The IT Market Situation in 2025/2026
In recent years, the Polish IT industry has experienced a real emotional roller coaster — from a record-breaking boom in 2021–2022 to a slowdown in 2023–2024. At the beginning of 2025, a sense of pessimism was still present: companies were limiting recruitment, candidates were less willing to change jobs, and hiring processes dragged on. However, signs of recovery began to emerge in 2025. According to data from the Traffit recruitment system, in Q1 2025 the number of new recruitment processes in Polish IT increased by as much as 21% year-on-year. Companies started hiring again, albeit cautiously — the number of actual hires rose by only around 8%, indicating that hiring decisions are made with considerable restraint.
At the same time, we are observing a gradual rebound in the number of IT job postings after a period of collapse. The JustJoinIT portal recorded nearly 70% more job ads in the first half of 2025 than a year earlier. However, it should be noted that this growth started from a very low base — the previous two years had significantly shrunk the market (the number of offers fell by around 50%). Despite this slowdown, market conditions began to stabilize, and some segments (such as large companies’ investment projects) were preparing for new openings. By the end of 2025, recruitment platforms were already reporting more job postings than the year before — for example, in July the IT sector was the only industry to record a year-on-year increase in job ads. According to data from the aggregator Czyjesteldorado.pl, between January and July 2025 around 93,000 IT job offers were published in Poland — more than 50% more than in the same period of 2024. This allows us to speak of a cautious rebound of the Polish IT market, although it is still far from the “El Dorado” of a few years ago.
How Long Does It Take to Find a Job in IT?
The average time needed to find a new job in Poland has recently reached record levels. According to the Polish Labour Market Monitor (a Randstad study), in Q1 2025 Poles took an average of 3.3 months to find new employment — the longest time in a decade. Just two years earlier, many people were able to secure a new position within a few weeks. Research by Pracuj.pl shows that among those who changed jobs in 2023–2024, nearly half did so within a maximum of two months, and one in five respondents in less than a month. However, these aggregated figures do not fully reflect the situation in IT, which follows its own rules.
In the technology sector, we observe strong polarization in job-search duration depending on experience and specialization. Professionals with more than a decade of experience and niche skill sets (such as cloud architects or AI experts) often find new offers within a few weeks due to high demand for their expertise. By contrast, beginners — aspiring programmers or testers — often need considerable patience; the process of securing a first job is often multi-stage and long-lasting. This phenomenon is also confirmed by global data: in the technology industry, the average job search time in 2024–2025 lengthened worldwide to approximately 5–6 months. Even in the United States, known for its dynamic IT labor market, candidates now often need up to half a year to sign a contract with a new employer.
In Poland, the situation is somewhat better on average, but young IT professionals here also often spend several months applying intensively before succeeding. A key factor behind the longer search times is the shift on the employer side: recruitment processes have become longer, and companies are imposing increasingly demanding requirements. As Piotr Nowosielski, CEO of Just Join IT, points out, many IT recruitment processes now last up to 60 days, whereas previously they were often closed within a month. One reason is the flood of applications — as much as 20–30% of submissions are now generated by AI and are completely off target, which slows down screening. Moreover, employers have abandoned so-called “benches” — they no longer hire in advance, and every new full-time role must be clearly justified from a business perspective. All of this means that the real time needed to find a job in IT has increased compared with a few years ago. In 2026, candidates should expect several months of active job searching — although the best-prepared individuals can, of course, shorten this period.
Competition and the Number of Applicants per Role
Along with the decline in the number of job offers in 2023–2024, recruitment competition increased significantly. Statistically, more candidates are now competing for a single IT position than before. According to No Fluff Jobs data, in 2024 the number of applications per average job posting increased by around 10%. In the most oversubscribed areas, the jump is dramatic. For example, a junior frontend developer opening may attract as many as 370 applicants. Similarly high interest is seen for UX/UI designer roles — over 100 candidates per position. These figures illustrate how difficult it has become for juniors to break through: hundreds of CVs for a single job posting are the reality of the 2025 market. By comparison, during the “candidate’s market” a few years ago, many employers complained more about a shortage of applicants than an oversupply.
