If you doubt that you possess sufficient resources and the right expertise to execute an IT project, nearshoring software development to Poland could be the optimal solution. This country has long established itself in the global market for excellent developers; the exports of its IT industry are projected to reach $12.9B by 2026, and Kearney ranks Poland as the 13th most attractive outsourcing destination. Outsourcing software development and team extension in Poland are appealing for many reasons: a large and skilled talent pool, strong technical education and English proficiency, and geographical proximity that facilitates a cultural match in nearshoring. So, let’s see why software nearshoring to Poland is an excellent choice for your project.

Why choose nearshoring to Poland for your IT project

Nearshoring is a common way to fill the talent gap with the right expertise and is used by many multinational market giants. Some global businesses that have chosen this approach to team augmentation are PrettyLittleThing, Currencycloud, and others. But why do these top enterprises choose nearshore software development? Let’s explore the advantages of this type of software development outsourcing. 

Access to a larger talent pool

Nearshoring offers companies the advantage of rapidly onboarding skilled developers without the lengthy hiring process typically associated with in-house recruitment. Poland is by far the largest labor pool in Eastern Europe, with around 525K professionals employed in the IT industry [1]. The outsourcing partner already has access to pre-vetted talent, eliminating the need for extensive screening, interviews, and onboarding delays. For example, N-iX can connect you to more than 1M experts in the talent pool worldwide and has over 270K candidates in the recruitment database. 

13% of Polish software developers are experts (have over 10 years of professional experience), and 37% qualify as senior (have over four years of experience in their specialization) [2]. This substantial proportion of experienced professionals ensures that businesses can leverage high-quality expertise, enhance project outcomes, and maintain flexibility in their development processes.

Polish IT talent pool seniority breakdown

Globally competitive tech expertise

Polish software developers have solid knowledge in multiple domains, which is proven by their high positions in multiple skill evaluation rankings. They are third on the Skillvalue list of the most proficient IT specialists. Moreover, the country’s engineers took seventh place in the global Topcoder ranking, which makes software nearshoring to Poland an alluring option in terms ofservice quality.

Poland ranks 19th in Europe and 24th in the world in developer skill proficiency [3]. While it is at the forefront of innovation in general software engineering, its Data Science and business understanding skills are less competitive. 

Read more: Software development in Poland: IT hubs, developers, companies

Good STEM education and high English proficiency

Poland has 400 higher education institutions, about 20 of which are public universities offering Computer Science and STEM courses. Some of the top local institutions for technology degrees are the Warsaw University of Technology, AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow, Poznan University of Technology, and several others.

Poland ranks 15th globally in English proficiency, with major IT hubs scoring extremely high [4]. For example, Krakow and Warsaw rank as high as Stockholm and Munich.

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Cultural match

When outsourcing to neighboring countries, you are less likely to face miscommunication issues and cultural discrepancies. Let’s compare Polish culture to the three European countries most likely to nearshore to Poland using Hofstede’s cultural metrics: 

  • Tolerance of inequality (power distance). Poland is much more accepting of hierarchy and top-down organization than Germany, Sweden, and the UK, which prefer a more democratic management style. In practice, developers in Poland may feel less comfortable during joint project discussions. This is due to cultural differences in how the roles of the customer and the outsourcing partner are defined, with the relationship being more top-down in the Polish culture.
  • Individualism. Sweden, the UK, and Germany emphasize personal autonomy and individual achievement, while Poland values group cohesion and community responsibilities in social and professional interactions.
  • Motivation towards achievement. Polish culture places the same degree of importance on success and achievement as Germany and the UK. The countries share a similar approach to professional life. While Swedish leadership often emphasizes consensus and a laid-back atmosphere, it’s important to integrate a results-oriented approach, provide timely feedback, and recognize accomplishments.
  • Uncertainty avoidance. Poland has a high level of uncertainty avoidance, meaning Polish culture strongly prefers rules, structure, and predictability. Germany scores moderately high, while Sweden and the UK are much lower, suggesting they are more comfortable with ambiguity and taking risks. Rather than adopting a free-flowing approach, cooperation with Polish teams would benefit from establishing well-defined processes, concretely outlined goals, and regularly scheduled check-ins.
  • Long-term orientation. All four countries are equally likely to invest in long-term outcomes and value partnerships over one-time gains. 
  • Hedonism and impulse control (indulgence). Sweden and the UK score high, showing that these cultures prioritize enjoyment, leisure, and personal gratification. Poland and Germany score lower, suggesting they value restraint and control over desires. This indicates that Polish developers are more inclined to maintain a working relationship and refrain from participating in team-building activities.

What's Polish culture like for software development cooperation

Summary

Software nearshoring to Poland offers a compelling opportunity for companies looking to tap into a broad, highly skilled talent pool while improving operational efficiency. The country's strong IT community, solid STEM education, and excellent English proficiency make it an amazing outsourcing destination. The cultural compatibility and shared professional values between Poland and Western European countries further promote smooth collaboration and effective project management. Overall, nearshoring not only streamlines the hiring and onboarding process but also allows businesses to focus on strategic goals with a dependable and skilled support system.

Why should you nearshore IT services to Poland with N-iX?

  • N-iX is one of the trusted software development vendors, with over 22 years of experience in custom software development for BFSI, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, and more.
  • N-iX has a team of over 2,200 full-time IT professionals who possess a broad range of expertise. This has enabled us to establish long-lasting partnerships with over 160 active clients, including Fortune 500 companies and enterprise clients across 25 countries in Europe and the Americas.
  • The vendor’s experts have a robust knowledge of cloud development, Big Data and data analytics, Business Intelligence, IoT, embedded systems development, and UI/UX design.
  • The vendor complies with the international data protection standards, namely, GDPR, ISO 27001:2013, and ISO 9001:2015.
  • N-iX has earned industry recognition and was included in the Forrester, IAOP, and CRNrankings.

Start software nearshoring to Poland today

References

  1. N-iX Tech industry in Poland: 2024 Market report
  2. IT job market in Poland, Next Technology 2024
  3. Coursera Global Skills Report
  4. EF EPI 2024

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N-iX Staff
Taras Petriv
Associate Engagement Director

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