The number of Java developers seems overwhelming - different sources estimate from 5.2M to 6.8M experts worldwide. However, it is not enough to fill the needs of the global market. For instance, the USA-based companies struggle to close around 43K Java-related vacancies. The UK market has about 5K open jobs for Java specialists.
As a result, many businesses choose to hire Java developers outside their own countries. Finding Java developers in an outsourcing destination can help with many aspects, including easier recruitment, faster time-to-market of your product, access to rare expertise, and much more.
But where can you find top Java developers, what skills should they have, and how to choose the best vendor? Let’s find out.
Where to look for the best Java engineers: Eastern Europe
It comes as no surprise that businesses choose to outsource java software development services to satisfy this demand. Eastern Europe is one of the most popular destinations for such purposes due to its vast talent pool and price-quality ratio. For instance, global companies including Lebara, Fluke, HotSchedules, and others chose to hire Java developers in Ukraine.
In this article, we will also cover Poland and Romania.
Java developers in Ukraine
Ukraine has one of the richest IT talent pools in Eastern Europe. The approximate number of developers amounts to 200K IT professionals. According to LinkedIn, around 50K of them are Java developers. DOU survey states that Java is the second-most popular programming language in the country.
Clutch lists 375 vendors that provide Java development services in Ukraine. These companies have strong industry expertise in e-commerce, financial services, IT, supply chain, education, and retail.
Nine Ukrainian universities are recognized by the Times Higher Education World University Ranking, and six educational institutions are listed in the QS ranking.
A wide variety of Java-related conferences take place in Ukraine. Some of them are JEEconf, Java Fest, JavaDay Lviv, etc.
Find out more about Java development in Ukraine
Java developers in Poland
Poland boasts a talent pool of around 60K Java developers. Developers in Poland are ranked 5th by the TopCoder and 3rd by SkillValue.
Clutch lists a little over 300 vendors with Java development listed in their services. Among the top industries are consumer products, business services, IT, and telecom.
Poland is also a venue for many Java conferences. They are, for instance, Ja!Va Conf, JDD, Devoxx, and others.
Java developers in Romania
Romania boasts the third most significant number of Java developers in Eastern Europe. There are 47K Java professionals here. Romanian engineers are highly skilled and educated. Ten local universities are recognized by Times Higher Education World University Ranking and two by the QS ranking.
With 180+ companies that provide Java development service in Romania, the top industries of their clients are fintech, healthcare, IT, advertising, and marketing.
Conferences, including QConPlus, Voxxed Days Romania, DevTalks, and others, take place here.
So, if you choose to hire Java developers in Eastern Europe, Ukraine, Poland, and Romania have the most significant talent pool in the region. But the question remains: how to select a provider of Java software development services from which you can hire Java experts? Let’s find out.
How to choose a provider of Java software development services?
Choosing a company to hire Java developers from is a complex process. To make things clearer, we have divided it into seven key steps. So, here are the main stages that will help you select the right technology partner.
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Understand your business goals
Before you dive into the rigorous vendor selection process, you need to understand your business goals clearly. Having an answer to the question “What do I want to achieve when I hire Java developers?” will help you know what type of vendor you need. It is especially critical when it comes to Java, as this language has many applications. It can be used for enterprise apps, mobile development, or big data systems.
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Define selection criteria
When it comes to vendor selection, there are three major things to look for.
The most important thing is experience. Look for a vendor with a proven track record and a strong portfolio of similar projects, preferably in your industry.
When selecting a technology partner, go for a vendor with technology and domain expertise that fits your business.
Company size is also critical, as large and mid-sized companies are more likely to have an established employer brand and an internal base of professionals. Thus, such companies will be able to staff teams quicker than smaller ones.
You can also consider awards, certifications, public reviews, and customer testimonials.
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Compile a long list of providers
Using the selection criteria from the previous paragraph, create a long list of vendors you consider potential partners. You should also choose an outsourcing destination at this point. The talent pool, cultural compatibility, and business environment are the critical criteria that will help select a destination.
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Shortlist the vendors
Create the list of companies in the selected location. You can refer to dedicated directories like Clutch or simply google for companies that offer Java development. Using the selection criteria above, you can shortlist the companies that fit your requirements in terms of size, experience, and expertise.
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Assess vendors’ portfolios
Explore the websites of potential vendors. Look for a list of their projects, the value they have already delivered to their clients, tech stack, and other important information.
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Contact the companies you consider as partners
Send out RFIs and pay attention to how the potential vendors respond. No matter how great the company may seem, it will not make up for the lack of effective communication. If you see that the company shows little interest in your inquiry, it might be better to avoid a vendor like that.
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Choose the right engagement model
There are three main engagement models you can choose from: dedicated development team, fixed price, and time & material (T&M). They all have their peculiarities and fit different business needs.
For instance, the fixed price model is perfect for small, well-specified projects. T&M fits the projects that cannot be clearly estimated. A dedicated development team allows you to be flexible to scale when necessary and extend the team with new talents.
Learn more on how to choose the engagement model
Choosing the right engagement model is critical, as it influences your contract with the vendor. The contract that ensures successful cooperation includes such key points as payment terms, liability, notice periods, confidentiality, IP rights, non-solicitation terms, the governing law and a forum for dispute resolution.
Learn more on how to avoid contract loopholes
But what skills exactly do your Java developers need to deliver the project successfully?
Skills your Java developers need
If you want to hire developers, you need to be specific about your tech requirements. Here is the list of must-have skills an experienced Java developer should possess:
- Deep knowledge of core Java and Java EE;
- Extensive background in building scalable Java applications;
- Solid understanding of Java libraries and frameworks: Struts, Spring, Maven, Gradle, Ant, JUnit, Hibernate, etc.;
- Strong knowledge of OOD concepts and development experience in JEE architecture;
- Practical skills in creating secure RESTful web services;
- Hands-on experience with Angular, Express, Node.js.
Why hire Java developers from N-iX?
- N-iX Java developers provide maintenance and upgrading of the existing Java-based solutions, along with the cross-technology migration;
- With two decades of experience in delivering scalable and secure Java solutions, N-iX has partnered with over a dozen of clients, including Lebara, Fluke, Masmovil, Vable, Origin Enterprises, and more;
- The company has robust expertise in cloud solutions, data science, big data analytics, BI, AI, etc.;
- N-iX complies with PCI DSS, ISO 9001, ISO 27001, and GDPR standards to ensure maximum security of your data.