It is worth emphasizing that the fiercest competition exists at junior-level and generalist, non-specialized roles (such as manual testers or junior frontend developers). These positions are relatively easy to enter — at least in theory — which attracts a huge number of candidates, far exceeding the actual number of openings. By contrast, roles requiring experience or unique skills attract fewer applicants. For example, job postings for automation testers or QA specialists in 2025 received an average of 19–20 applications, far fewer than manual testing roles. Similarly, mid- and senior-level developer positions still receive dozens of CVs, but no longer hundreds. Nevertheless, even for moderately experienced IT specialists, competition is noticeably tougher than it was a few years ago — the candidate’s market is gone, and we now have an employer’s market, where companies can pick and choose among applicants.
Junior vs. Mid vs. Senior — Employment Prospects
Level of experience strongly affects employment prospects in IT. Currently, the Polish job market is clearly skewed toward seniors. More than half of all job postings (52%) are addressed to senior-level specialists, while only about 6% are aimed at juniors. This is an enormous imbalance. In practice, it means that juniors have very few dedicated opportunities — companies are far less willing to invest in complete beginners. Worse still, many juniors also apply for higher-level positions, hoping they might “get lucky,” which means recruiters receive large numbers of junior applications even for mid or senior roles. It is estimated that junior candidates apply twice as often as their share of job postings would suggest. This confirms a major oversupply of entry-level talent on the market.
The situation for juniors is therefore the toughest — many months of searching, hundreds of applications sent, and a huge number of competitors per role. Standing out is essential to get a chance. Employers now expect much more from junior candidates than they did in the past. Completing a bootcamp or knowing the basics is no longer sufficient. Newcomers must demonstrate a portfolio, proactive learning, and familiarity with AI tools and emerging trends.
“Companies no longer look for juniors to perform basic tasks. Instead, they are thinking about how to automate those basic tasks using artificial intelligence,” explains Piotr Nowosielski. This says a lot about current realities: young candidates are now competing not only with each other, but also with technological progress itself.
Mids (professionals with typically 2–5 years of experience) were recently in high demand and could feel confident about their prospects. Today, they are also feeling the effects of market cooling. While there are still many mid-level offers, competition and requirements have increased. No Fluff Jobs points out that not only juniors face difficulties — it has also become harder than before at the mid level. Some companies, faced with a large pool of candidates, prefer to hire more senior specialists or those with narrower expertise. Mids must therefore prove their practical skills and role fit. The advantage is that most mids are already familiar with industry realities and can present themselves better than fresh graduates — which is why the average job-search time at the mid level is often shorter than for juniors. Still, it can take several months, especially in saturated technologies (such as popular frontend stacks).
Seniors — the most experienced experts — are theoretically in the best position. More than half of IT job postings are aimed at them, and companies often actively court senior talent. In 2025, some forecasts even suggested an intensifying battle for senior specialists, with employers increasingly offering attractive terms. Nevertheless, challenges have emerged here as well. Some senior candidates note that the number of strictly senior roles has declined, particularly in managerial or leadership positions. Market reports show that in areas such as software testing, the senior role has become less secure — there are fewer offers, and salary expectations more often exceed company budget ranges. Seniors sometimes need to make concessions (financial or role-related) to secure a new position. Still, their key advantage lies in extensive professional networks and strong reputations, which often allow them to find jobs through referrals faster than via standard applications. Overall, the average job-search time for seniors is typically the shortest — sometimes as little as 1–2 months — provided their profile perfectly matches market needs. Otherwise, even seniors may spend a quarter or longer in interviews, especially when targeting highly attractive roles.
Overview of IT Roles – Developer, Tester, DevOps, Analyst, UX/UI Developers (Backend, Frontend, Fullstack)
Developer roles have traditionally formed the backbone of the IT industry. Today, however, even developers are feeling the effects of the slowdown. Job postings now feature a smaller share of classic Backend / Frontend / Fullstack Developer roles, which until recently were dominant. Employers are increasingly seeking other specializations (more on that shortly). This does not mean developers are no longer needed — they still represent the largest group of professionals employed in IT — but the market is placing new demands on them.
