Your Guide to Hiring Developers in Romania

Romania has earned a solid reputation within the global outsourcing market due to its exceptional quality-to-pricing ratio, a substantial pool of proficient IT professionals, a strong cultural compatibility with US businesses, and a favorable time zone for seamless global collaboration.

The software development market in Romania is booming, with an impressive annual growth rate of 15-17%. In recent years, the overall market surged from €4.6 billion to €9 billion. The export value of IT services doubled, soaring from €2.5 billion to €6 billion.

Major industry players like Amazon, IBM, HP, Microsoft, Oracle, Asseco, and Hitachi choose to hire developers in Romania.

Considering a global shortage of software development specialists, you too may start thinking of taking your software development tasks offshore. Romanian developers have long been regarded as specialists with in-depth expertise, solid communication skills, and decent English. With more than 200,000 developers, this 19-million country can be an excellent destination for software development. Let’s find out how to hire developers in Romania, why choose them over the others, and the best way to source them.

READ ALSO: The Portrait of an Eastern European Developer

Why look for software developers in Romania?

So, why choose Romania over other development hubs? In 2023, Romanian developers make up a sizable pool of 202,000 skilled specialists. It’s one of the largest pools of tech talent in the EU.
There are countless reasons to hire developers in Romania, ranging from affordability to availability of talent. Let’s review the most convincing reasons to work with developers in Romania:

Affordable rates. It’s the most important aspect that makes the country an attractive location for outsourcing. The Romanian market is quite cost-effective on a global scale. When you start comparing the rates of developers in Romania to those in other European countries, you’ll see that they are 20% to 50% lower compared to those in European or American markets.

Diverse tech skills. Developers in Romania display top-notch skills in programming languages like Java, C++, JavaScript, and Python as well as excel at specialized technologies such as React, Angular, HTML, and CSS. The common areas of specialization are Marketing, Automotive, Business, e-Commerce, Education, and Finance. Romanian developers also specialize in such in-demand technologies as Natural Language Processing, AI/Machine Learning, cloud technologies, Computer Vision, and cybersecurity.

Strong development skills. Developers in Romania have strong development skills, proven by their high position in global skill evaluation rankings, for instance, SkillValue (23rd place) TopCoder (12th place), and HackerRank (20th place).

Solid educational base. Romania boasts one of the highest rates of ICT and STEM graduates in the EU. The country offers dozens of learning programs in tech universities that generate over 10,000 graduates each year. Romania has 5 technical universities, offering well-rounded courses in cybersecurity, data science, software development, engineering, and related disciplines.

High English proficiency. Romania boasts a pool of highly skilled English-speaking professionals, according to EF EPI, the largest English skills ranking in 2023. In the world, the country has reached 15th place (out of 113 countries). In Europe, it ranks 13th (out of 34). Due to a large number of businesses outsourcing to Romania, developers have high proficiency in English and solid communication skills – more than 80% of IT professionals speak advanced English.

Efficient communication. Since Romania is a host to dozens of outsourcing business projects, Romanian developers have enough experience to work in multicultural, international teams. You won’t have issues integrating, collaborating with, and generally hiring developers in Romania.

High English proficiency. Romania boasts a pool of highly skilled English-speaking professionals, according to EF EPI, the largest English skills ranking in 2023. In the world, the country has reached 15th place (out of 113 countries). In Europe, it ranks 13th (out of 34). Due to a large number of businesses outsourcing to Romania, developers have high proficiency in English and solid communication skills – more than 80% of IT professionals speak advanced English.

As a whole, developers in Romania have solid competence and vast experience in providing nearshoring/offshoring services and are always available to augment international teams. The IT industry is vibrant and dynamic, with prices for services varying depending on the programming language, tech stack, and experience. While it’s true that hiring developers in Romania is a well-rounded decision, there are quite a few challenges, which will be explained as follows.

Challenges of working with developers in Romania

Although the benefits mentioned earlier are significant, you should also know about the challenges that may arise when you hire developers in Romania for your project. Let’s consider the most substantial potential downsides you should know about beforehand:

• A dispersed talent pool. More than 25% of developers are dispersed throughout the country. This may factor in if you’re looking to concentrate your development forces in one location. Chances are hiring narrowly skilled specialists in one location can be challenging. 
• Time zone differences. As we mentioned earlier, the time zone is not a big deal if your main development team is situated in Europe. But for the US time zone, it can be quite challenging to collaborate and productively communicate with a six-to-nine-hour difference.
• Cultural differences. While most Romanian developers are highly skilled in the English language, there might be some cultural differences that may become a barrier when it comes to building effective communications. While it is different from one case to another, allocate some time for the teams to get acquainted when integrating software developers from Romania.

While these challenges are minor, you should still remember that the decision to hire developers in Romania comes with its nuances. Nevertheless, if you manage to onboard and integrate the newcomers into the development cycle, you’ll hardly have any major issues in delivering your project.
READ ALSO: Top Tech Hubs in Eastern Europe

Tips for hiring developers in Romania

Since the job market in the software development niche is highly saturated in Romania, knowing how to source the best professionals is a must. We’ve prepared a list of recommendations that would ease your struggles finding, hiring, and onboarding software developers in Romania:

• Hire developers in Romania that specialize in your industry

For example, if you are in the healthcare industry, you will want to ensure that the hired Romanian developers have experience in that field. It will ensure that they are familiar with your company’s specific needs and can provide the best possible solution for your needs.

• Consider using online freelancing platforms

When hiring developers in Romania, consider using online freelancing platforms like Upwork or Freelancer. These platforms allow you to post your project requirements and receive bids from developers worldwide. Yet, this approach comes with the risks of poor code quality and low commitment on the part of the freelancer. 

• Build a fully remote team

Many companies believe that it’s better to build a full-fledged remote team of Romanian developers for a large-scale project. This way, you ensure that the team is deeply involved in the development process, works towards your business objectives, and works collaboratively with your local developers as if they were your internal staff. 

Bottom line

Romania has huge potential when it comes to software development. The country has a dispersed but extremely talented pool of skilled software specialists. With lower costs than the EU and North America, Romania can be a dream location for hiring development specialists. When considering the hiring process, don’t forget that developers from Romania offer convincible advantages, including:

• An excellent quality-price ratio, which allows you to save up to 50% of the development budget;
• One of the largest pools of well-educated tech talent in the EU with over 200,000 software engineers;
• Developers in Romania have diverse expertise in various programming languages and modern technologies;
• Over 80% of IT professionals speak advanced English.

Contact us to discuss if you believe that hiring developers in Romania can add value to your business.