Which mode of work are IT professionals looking for today? Current trends in the IT sector

Olena Witowska – has been focusing on the IT industry for over 5 years, currently as a Recruitment Team Lead at ITDS. Graduate of Psychology at the University of Warsaw. Her main tasks revolve around attracting candidates based on the clients’ requirements and conducting an end-to-end recruitment process. Olena is currently focusing on building her team as a Team Leader and training new joiners in sourcing and recruiting the best candidates. She is also actively recruiting IT professionals, especially in the field of Big Data, Cybersecurity and Solution Design.

Remote work has become a day-to-day reality for many IT professionals. This collaboration model has largely become commonplace due to the pandemic. Now that the situation has become relatively stable, are programmers willing to return to their offices? In the following article, I will analyse programmers’ expectations regarding job offers and look at current trends, drawing on the report “Remote and hybrid work in IT” by No Fluff Jobs and Ringier Alex Springer, as well as other research.

Which mode of working is most in demand in the IT sector?

It has been more than three years since the outbreak of the pandemic. The situation has started to return to normal, but it has brought about significant changes in the IT job market, which most professionals do not want to give up on.

Remote work

Currently, up to 61% of IT professionals work 100% remotely. When the COVID-19 restrictions forced employers to send their employees home, numerous advantages of such an arrangement became apparent, which sparked a discussion in the IT industry.

Although the ability to work remotely has now become the new standard in the IT sector, this trend will by no means lead to the closure of offices. But if employers still prefer to have their employees at least occasionally visit the office, they need to focus on building the right company culture that meets the expectations of their staff.

As a matter of fact, programmers and other IT professionals rate remote working at 4.5/5, according to the No Fluff Jobs survey. Such a high score demonstrates that this mode of working has now simply become the new norm in the IT industry.

Hybrid work

Hybrid work is far less appreciated by IT employees, with the average rating only 3.5/5 in the same survey. Employers who wish to convince their employees to adopt this mode face a difficult task, since as many as 55.8% of survey participants would prefer not to go back to the office at all.

Trends in IT work – what are the demands of employees?

According to the No Fluff Jobs survey, up to 96% of IT professionals want to work fully remotely or in a hybrid mode. What’s more, as many as 56% indicate that they will start looking for a new job if they lose the ability to perform their tasks remotely (55% in the case of hybrid work). Employers need to be aware of this if they want to retain their best employees in their team. However, opportunity alone is not enough. These modes of working require adequate organisation.

What working conditions are IT professionals expecting?

According to BulldogJob’s 2023 IT Community Survey Report, IT professionals expect the following from their employers:

• Ensuring good communication with the team (62%);
• Being able to flexibly divide their time between work and home responsibilities (60%);
• Subsidised workplace equipment (44%);
• Subsidised utility bills, such as electricity or internet bills (34%);
• Psychological support (9%).

In view of the new regulations, employers are obliged to address these issues. The Act of 1 December 2022 introduced the concept of ‘remote work’ into the Labour Code, while repealing the provisions on ‘telework’ (the new regulations came into force on 7 April 2023). Pursuant to these changes, both parties are required to thoroughly discuss the terms and conditions of employment under this mode.

How are IT professionals looking for new jobs?

According to analyses by the: protocol, IT professionals seeking employment tend to place greatest importance on:

• the mode of work; 
• remuneration;
• project types matching their skills. 

Candidates are least likely to respond to job adverts that do not specify the mode of work. Many do not even view them, using filtering tools and searching only for remote or hybrid work. 

What kind of adverts are most popular?

The most successful job adverts are those which offer remote and hybrid work and transparently communicate the terms and conditions of employment, including salary levels depending on the scope of responsibilities and expected level of experience.

Interestingly enough, candidates are also starting to pay attention to the location of the office again, even if they are not ultimately looking for a desk-based job. It is becoming apparent that more and more employers do prefer the hybrid model after all. With that in mind, this issue is becoming relevant again.

Obviously, employees also largely care about the nature of the project they are to be involved in, as well as development opportunities, etc.

IT professionals’ expectations of remote working – where do they originate?

Why do IT professionals prefer to work remotely? According to the No Fluff Jobs survey, 62.8% of respondents reported a marked improvement in their wellbeing and productivity as a result of remote working. In comparison, as many as 57.7% of all participants considered it a better option than office work, while only 29.3% felt that their productivity at home was the same as in the office.

Respondents also admit that they:

• feel more autonomy (4.37%);
• have more time for household chores (3.86%);
• have more time for themselves (3.84%);
• feel a stronger connection with their family or partner(s) (3.75%);
• meet more people from other locations (2%).

Employers are, in a way, forced to adjust to this situation. With the huge demand for IT professionals, they are more willing to compromise. Many employers have also discovered that this model can easily contribute to improved performance throughout the organisation. After all, happy, efficient developers are a huge growth opportunity for the company.

According to IT workers, the greatest advantages of remote/hybrid work include:

• no need to commute to the office (40.1%);
• the ability to work from anywhere (18.2%);
• the ability to work from home (11.6%);
• higher productivity at work (10.5%);
• the ability to spend more time with family (9.4%);
• flexible schedule (7.5%).

How is the IT industry changing – are we witnessing an evolution of the job market yet?

Much is being said that although we have been experiencing an employee market in IT in recent years, according to experts, this situation is now coming to an end. The number of job offers is declining and employers are placing more emphasis on additional skills (so-called competencies of the future), which are not exclusively related to programming, but also to management, communication with colleagues and clients, creativity, etc. It is no longer enough to have a degree in computer science and a perfect command of programming languages – what really matters is experience, knowledge of the latest technologies and well-developed management skills.

What qualities make candidates more likely to be hired?

Talented seniors with skills backed by years of experience are in the best position. A skilled programmer who keeps developing can expect to receive favourable offers from Polish and foreign companies. At present, it is difficult to find a very good job right after graduation.

Another important thing to note is the high turnover rate in IT jobs. While employers are generally interested in long-term cooperation, programmers often prefer shorter projects and value the ability to quickly change jobs in case they find an even better option. This adds to the argument that remote work is simply considered more convenient.

Preferred mode of work in the IT sector – a summary

The IT job market is changing rapidly. Average salaries are rising, but in reality the value of money is falling as inflation continues to grow. For the moment, the boom is over – only programmers with the best qualifications enjoy a great deal of freedom in choosing offers and negotiating terms to suit their individual needs. One thing is certain, however – the IT sector has transitioned to remote/hybrid work and there is much to suggest that this trend is here to stay.