Frontend developers currently find themselves in a particularly challenging position. Years of booming demand for web applications led to a surge of people entering frontend development, while at the same time low-code and AI tools began automating the simplest tasks. The result? A single junior frontend job posting can attract several hundred applicants. Even experienced frontend developers report fewer opportunities than a few years ago. Moreover, technological requirements are shifting — according to NFJ analyses, demand for pure JavaScript skills has declined, while the importance of SQL, Python, and frameworks integrating AI capabilities is growing. As a result, frontend developers must broaden their skill sets (e.g. by adding basic backend, AI, or UX competencies) to stay competitive. In 2026, a purely frontend career path may be less future-proof than areas such as data science or security — a trend already visible in 2024, when the number of frontend job offers fell by 20% year-on-year.
Backend and fullstack developers are in a slightly better position — companies still need people to maintain and develop complex systems. Nevertheless, changes are also visible here. Instead of mass-hiring mid-level backend developers, companies increasingly prefer to employ a few outstanding specialists or outsource work to external teams. In the first half of 2025, the highest number of developer job postings was related to Java and JavaScript technologies (together accounting for around 16–18% of all ads on JustJoinIT), but demand for Python specialists and roles in Data/Analytics and DevOps was also growing. Fullstack skills — the ability to work across both backend and frontend — can be an advantage in smaller companies and startups, where versatile developers who can quickly adapt to different tasks are valued. In large corporations, however, narrow specializations are becoming increasingly important (e.g. AI Engineer, Cloud Developer). In summary, being a developer in 2026 still offers relatively strong employment prospects, but the profile of the “typical” developer is changing — flexibility and continuous learning (often supported by AI) are now essential.
Testers (QA)
The role of software tester was long considered an easy entry point into IT, which explains its immense popularity among beginners. Unfortunately, the testing market has become a victim of its own success and technological progress. After the pandemic-driven boom and subsequent cooldown, the sector is now in a phase of stabilization with limited demand. In the first half of 2025, the SOLID.Jobs platform listed only 412 tester job offers, a low figure given the thousands of aspiring testers in Poland.
Manual testing roles have been hit hardest. Companies are increasingly reluctant to hire people “just to click through tests”; instead, they prefer specialized or automation-focused candidates. The number of manual tester job ads has clearly declined, and where such offers do appear, competition is fierce — an average of 79 applicants per position (in 2024 this figure even exceeded 120). Moreover, pay rates for manual testers have stopped growing and, in some cases, have begun to fall. Many employers now offer only B2B contracts instead of standard employment contracts, creating an additional barrier for less experienced candidates (not every junior wants or is able to set up a business). As a result, entering manual testing has become very difficult, unless someone brings strong domain knowledge or quickly retrains toward test automation.
Automated testing (QA automation) is still seen as a promising path, although signs of saturation are emerging here as well. SOLID.Jobs reports indicate a slowdown — the number of offers for automation testers (especially juniors) is declining, and average salary ranges in this group have been falling for the third year in a row. Nevertheless, the market maintains clear technological preferences: Selenium paired with Java continues to dominate, supported by knowledge of SQL, Python, and Jira. New frameworks (such as Playwright) are appearing, but job requirements still largely focus on established tools (Cypress, Selenium). For automation testers, the good news is that competition is lower — around 19 applicants per job posting — and their profile is more valued than pure manual testing. Even so, juniors in this specialization must be prepared for a longer job search, as many companies prefer to hire mid-level testers who can quickly become productive.
Overall, the testing profession will still exist and be needed in 2026, but it requires significantly higher qualifications than in the past. Companies are increasingly less interested in hiring “just a tester”; instead, they look for clearly defined roles — such as experienced QA Engineers who can take full ownership of quality, seniors capable of leading team transformations, or specialists in narrow niches (security testing, performance testing, accessibility). At the same time, the number of candidates on the market remains very high — clearly too high relative to the number of offers. As a result, testers (especially beginners) face some of the greatest difficulties in securing their first job and should consider alternative development paths or additional skills (such as programming) to improve their prospects.
