Introduction
If you are searching for tech talent in the UK, you have a few options to consider. First and foremost, you could hire a tech recruiter or head hunter to find tech talent for you. This option is viable if you don’t know where to start in your tech talent search, but you are keen on finding top-level talent.
However, you need to think about the costs associated with technology talent recruiters/head hunters.
How much do tech recruiters in the UK charge?
This is a common question asked by curious companies, and individuals focused on using recruiters to fill up their vacant roles. While recruiters make the recruitment process easier, especially for highly technical jobs like IT, they come at a cost.
We’ve done the work for you and summarized what recruitment agencies in the UK charge. Honestly, there is no direct answer to this question, given the variables that come into play. Generally, the cost of hiring recruiters in the UK will depend on factors like role being filled and the type of employment contract in play.
Role factors
The cost will definitely vary depending on the IT role you are trying to fill. Generally, recruiters will charge more for high-level roles. The seniority of a role will also matter. Senior tech executives will attract higher recruitment fees compared to junior assistants. The urgency to fill a role will also drive up cost. Lastly, the ability to find the preferred tech talent also dictates the overall cost. For instance, Artificial Intelligence experts are scarcer than java developers. It, therefore, costs more to recruit AI experts than typical developers.
Employment contract in play
The type of contract you expect to give your tech talent will also dictate how much the recruiter charges. Permanent contracts usually attract higher fees in the UK than temporary contracts.
From our survey of different tech talent recruiters in the UK, it cost 15-20% of the average first-year contract value for typical/normal permanent IT roles (which translates to £;7,500 – £;10,000). High-level permanent tech roles that are harder to fill cost up to 25% of the value of the first year’s contract (which translates to approximately £;12,500 or more).
Recruiters charge less to fill temporary IT contract roles. For instance, companies looking for one-off tech employees to sign a 1-year contract should expect to pay 12-15% of the annual pay as recruitment fees. Most UK tech recruitment agencies will charge a 12-15% fee even if you intend to hire temporary staff for less than a year.
Recruiting tech talent from Poland instead of the UK
Given the above information, it can be costly hiring UK tech talent. What other options do you have? Well, it may be better to outsource in CEE (Poland) through a local IT recruitment boutique given Poland’s high standing as a tech hub. Sourcing tech professionals from Poland comes with unique advantages. In fact, you stand to enjoy more benefits from opening a tech subsidiary in Poland.
At a glance, this may seem more costly than dealing with UK tech recruiters. However, outsourcing works best for short term strategies. Companies keen on building strong IT teams for years stand to enjoy long-term benefits that outweigh any cost savings linked to outsourcing. A tech subsidiary in Poland or satellite office eliminates the disadvantages of having physical operations in Poland.
However, you need professionals to guide you if you wish to have a properly functioning satellite office. Offshoring has unique risks and costs that can be reduced by using professional recruiters with experience in helping international software companies set up presence in Poland.
You’ll enjoy services like advisory and consulting that will let you know everything there is to know, from who to hire to setting up and organizing your IT team. Professionals will also help you eliminate the high costs associated with offshoring. Other unique benefits include the ability to safeguard intellectual property and your company’s core culture and values, maintaining full control over every aspect, including development and skills.
Polish programmers available for hire are ranked 3rd globally (way above UK developers). Poland also ranks higher than UK in many other tech talent aspects. Poland is also home to over 250,000 of the 1 million developers based in Central &Eastern Europe. Polish tech is also cheaper than those found in most countries in Europe. Recruiting from Poland through an IT recruitment agency is better.