In 2024, EU ranked as the third-biggest region of the ICT market (US #1, China #2), accounting for a market share of over 10 percent (Statista). This data goes in line with our opinion that Europe, and especially CEE where NATEK Business Units resign, is a strong contestant on world markets, and should be considered a profitable place to run a business and look for Talents. We shared our insights about the region in NATEK CEE IT Market Report 2024 available here!

New edition of NATEK CEE IT Market Report is under construction. Wait for the premiere, coming in spring 2025!

As an IT outsourcing company, we aim to offer the highest quality of services to our Customers, which is possible thanks to hiring the best IT Professionals on the market. But what roles were the most sought out by NATEK Recruiters, Customers and Candidates in 2024? What can this information tell us about the possible IT Recruitment Trends in 2025? Let's dive in and see the answers from our Recruitment Team:

Bulgaria - Donka Nikolova, NATEK Country Manager Bulgaria 

Poland - Mateusz Chmielowski, NATEK Recruitment Manager 

Czechia and Slovakia - Veronika Melicherova, NATEK Recruitment Team Manager 

NATEK IT Recruitment trends 2024 

Are there any major differences between the recruitments trends in 2023 and 2024? We can see that the Tester position is still very popular among the Candidates, but the demand from our Customers for this role is dropping. In practice, it can and will mean that the competition for particular offers will be great and getting the job will become very difficult. But as we see a growth of interest on the market when it comes to Development positions, it's safe to say that for a lot of establishing projects, Testers are going to become an essential addition to the team due to their skills and area of expertise.

On all grounds, the number 1 position at NATEK in 2024 was Project Manager. More and more companies start to understand how important for the success of the project it is to be run by a competent expert, who will skillfully cover the needs of both their team and of course the client. We discussed this role a bit more detailed in our IT Project Manager article. 

Technical roles are still the foundation of IT industry, with analytics, DevOps and SAP emerging as the most substantial to most companies' development. Take a look at the graphics below to see our rankings for 2024.

Bulgaria and the importance of Gen Z on the job market 

Although we can see a clear demand for more technical positions such as Development, DevOps and Engineering, the most frequently hired position by NATEK Team Read was the mentioned before Project Manager. Non-technical roles require a specific set of soft skills, that isn't easy to find in the IT market, but is (and will be) crucial when it comes to sufficient and efficient process of managing people. The need for a companionate supervisor, who at the same time commands respect in their subordinates, will be especially visible as the younger generation enters the job market, with Gen Z expected to account for 27% of the workforce by 2025 (Queros).

"We must be attuned to the needs of our Candidates and future Employees, as they are the driving force behind our success. To grow as an organization and expand as a business, we need to adapt to evolving expectations. Recognizing the priorities of younger generations is essential — not as a challenge, but as an opportunity to refine our practices and make them even more employee-centric. Work-life balance has always been a core value at NATEK, and with 77% of Generation Z prioritizing it (McKinsey), we must continue to uphold and enhance this commitment. The recruitment landscape ahead will be demanding, but as a Recruitment Team, we are continuously preparing to meet these challenges head-on."

Donka Nikolova, NATEK Country Manager Bulgaria

Poland and the power of comprehensive solutions 

In 2024, 52% of the job offers that appeared in NATEK system, were located in Poland. And though we have noticed a rise in the number of new cooperations with the Customers (compared to the previous year), the number of hires remained approximately the same (200). What might be the cause of such results?

"Although we see that our brand gains more recognition every year, and we have more businesses coming to us for support, the numbers of recruitments is quite stable. One of the reasons could be the noticeable caution from the business owners, who prefer to hire 1 or 2 experts at a time, and see if the project requires more as they go. They tend to choose quality over quantity, which can result in more beneficial outcomes. But we can see that some roles, especially in Development, still call for hiring whole teams, who can provide comprehensive solutions to their projects. We can see this demand growing in the upcoming year." 

Mateusz Chmielowski, NATEK Recruitment Manager

Czechia and Slovakia takeover mobile applications 

"Czechia and Slovakia in 2024 thrived in recruiting mainly technical roles, with SAP, Cloud and Development taking the podium. But moving into 2025, our Recruitment Team notices a rising demand for experts skilled in mobile apps. Those projects will require hiring specialists fluent in various programming languages, as well as (but not limited to) UX Designers and Testers who will take care of the quality and usability of the final product."

Veronika Melicherova, NATEK Recruitment Team Manager

This region is also noticing the need for SAP solutions, as the majority of big companies have to migrate their data into new environments and are looking for highly skilled professionals to do the heavy lifting for them. As SAP Silver Partner, NATEK is ready to support the evolving needs of Customers and provide them with the best available solutions.

Is AI in the cards for NATEK? 

"The fastest markets to develop new AI solutions are US and China. And at least for now they are both making and covering the demand for technological advancements on their own. But with 'Machine Learning' segment of the artificial intelligence global market estimated to reach 503.41 billion U.S. dollars and therefore a new peak in 2030 we are preparing ourselves for a shift in the state of European market. After Big Data and Automation, AI will be a natural next step for NATEK services."

Mateusz Chmielowski, NATEK Recruitment Manager

"Although we don't (yet) notice much demand from our Customers to hire AI Specialists, we already have among our Teammates experts on machine learning, big data and automation. As the situation on the market will surely evolve in the upcoming years, our job as and IT outsourcing company will be to not only search for new Talents but also to provide our current Experts with training and tools that will allow them to push their careers further."

Veronika Melicherova, NATEK Recruitment Team Manager

"It's undeniable that AI is changing the job market at an unpresented speed, but as new technologies are being developed, we can also see that now maybe more than ever people skills and approach are essential. We are focused on hiring Experts who will not only have a background in AI, tech and IT but who will also possess soft skills, which are unattainable for machines. I'm excited to see what challenges 2025 will bring to our Recruitment Team."

Donka Nikolova, NATEK Country Manager Bulgaria

Outsourcing IT services - do it with NATEK!

Are you planning on taking your career in a new direction in 2025? Would you like to change the IT Market together with the best IT Experts on the market? Head to natek.eu/jobs to find the latest job offers, apply for a dream position and #workITwithus! NATEK Recruitment Team is waiting for you! 

Or maybe you are looking to hire talented professionals who will help you develop and innovate your business? Contact Andrzej Osman, NATEK Sales Prospection Team to #growITwithus!