DevOps and Infrastructure Specialists
DevOps Engineers, system administrators, and cloud specialists — roles focused on IT operations and infrastructure — are enjoying growing demand. Job market data clearly shows a shift toward maintaining stable, secure systems and migrating to the cloud. As early as 2024, there was a noticeable increase in the share of roles related to system maintenance and IT security, at the expense of classic developer positions. In 2025, this trend strengthened further: rising cyber threats and the expansion of cloud environments have made DevOps engineers, platform engineers, cloud architects, and security specialists highly sought after.
For example, demand for infrastructure and cloud experts in Poland grew at a double-digit rate in 2025. Companies are investing heavily in DevOps modernization (CI/CD, Kubernetes), process automation, and migrations to AWS and Azure. According to recruiters, the cloud/DevOps area stood out for its dynamic growth in job postings — a trend also confirmed globally, for instance by data from Germany, where cloud and DevOps skills rank among the most in-demand. In Poland, DevOps roles frequently appear at the top of salary and demand rankings.
When it comes to time to employment, skilled DevOps specialists typically do not remain unemployed for long — demand is high. The market is demanding in terms of qualifications, however: candidates are expected to demonstrate knowledge of cloud platforms, containerization, automation, and often scripting or programming. Those who possess these skills can choose between multiple offers. For people aspiring to DevOps roles without solid experience, the path is much tougher — it usually involves progressing through junior admin or developer roles and systematic learning. Still, among all IT specializations, infrastructure stands out as one of the more “secure” choices in terms of employment prospects in 2026, as digital infrastructure has become a core business foundation.
Data and Business Analysts
Data analysis is another segment growing in importance. In an age of information overload, companies need professionals who can extract insights from data — hence the rising demand for Data Scientists, Data Engineers, BI analysts, and similar roles. According to No Fluff Jobs reports, the number of job offers in the data analysis category increased by around 34% in 2024/2025. Positions related to broadly defined business analytics (Business Analyst, Product Analyst) are also holding up well, as companies continue digital transformation projects and require experts to interpret data and optimize processes.
For data analysts, 2025 brought a renewed surge of interest in AI and ML — many job postings now require skills related to artificial intelligence, machine learning, and large-scale data processing. In Poland, leading companies (such as banks and telecommunications corporations) are even establishing dedicated R&D teams and AI centers, driving demand for specialists in these areas. The analyst profession often requires several years of experience and interdisciplinary knowledge (combining IT and business expertise), which is why there are relatively few pure-entry-level data science roles — most candidates start as junior BI analysts or developers on Big Data projects.
The time required to find a job as an analyst depends on industry and skill set. Strong data scientists with hands-on ML experience can typically find work relatively quickly, as global demand exceeds supply. Business analysts, by contrast, compete with a broader pool of economists and consultants — here, certifications (e.g. proficiency in tools like Tableau or Power BI) and domain expertise are particularly valuable. Overall, in 2025–2026 analysts enjoy fairly favorable employment conditions, especially if they combine technical skills with industry knowledge. In the context of the Polish market, an analyst with 2–3 years of experience is unlikely to spend more than a few months searching for a new job — and may even receive proactive offers from headhunters. It is also worth noting that the analyst role is evolving rapidly: increasing emphasis is placed on at least a basic understanding of AI and report automation to effectively support business decision-making.
UX/UI Designers
The years 2015–2020 marked a boom period for UX/UI design — companies were hiring interface designers en masse, and UX courses were springing up everywhere. Unfortunately, as experts point out, that boom is now over. According to the “State of UX 2025” analysis, the job market for designers has become heavily saturated, employment has declined, and a surplus of candidates has emerged relative to the number of available roles. In the Polish market this is clearly reflected in application statistics: more than 100 applicants per single UX/UI job offer is now the norm.
