The CIS tech job market is changing rapidly, and industry leaders frequently gather to discuss its development trends. Avarn regularly takes the floor and comments upon the software development industry and tech talent market situation. We were recently asked by RUSSOFT* to participate in the study aimed at exporting the Russian software development industry.
Our CCO, Aleksey Nikolaev, commented on the changes that have taken place in the hiring market. It is a must-read if you wish to learn more about the CIS IT market. “2020 has become a year of fundamental change for lifestyle and the job market. Many businesses fell apart, and only flexible ones have stayed afloat. We saw some interesting trends that changed our working routine in 2020. They are still relevant in 2021.
Everything we used offline stopped working. The main component of business efficiency turned out to be its digitalization. "If you do not have an online business, you do not have a business." Remote work has become a thing. Many foreign companies became more interested in CIS IT specialists. Now we have a good balance between high-quality technical personnel and staff costs. To the opposite of the usual order, a new trend has formed. Because of the pandemic, CIS IT specialists no longer want to relocate. They prefer to work for a foreign company being at home.
The demand for specialists has grown enormously, but their number has remained the same. CIS employers have started to raise salaries and implement human-focused well-being programs. It is customary for IT professionals to have a C&B package with LCA, full sick leave coverage, a vacation, sports and educational compensations, and a cafeteria plan with unique benefits. Soon the competition for staff between CIS and foreign companies will increase. Local employers are already taking steps to keep IT, professionals. All businesses have to hire not only in the capitals but also in the provinces. Some IT specialists have migrated back to their hometowns because of the pandemic and don't plan to return to big cities.
At the pandemic's beginning, some employers anticipated specialists to lower their salary expectations, but it turned out the other way around. By October, almost all companies had already indexed salaries. The remote wage is expected to be higher. Compensation for the Internet, calls, utility bills — all of this becomes an integral part of the offers candidates accept. New intangible benefits became an essential factor for the acceptance of an offer. Today, employers need to quickly equip a home workplace and provide personnel with a cafeteria plan, thus choosing options themselves. Companies that were not flexible enough lost their positions on the market.
In 2021, a new round of competition for candidates is expected — entry into the market of state corporations and opening a vast number of vacancies for the digital transformation of the economy. The trend towards increasing demand for IT specialists continues. Now more than ever, the issue of supplying new personnel, including the modernization of the education system, is acute. The most effective models are opening its training centre inside a company, a method of ambassadors in universities, and retraining internal resources for new needs. Many companies, including Avarn, have already launched similar projects, while others think about it right now.”
Hiring Market 2021: Wind of Change
06.12.2021