developers speak English at the intermediate level and above. Many of them are used to communicating directly with international customers in English: many outsourcing IT companies have begun to do away with unnecessary intermediaries when communicating with clients. As a result, many Ukrainian IT professionals have experience working in distributed teams scattered around the world and are able to work effectively in culturally diverse environments.
This makes things easier for Ukrainian programmers when applying for positions or projects with a foreign company, as they are used to communicating with their team members in English.
4. Ukrainians are Europeans
Developers from India and various Asian countries are popular in the outsourcing market due to their low rates. Yet there are disadvantages: due to cultural differences, it may sometimes be difficult for them to adapt to the work culture of a European or North American company.
Ukraine is a European country, which means Ukrainian developers have a mindset familiar to Europeans. They are easy to work with in a team, generate ideas and settle work issues constructively.
5. Legislation in Ukraine is convenient for the export of IT services
Ukrainian legislation accommodates the establishment of B2B contracts between employers and IT specialists. In fact, most developers in Ukraine are already registered as private entrepreneurs, which allows them to sign contracts for the provision of services directly with companies both in Ukraine and around the world. Registration and maintenance of private entrepreneurs in Ukraine is very simple. For example, you can register as a PE in a few minutes by simply sending an application through a mobile application, and reports are also submitted online. In addition, PE has a wide range of free and paid services for reporting and maintaining its activities.
6. Low Taxes and Ease of Cooperation
Individual entrepreneurs in Ukraine pay a 5% flat tax on personal income + a unified social contribution of about $50 per month. These tax rates, which are inconceivably low compared with most tax regimes in Europe and North America, also provide a distinct advantage for employers seeking to hire Ukrainian IT talent. Just like anywhere else, job applicants are mostly interested in the amount of net or “take-home” pay on offer. When hiring Ukrainian IT specialists on a B2B basis, you can afford to offer highly competitive pay packages without worrying about additional payroll costs for tax payments or social contributions.
7. Acceptable rate
With a growing demand for Ukrainian programmers, and given the shortage of personnel in the market, salaries in the IT sphere are constantly increasing. Ukraine is no exception, as it is integrated into the global IT market and the payment for IT services is responding accordingly. On average, IT specialists receive a monthly salary of up to $2000 at the junior level, $2500-5000 in mid-level positions, and $5000-7000 for senior positions.
8. Ukrainians are not particularly keen to relocate
The relocation of Ukrainian IT specialists to Europe and the United States is not a mass phenomenon. A small percentage of job applicants in the IT sector are interested in work opportunities in other countries. However, these are generally younger professionals who are motivated by a sense of adventure or are seeking a change of scenery. Most Ukrainian developers see Ukraine as a convenient place to live. Receiving an “IT” salary makes them feel like part of a confident “middle class”. They can afford excellent housing and can afford to save and invest in their futures, while also enjoying an attractive lifestyle with access to entertainment, great restaurants and good private health services.
Workers in the Ukrainian IT sector are generally well informed about the cost of living around the world, and rightly estimate that they would be unlikely to afford the same quality lifestyle in other European or North American countries, after taking into account higher tax rates and housing costs. Thanks to incomes which greatly exceed those earned by Ukrainians in other industries, they are much more likely to prefer the comforts of their home country. Surveys show that only 7% of Ukrainian programmers even consider moving abroad for work.
9. Ukrainian developers are interested in professional development
Many Ukrainian programmers are largely self-taught, after having transitioned to the IT sector from other industries and other academic backgrounds. For this reason, they are eager to learn and place a great emphasis on opportunities to further enhance their skills on the job. Apart from The opportunity to work on interesting projects or with cutting edge technologies is an important factor when choosing which jobs to apply for. Ukrainian programmers are serious about life-long learning and professional development. According to one study, 61% of developers read professional literature, 58% take online courses and trainings, 26% regularly attend IT events. They are keen to learn new skills and are passionate about their work. You will find them willing to learn and adapt to technologies and solutions – even ones they have not previously worked with.
10. In Ukraine recruiting is fast
High demand in the IT jobs market means that mid-level and senior candidates are bombarded by dozens of vacancies every day. Accordingly, when looking for work, a developer is likely to be attending interviews with several companies more or less simultaneously. Within 1-2 weeks, a candidate may receive 4-5 job offers, from which they choose the most appealing one., According to the statistics from the AboutHR recruitment agency for 2021, the rate of acceptance for job offers is 65%, meaning that every third job offer is rejected by the candidate.
That’s the reason why hiring processes move so fast. In Ukraine, middle-level developers are generally hired within 3-4 weeks, and a senior within 3-5 weeks from the moment an employer first makes contact with them. Because of the fast pace of recruitment in Ukraine, it is recommended to speed up decision-making processes and inform successful candidates as soon as possible, as they might otherwise have already accepted a competing offer.