UX/UI designers are facing several challenges simultaneously. First, demand has decreased — many companies have scaled back investments in new products, focusing instead on refining existing ones, which requires smaller UX teams. Second, automation has entered the picture: simple wireframes or graphics can now be generated by AI, reducing demand for juniors handling basic tasks. Third, expectations toward designers have risen — beyond aesthetic sensibility, employers now require business understanding, user data analysis skills, and even basic coding knowledge. In short, a UX designer in 2026 must be versatile and ready for continuous learning of new tools.
For junior UX designers, the situation is particularly difficult — there are few internship opportunities and fierce competition from career switchers coming from marketing or graphic design. The average time required to secure a first job can be long (6–12 months, if not longer), if it succeeds at all. More experienced designers (3–5 years of practice) fare somewhat better, especially if they have specialized in a niche area (e.g. UX in e-commerce, UX writing, accessibility) or can demonstrate measurable business impact from their projects. In 2025, the median UX salary in Poland approached PLN 10,000 gross, indicating that strong specialists are still valued. The problem is that there are fewer offers than candidates, meaning that even senior UX designers may need several months to find an ideal role. Increasingly, designers are also considering alternative career paths — such as building skills in Product Management or Service Design — to improve their attractiveness in the market.
In summary, UX/UI is currently a highly demanding market. As stated in one industry review, the era of great UX prosperity at the end of the 2010s is over — we are facing a crisis in the designer job market. This does not mean UX will disappear (users still need good experiences!), but the designer’s role is changing. Those who will endure are the ones who can prove their business value and adapt to new realities — for example by using AI effectively as a supporting tool rather than viewing it as a threat.
The Impact of AI and Automation on IT Employment
Artificial intelligence has been the single most influential factor shaping the IT labor market over the past two years. In some areas, AI has reduced the number of new positions; in others, it has created entirely new employment opportunities. What is the overall balance?
On one hand, concerns emerged that AI would replace programmers or testers. Reality has proven more complex. Indeed, many simple tasks can now be automated — such as generating helper code, creating interface templates, or writing unit tests. Companies are therefore reducing junior hiring, assuming that AI can handle part of that work. Instead of hiring an intern for basic tasks, they prefer to use a ChatGPT-based tool supervised by a single experienced engineer. There are already reports of internships being replaced by AI algorithms.
Test automation reduces demand for manual testers — as mentioned earlier, companies invest in testing frameworks instead of expanding teams of manual “clickers.” Chatbots and assistants can take over some support-related tasks. In software development, increasingly advanced tools like Copilot accelerate developer productivity, allowing a single senior engineer to deliver more output in the same time. All of this has a dampening effect on hiring at entry-level positions.
On the other hand, AI is generating new job opportunities. Roles that were virtually unheard of a few years ago have emerged: Prompt Engineer, AI Trainer, Data Annotator, AI Ethicist, and others. In 2025, demand for AI/ML specialists grew sharply — JustJoinIT recorded the largest increase in job listings precisely in the artificial intelligence and machine learning category. Positions related to business process automation are also on the rise, with companies seeking RPA (Robotic Process Automation) experts and engineers who combine programming skills with AI-driven automation. This trend is visible globally as well: according to experts, in 2025 over 70% of companies planned to increase investments in AI and generative AI, which directly translated into recruitment activity.
AI is also reshaping recruitment processes themselves. More and more companies use algorithms to screen CVs or even conduct initial interviews via recruitment chatbots. Candidates, in turn, use AI to refine their CVs and cover letters. Unfortunately, this also leads to application spam — recruiters must filter out automatically generated submissions, lengthening hiring processes. At the same time, there is a growing expectation that candidates should demonstrate AI literacy. As many as 98% of technology workers in the UK declare a willingness to upskill in AI, and in Poland employers explicitly expect juniors to be familiar with AI-based tools. The ability to work effectively with artificial intelligence is becoming a new “basic literacy” item on a CV.
In summary, automation does not eliminate IT jobs — it transforms them. Machines will handle simple tasks, but people will always be needed to supervise them, solve problems creatively, and drive further innovation. As the CEO of Just Join IT put it: “Clients have realized that AI will not write all the code for them. They still need many people to build software.” This is reflected in the data — despite the AI boom, the number of developer job offers is increasing again, not decreasing. The key for candidates, however, is adaptation to the new reality: continuous learning, using AI as an assistant rather than a competitor, and developing uniquely human skills (creativity, strategic thinking, empathy) that machines will not replace anytime soon.
