The average salary for a US-based software developer is over $110,000 per year. With the shortage of state-side developers driving up costs further, it's no wonder that companies are looking for alternatives.
Software development in Poland is a great way to save on development costs and build a team quickly. With salaries for software developers in Poland being significantly lower than those in the US, the cost-saving opportunities are huge.
In this article, we'll show you how to do this in four simple steps. We'll also address any concerns you may have about outsourcing to Poland.
If you're looking for a custom software development company in Poland, contact us today to get started. We look forward to helping you ship your project faster!
Brief overview: Poland’s custom software development industry
Is Poland good for software development outsourcing?
Yes, outsourcing to Poland can be a good option for companies looking for high-quality software development at a lower cost than in other Western European countries.
In addition, the IT industry in Poland is growing rapidly. Many young people are attracted to the sector because of the high salaries and the opportunity to work with cutting-edge technology. There are a number of multinational companies operating in Poland, and the country is also home to a number of innovative start-ups and Polish software development companies.
How many software developers are in Poland?
Poland boasts over 295,000 developers - more than any other country in Eastern Europe. While many developers now work remotely from virtually all corners of Poland, the largest IT hubs are in Krakow, Warsaw, and Wroclaw.
Many companies from the US, UK, and EU find that they are able to staff software development projects in Poland quite fast due to the abundance of talent available.
Why do teams choose software development companies in Poland?
Poland offers an attractive blend of value and quality for teams looking to hire an offshore software development company. Some of the top draws include: competitive rates, a culture of innovation and self-reliance, and convenient communication by way of English fluency and overlapping time zones with the US.
Top software developers at competitive rates
Poland provides excellent value for the money. You can expect Polish developer salaries to be around 50% lower than developer salaries in the US. While wages in Poland are rising, when you consider the skill level of technology professionals in Poland, their cultural proximity to Western European and US markets, and top-notch service quality, Poland still provides incredible value for the money.
Business leaders confirm it. Take a look at the results of business consulting company EY's survey on Poland's attractiveness to tech companies looking to outsource development. The Polish market’s top three assets to businesses are:
- Labor skill level (81% of survey respondents)
- Potential for productivity increase (78% respondents)
- Labor costs (listed by 45%)
That's a powerful combination of advantages for teams looking to hire software development companies in Poland.
A culture of innovation and self-reliance
As any technology leader will know, having software developers who are both innovative and self-reliant is invaluable.
The people of Poland are resourceful by nature - having been forced to think outside of the box when the country was economically restricted by communism. You’ll find that this has also provided a unique incubator for innovation in the country.
A good example of IT innovation is Poland's financial services sector. Polish banks are leaders of innovation and won 24 awards in 12 prestigious international competitions in 2012–2015. This was possible thanks to high social acceptance of innovative solutions and a well-developed pool of excellent IT specialists and software development experts.
Effective communication and project management
Outsourcing in Poland is made much easier due to the fact that almost 30% of Polish people speak English. You can expect to find project managers and software developers who not only have English fluency but also have strong project management skills. If you’re looking for a software house who can deliver end-to-end project support, Poland is a great place to look.
Additionally, Poland offers quite a favorable time zone for teams in the United States. Polish software developers are available to perform meetings with all US time zones in later afternoon hours. You’ll find project management of software projects is much smoother when you can meet with your team during convenient hours!
4 Steps to Hire a Software Development Company in Poland
Most businesses use a mix of recruitment services to find software developers. Platforms like Upwork, Fivver, and Toptal connect you to freelancers. However, when you use these services, you will be in charge of sourcing, screening applications, interviewing, and managing the project. Not everyone is up for that.
If you’re looking to outsource software development, but you don’t want to deal with all of that headache, you should consider working with a software development company like SoftKraft who can provide highly-skilled, well-vetted developers, all while helping to manage the project for you.
There are many software development companies in Poland from which to choose. While the selection process doesn’t have to be particularly complex, it does require some investment of time and rigor to make sure you select the right partner. It’s worth investing this time upfront, to ensure expectations are aligned and that the correct level of capability is present.
So, let’s take a look at 4 steps to help you hire Polish software developers fast:
Set clear goals
Software development companies in Poland offer a wide range of services (custom software development, web development, mobile apps development, etc.). It can be helpful to crystalize your needs up front, so you can ensure you’re able to communicate to potential partners exactly what you are looking for:
- Service type: Are you looking for a full-time or part-time software developer? Or are you looking to outsource software development or web development for an entire project end-to-end?
