Hiring Ukrainian engineers — why EQWI and our clients doubled down on our investment in Ukraine and the hiring of Ukrainian developers around the world

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear about Ukraine?

In the last three years, it’s probably the war. In February 2022, Russia started the war against Ukraine. Despite that, EQWI and our clients have continued to support and provide work for our Ukraine-based teams and in many cases have increased their sizes.

How did we do it? Of course, the realities of living under frequent bombing threats and the possibility of power outages were hard to adapt to. However, our clients and our team members have adjusted to it. We provided Starlink terminals from SpaceX and portable battery backups to power laptops and connect to the network when the electricity supply or internet access was unreliable or cut off.

On the client side, many clients have been very flexible, allowing the team to work by their own schedule when normal hours were difficult to maintain. Despite the challenges, the productivity improved, and the teams expanded in Ukraine. We also specifically looked for and actively hired new team members among Ukrainians, who were forced to relocate to other European countries due to the war, often because of our clients’ specific requests to do so.

And why did we do it? First of all, because this is the right thing to do — to support Ukrainian developers, whose country is fighting for its freedom. And second of all, because Ukrainian software developers are among the best in the world.

“I worked with some Ukrainian Devs and they are crazy fast and accurate with solutions”, — says u/raagSlayer in a “Which part of the world produces the best developers/engineers” reddit thread.

Another redditor jokingly mentioned that he developed an inferiority complex when working alongside Ukrainian developers.

In this article, we’re going to dive deeper into the reasons why Ukraine is a great source of tech industry talent.

Ukraine Resilient IT Outsourcing and Stable Staff Augmentation

Despite facing political challenges and an ongoing war with russia in the past decade, Ukraine’s IT industry has proven incredibly resilient. According to the IT Ukraine Association, the sector grew by 5% in 2023 and continues to deliver consistent results to clients worldwide. Global companies continue to work with Ukrainian developers, leveraging their talent and dedication to advance the companies’ projects. By doing so, they also choose to support the people whose country is fighting for its freedom and independence.

Ukrainian IT companies have quickly adopted remote-first approaches, taking care of their employees and ensuring business continuity and project delivery without interruption. Developers are used to working across time zones and remote setups, making it easy to plug them into global tech teams.

Responsible, resilient, adaptive, clever, and hard-working — these are the words that come to mind when talking about Ukrainian people. Some of them even manage to juggle military service with a full-time IT job.

Ukraine’s Growing Reputation in the Global IT Industry Staff Augmentation

Ukraine has become one of the most trusted destinations for staff outsourcing and augmentation in the global IT industry.

IT services export has become around 40% of Ukrainian exports in the years 2022-2024, estimated at $6.4-$7.3 billion.

Rich pool of tech talent, competitive rates, and strong cultural fit with Western business practices give the Eastern European country its own brand. Ukrainian developers are renowned for their technical expertise, adaptability, resilience, and experience working with companies worldwide.

Outsourcing developers in Ukraine has become a proven and effective strategy for many companies from around the world. Whether you’re looking for full-scale dedicated development teams in Ukraine or a few skilled professionals to support your project, Ukrainians are ready to deliver.

Key Benefits and Advantages of Staff Augmentation in Ukraine

Businesses want to hire people who can get things done, and Ukraine has become a great source of top-tier experts who can handle projects of any calibre.

It’s not just about outsourcing or staff augmentation — it’s about finding skilled, reliable teammates who care about building great software products.

Here are a couple of examples of how Ukraine manages to provide such high-quality labor to companies that choose to outsource here.

1. Ukraine is Known for World-Famous Tech Startups

Quite a few companies that later became global hits were born under the yellow-blue flag. Ventures backed by initiatives like Google for Startups Ukraine and Horizon Europe promise a bright future for people with big ideas.

From AI-driven tools and blockchain-powered platforms to fintech and healthcare projects, Ukraine’s startup scene is full of energy and innovation.

• Grammarly was started in Kyiv and is now used by millions around the world.

• Liki24, a drug delivery startup that now does business in nine European countries, started with a simple Excel spreadsheet.
• XTiles, an all-in-one productivity tool that was also founded by a Ukrainian, used Slack, Quora, and Reddit to find its first customers.

These are only a few examples of how much drive and passion Ukrainians have for startups.

2. One of the Largest Pools of Skilled IT Developers in Europe

Despite the war, Ukraine’s developer talent is hard to match. With over 340,000 software developers and IT professionals in 2023, the country boasts the largest talent pool in Central and Eastern Europe.

There is a huge community of Ukrainian tech industry professionals that hosts networking events, masterclasses, job fairs, charity events to support Ukrainian soldiers, and many more activities. It shows just how big the local IT community is and how it’s part of the local culture at this point.

Thousands of students graduate each year from Ukrainian universities, entering the workforce with solid skills in computer science, software engineering, machine learning, DevOps, cybersecurity, and other spheres.