Poland vs. Abroad — How Do the Markets Differ?
The Polish IT market is part of a global ecosystem, but it has its own characteristics. How does it compare with other countries in terms of hiring timelines and recruitment trends?
Germany
The German tech sector is experiencing a paradox — while the broader economy faces slowdown risks, IT continues to suffer from a chronic talent shortage. According to Nucamp data, in 2025 Germany lacked more than 770,000 IT specialists, representing the number of unfilled vacancies in the sector. The largest gaps are in AI, cloud, and cybersecurity. Germany is investing billions of euros in digital transformation (the government’s “Digital Strategy 2025”), which fuels demand for IT professionals. By 2026, the country is expected to face a shortage of as many as 106,000 cybersecurity experts alone. This means that experienced IT specialists — especially in critical domains — enjoy excellent prospects in Germany, with employers often competing aggressively for talent. Time-to-hire can be shorter than in Poland for top-tier experts, although language barriers and formalities may pose challenges. Paradoxically, for entry-level candidates it is not much easier — without German language skills and experience, global competition is still intense. Overall, Germany remains a candidate-driven IT market, prompting the state to ease immigration rules to attract foreign specialists. Polish developers frequently find employment there, including remotely, usually at significantly higher pay than at home.
United Kingdom
The UK tech sector is also substantial — employing around 1.7 million people in 2025. After Brexit and the pandemic, many British tech companies went through restructuring, but optimism has returned: 60% of UK tech firms expected improved business conditions in 2025. Major hubs include London (fintech, AI), Manchester, and Edinburgh. As in Poland, the UK has entered a phase of greater selectivity. Regional talent (including many Poles) competes for attractive roles, and post–Big Tech layoffs in 2022–2023 released many experienced professionals onto the market. The average time to find a new IT job has increased, although top specialists are still in high demand. Due to the size of the market and high salaries (a Senior Software Engineer in London can earn over £100k annually), competition is global. For Polish candidates, the UK can be attractive, but often requires relocation or excellent English and familiarity with local work culture. Still, many trends are aligned — UK employers also prioritize AI, cloud, and cybersecurity as key growth areas.
United States
The US market continues to set global IT trends. In recent years it underwent a sharp correction — in 2023 alone, more than 95,000 tech workers were laid off in the US (and 264,000 globally). Further layoffs followed in 2024, albeit more targeted than the panic cuts of the previous year. By early 2025, Silicon Valley and other hubs entered a phase of “new normal.” There is no speculative bubble anymore, but neither is there collapse — companies hire carefully and selectively. Demand is strongest for AI, security, and cloud specialists — those who can automate and scale business operations. Work culture has also shifted: many US corporations are calling employees back to offices (up to five days a week), unlike in Poland where hybrid models remain common. This makes flexibility in work mode a deciding factor for many candidates. As noted earlier, average job search duration in US tech has stretched to several months. High living costs in hubs like San Francisco or New York increase pressure to secure a new role quickly. Still, opportunities remain strong for talented engineers, especially as many US companies turn to nearshoring and remote cooperation with foreign experts. This opens doors for Polish developers as well — though they must compete with global talent, including a rapidly growing pool from Latin America.
Other Countries
It is also worth noting that markets such as Canada, Australia, and the Nordic countries actively recruit IT specialists, often offering favorable immigration programs. For Polish seniors, Germany and the Netherlands are particularly accessible; for less experienced professionals, remote work for foreign startups is a common path. In 2026, the geography of IT employment is highly fluid — we are competing in a global talent market. Poland has a strong reputation, but lower domestic wages compared to Western countries lead some top specialists to choose US or UK offers, reducing the local senior pool. At the same time, Poland continues to attract technology investors — in 2025 the country regained appeal due to its quality-to-cost ratio and strong talent base. International R&D centers are being established locally, creating on-site jobs. The balance is therefore mixed: globalization expands access to foreign work but also intensifies competition for every position.
