It is widely believed that outsourced programmers make the high-tech potential of Ukraine. But that is not entirely accurate. There are plenty of skilled engineers, UX/UI designers, QA testers, growth hackers, cybersecurity specialists and data analysts, etc. So it is hardly surprising that Ukrainian “intellectual capital” is a valuable asset for western clients.

Why Ukraine?

1. You won’t be a pioneer. The biggest tech companies already have their offices here: Samsung, Oracle, Snapchat. And let’s not forget about local successful startups like Readdle, Grammarly, Preply, People.ai, etc. 
2. Big pool of talented specialists. As it was mentioned above, a lot of world-class technical and non-technical IT specialists reside in Ukraine. The opening of an R&D center in Ukraine is great for those clients, who want to use the capabilities of programmers from the post-Soviet space, but at the same time not to get involved in the expensive procedure of relocating them to the USA or Europe. Ukrainians are hard-working, meticulous and speak pretty decent English.
3. Lower cost compared to other markets. The median salaries are a bit higher than in Asia, but lower than in neighboring Central European countries. Tax system is pretty transparent as well: a flat income tax is 15%, the corporate income tax rate is 18%, while dividends and interest are subject to 15% tax. Renting and maintenance of the office are also cost-effective. 

If a couple of years ago “brain drain” from Ukraine was a trend, now major product companies open their R&D centres here. The latest one was Google, which launched its Ukrainian R&D centre with a new direction based on CloudSimple. It is a good signal for other world IT giants that Ukraine is a good, promising place for the development of the computer business and an up-and-coming market in the future. 

A huge part of the Ukrainian IT market is occupied by Middle and Senior level specialists. They don’t care about cookies, tea and coffee, PlayStation and other standard perks. Moreover, a higher salary is also not always the determinant that will encourage the developer to take on a new product. Yes, according to statistics, the income level dominates when choosing a job, but a rare programmer will accept an offer if there is nothing more interesting besides money. Here are three pillars of Ukrainian employment from a candidate’s perspective:

•  Technology.  Specialists need to know that they can deepen or expand their knowledge, contribute to the development of the product. They should enjoy the tasks and the atmosphere in the workplace.
•  Value. It is important for specialists to be aware of their importance, receive feedback, and feel that they are appreciated. If a candidate sees a human-centric culture in your company, he will choose you, and not coffee in another company.
•  Life outside the company. Employees must have the optimal work/life balance, and their personal life and time should be respected.

 Human capital is what should drive the company. Show your employees that you value the people who work for you, that you are grateful and that you hear and understand them. We at DNA325 strive to meet both clients and candidates’ expectations. Our mission is to keep local talents in Ukraine by connecting them to foreign customers and opening R&D centres in Ukraine.