- Project goals: Are you looking to shore up a short-term skill gap? Or are you looking to have a project manager and team of developers help you build a new product or accelerate an IT project?
- Timeline: When will the project begin, and when must it be completed? What are the primary milestones or stages that you will be likely to measure and monitor success against?
- Deliverables: Do you want a team to build a working prototype or a shippable product? Do you want usable code on a staged server which you can put into production once you are fully prepared?
- Budget: How much are you willing to spend when hiring a software development company? Will you prioritize experience and skills or your budget?
Note: If you’d like to formalize this information, consider drawing up a full SOW that you can present to software development companies.
Do a market review
You have defined your project objectives. Now it’s time to build a list of potential software development companies. There are many ways to find potential software partners including:
- Use Google to search for software development companies. Both paid and organic results can be helpful. From individual company websites you can get information on their software development services, industries they work with, their previous clients, and their work processes.
- Browse software development review and rankings websites. One of the most popular of them is Clutch. You can view the search results by location, minimum project size, average hourly rate, industry focus, and more.
- Ask your network. A great way to find a reliable software development company is by asking people within your network. Ask around on LinkedIn or in a local networking group to get suggestions.
Evaluate your top options
Once you have a list of a few development companies in Poland that you are interested in, it’s time to put them through a more thorough business partner evaluation process to see if they are a good fit for you. We recommend you reach out to each custom software development company you are interested in and set up a call.
During a call you should get to know the team so you can begin to evaluate if the company will be able to provide the outsourcing or custom software development work you are after. Consider asking questions such as:
- Could you present a project similar to mine in terms of technology, functionality, and/or business domain?
- Can you provide good references from previous software projects?
- What kinds of companies do you typically work with? / Who is your ideal client?
- Who will manage my software development project? A project manager or someone else?
- What does your typical software development process look like?
- How do you ensure the quality of your custom software development or web development projects?
- What communication and project management tools do you use?
- Can you present the people who will deliver services to me? What is their experience level and technical competency?
- Tell me about your hiring process. Where do you find your candidates and what do you look for when hiring new developers in the IT industry?
- How many software development team members do you have working with the same technology?
- Will the developers assigned to my project work on any other project at the same time?
- How often do you people change projects?
- Why should I choose you rather than other outsourcing companies?
- What are your rates and payment terms?
- Can you estimate the length of my project?
Kickoff your project
You have evaluated your top options, and now it’s time to select a Polish software house you want to work with!
It’s at this point that you may be reviewing CVs of individual developers as well as hammering out specifics for your contract with your new software development partner. Once details are settled, you’ll sign a contract and NDA.
A professional software development company will surely assist you in organizing the onboarding process, but here’s what you can do to help the process go even more smoothly:
- Lay out all of your expectations of your new team members to minimize any surprises as you begin working with your new software development firm.
- Provide a list of tools and all essential access for your new software developers’ work ahead of time; prepare step-by-step instructions on how to set up your development environment.
- Set up a team meeting to welcome your new developers and project manager. Friendly introductions can go a long way in getting everyone off on the right foot.
Cost of hiring software developers in Poland
Software development in Poland is very cost effective for companies who are used to paying US developer rates. According to Benchmark Poland, you can expect rates for Python developers in Poland to be around $2,700 - $5,500 USD/month.
If you’re looking to outsource custom software development to Poland, we recommend you reach out to individual companies for exact rates. While prices are generally very attractive, you will find a range depending on the experience level and technology competency of individual developers you are interested in.
Hire a Custom Software Development Company in Poland
Need to craft an end-to-end software application with a complete cross-functional team? At SoftKraft we provide custom web application development.
We take project ownership and responsibility for decisions that were taken during the development. Success of the project is the only metric that really matters to us.
Engage quality tech professionals
15+ years of experience in engineering custom software solutions for startups and SMEs.
Results-driven design thinking
Design Workshops to clarify your business idea and build a much better product faster.
Business-minded engineering
Work with engineers who understand the need for bottom-line results from tech initiatives.
Conclusion
If you're looking for a way to save on your software development costs and build a team fast, then IT outsourcing to Poland is a great option. You can hire a team of experienced developers for a fraction of the cost of hiring in the US.
Whether you are looking to augment your team with Polish software developers or software outsourcing to Poland, you’ll find you can kick off your project fast when you work with a custom software development agency in Poland.
Hire software development team - Fast-track Your Project!