Throughout the last few years, due to COVID restrictions and the ongoing war, the students had to adapt: studying and doing exams online, bomb shelter classes, and sirens interrupting the learning process have become routine by now. But as all Ukrainians do, students stay resilient and keep gaining knowledge and graduating every year. 

Top Ukrainian Universities for Tech Talent

1. Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv
   Renowned for its strong computer science and high-tech programs, with a focus on interdisciplinary research.
2. Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute
   One of Ukraine’s top engineering schools, offering a broad range of tech specialties and global research initiatives.
3. Lviv Polytechnic National University
   One of the country’s oldest tech universities, known for its engineering excellence and practical, industry-focused education.
4. Kharkiv National University of Radioelectronics
   Specializes in electronics, AI, and cybersecurity with a modern, tech-driven curriculum.
5. Kyiv-Mohyla Academy
   A historic higher education institution blending liberal arts with strong programs in computer science and data analysis, taught in both English and Ukrainian.

  3. Western Work Standards and Time Zone Compatibility

Ukrainian development teams have experience working with Agile, Scrum, and other methodologies, and most work in real-time with clients in the US and EU.

The Ukrainian time zone is just 1 to 2 hours ahead of many European countries and 7 hours ahead of the US East Coast, so organizing overlapping workdays is absolutely possible. You can meet your coworkers and team members face-to-face!

English proficiency among Ukrainian IT professionals is at a good level, with many developers having international experience and excellent communication skills. There are also hundreds of speaking clubs and learning classes, including specific “IT English” ones.

This makes communication with Ukrainian teams smooth and effective.

IT Hubs Supporting Ukraine Staff Augmentation

The country’s tech ecosystem is built around several key cities, each offering its own benefits for developers and other IT specialists.

Largest Ukraine IT Hubs: Best Cities for Finding Developer Talent in Ukraine

Here are the top five tech cities in Ukraine:

1. Kyiv – The capital and largest tech center, home to thousands of developers and dozens of global R&D offices. Diia City, a virtual free economic zone for Ukrainian tech companies, such as MacPaw, AJAX, Reface, Plarium, EPAM and Samsung, is also located in Kyiv.
2. Lviv – Known for its strong outsourcing market and western-style business culture.
3. Kharkiv – A tech education and innovation hub with a high concentration of IT professionals, coming from a strong educational background.
4. Dnipro – Gaining traction as a fast-growing software development location.
5. Ivano-Frankivsk – A smaller but dynamic city with a growing IT community and cost-effective outsourcing options.

Each of these cities supports dedicated development centers in Ukraine, offering access to experienced engineers and specialized tech skills.

Ukraine’s Leading Tech Cities Powering Global Staff Augmentation

Cities like Kyiv and Lviv are more than outsourcing spots.

Many global companies have offices here, since these cities offer excellent IT infrastructure, coworking spaces, modern office parks, and strong government support for tech innovation.

Regional IT clusters bring together talent, education, and entrepreneurship, creating a thriving tech landscape.

Top Global Companies Outsourcing in Ukraine for IT Talent

Ukraine has become a game-changer for many global brands looking to scale their teams. Companies like Google, Microsoft, Oracle, Snap, Wix, Samsung, Siemens, and Boeing have tapped into the Ukrainian IT market.

These international tech companies have found success in outsourcing to Ukraine thanks to the country’s deep talent pool, affordable rates, and ability to build reliable long-term and short-term development teams.

Use Cases for Ukraine Staff Augmentation in the IT Sector

Here are a few examples of projects that can benefit from hiring Ukrainian dev teams or scaling existing teams:

• SaaS platform development
• AI and machine learning projects
• Blockchain apps and fintech
• Product MVPs for startups
• Legacy system modernization

But let’s be even more specific, here’s a short list of well-known companies that opt to outsource their development in Ukraine: Coinbase, Panasonic, Allianz, Volvo, Boeing, Acino, and the list goes on.

Whether you’re a startup or a large enterprise, scaling your IT team in Ukraine means faster delivery, reduced hiring friction and costs, and access to cutting-edge skills. Staff augmentation for SaaS in Ukraine is especially popular with founders who need scalable teams without the headache of long hiring processes.

Ukraine Is a Strong Partner for IT Staff Augmentation

Ukraine’s reputation as a trusted IT outsourcing and staff augmentation partner continues to grow.

Whether you’re a U.S.-based company or operating in the EU, partnering with outsourcing companies that have Ukrainians in the talent pool gives you access to top-tier developers, affordable long-term and short-term collaboration, smooth communication, and a great quality of labor.

Ukrainian developers aren’t just code writers — they’re team players, innovative thinkers, and strategic partners in building your next project.

Ready to scale your tech team with Ukrainian developers? We’ll help you connect with reliable developers and build a team that gets things done.