Employer Expectations vs. Candidate Expectations — Market Reality
In the transformed IT labor market, a gap often emerges between what employers offer and what candidates expect — particularly around compensation, employment models, and working conditions.
During the boom years (up to 2022), IT professionals became accustomed to rapid salary growth and multiple competing offers. Today, wage dynamics have slowed — many segments show stagnation, with raises (if any) limited to a few percentage points. Nevertheless, some candidates still maintain high salary expectations shaped by the previous decade. Employers, on the other hand — with a larger candidate pool — are no longer willing to engage in salary bidding wars. Exceptions exist for highly scarce specializations (AI, cybersecurity), where wages continue to rise, but in popular roles such as testing or frontend development, salary ranges have even declined. Tester market reports show the largest mismatch at junior level: some candidates underprice themselves just to get hired, while others still expect “golden salaries” — both often detached from reality. Mid-level professionals tend to be closer to market rates, while seniors face a different issue — fewer offers mean reduced negotiating power, sometimes forcing acceptance of lower pay than expected.
Another key issue is employment form and benefits. Many IT professionals prefer B2B contracts (higher net income, flexibility), while younger candidates often favor permanent employment for stability. Meanwhile, companies are shifting toward B2B to cut costs, even in roles previously offered as permanent — manual testing is a prime example, where employment contracts are becoming rare. Candidates must increasingly be prepared for self-employment as the industry standard. As for non-salary benefits, employers know that “fruit Thursdays” no longer attract talent — what matters instead are remote or hybrid work options, training budgets, healthcare, equity, and similar tangible perks. Misaligned expectations remain common: some candidates insist on fully remote work, which is not always possible in organizations returning to offices (e.g. US corporations requiring presence several days a week). Candidates must therefore decide how much they value flexibility versus prestige or stability. Another increasingly discussed aspect is candidate experience — how companies treat applicants during recruitment. In a more competitive market, some firms allow themselves lengthy, multi-stage processes with trial assignments, which can frustrate candidates — but their bargaining power is weaker when many others are waiting in line.
Overall, the market has become more realistic. Employers offer conditions aligned with economic realities, and candidates must either accept them — or continue searching. Many candidates are gradually accepting that a job change may bring a 5–10% raise, not the 30% increases of the past. At the same time, candidate awareness is growing — professionals increasingly focus on upskilling and aligning with market needs (e.g. learning in-demand technologies rather than sticking rigidly to one stack). Employers, especially the better ones, also try to maintain balance and protect their employer brand, knowing that future booms may again require strong talent attraction.
Market experts advise openness and communication on both sides. For companies — clearly communicating requirements and publishing realistic salary ranges (their absence often causes frustration). For candidates — being flexible in terms of role, location, or industry. Continuous skill development is essential. This new normal in IT means that those who can adapt are the ones who win. As summarized in one labor market webinar: “This is no longer optimism — it’s precision decision-making,” on both the recruiter and candidate side.
Summary
The year 2026 on the Polish IT market is shaping up as a period of further reorganization and maturation after recent turbulence. Finding a new job in the industry is no longer as quick or easy as it once was — real hiring timelines have lengthened, especially for younger candidates in popular roles. From several weeks to several months is now the realistic range, depending on experience, skills, and a bit of luck. The Polish IT sector still offers many opportunities, but it also demands more from candidates: stronger competencies, better market alignment (e.g. AI, cloud, security skills), and patience.
At the same time, there are positive signals. Job postings are rising again — companies are hiring, albeit more thoughtfully. New technologies are opening fresh career paths. Polish specialists continue to prove their value internationally, and differences between Poland and Western markets are narrowing in many areas. For ambitious and well-prepared professionals, IT can still be a rewarding career — even if it now requires more effort at the entry stage. The IT labor market will continue to evolve, but one thing is certain: those who adapt to change and keep developing will eventually find their place in the industry. And the question “how long will it take?” will depend primarily on how closely one’s skills align with what employers are currently looking for — because alignment is the key to success in the 2026 market.