IT Recruitment in Europe
It’s just the beginning of your seamless expansion to Europe.
We build and operate tech teams of 10+ senior software engineers, and deliver:
- Silicon Valley-caliber developers in Europe
- Up to 40% savings
- Team scaling from 10 to 100 in a year
- Compliant employment without legal entity setup
- Cultural fits for your company
Mexico
Colombia
Argentina
Chile
Poland
Romania
Ukraine
BulgariaHigh-Speed Tech Recruiting to Build
a Senior Engineering Team in Europe
developers in the 1st month
developers in 3 months
Companies Scaling with Alcor
Alcor is a reliable partner that meets our hiring needs. We finally hired experienced software engineers in Eastern Europe with strong tech skills and business acumen. Account Managers are awesome!
With Alcor’s all-in-one solution, we got a software R&D office with 15 senior PHP devs and a compliant operational coverage. I really appreciated their transparent pricing structure and deep expertise.
We interviewed a lot of EoR platforms and companies, but Alcor was the only one that provides a combo package of EoR and Recruting offerings. Alcor helped us build a full stack team in 1.5 month.
We wanted to switch from our outsourcing provider, and Alcor has become really game-changing for us. Within a mere 6 months, we got a fully-fledged team of 30 engineers in our own R&D office.
Alcor’s R&D solution eclipses full-cycle recruitment, EOR service, and operational support for our offshore team. Their ‘all-in-one place’ approach is far more cost-effective than I could’ve imagined.
I value their commitment to going the extra mile. We evolved from an outstaff project into an independent company, and Alcor’s support was crucial. They hired and ondoarded 15+ professionals for us.
Thanks to Alcor, we hired four engineers and a designer that strengthened our team. Beside stellar recruitment, Alcor flawlessly handled our payroll. Their approach was seamless and swift.
Alcor closed our 4 QA positions in a month and more than doubled the team in a year! We chose Alcor because of their communication style, cost, scope of services, and ideas to help us be successful.
Expanding our engineering team outside the US with Alcor was a game-changer! They found 15 talented developers and provided seamless EOR & operational support. Great responsiveness to our needs!
Alcor’s flexible model helped us scale from 0 to 30 devs in a year first, and then to 50! No buy-out fees, seamless hiring, and top-tier talent. A hassle-free way to grow without setting up a subsidiary!
Tech Team Planning in Europe Made Simple
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Contact UsKey Things to Know
Why choose IT recruitment in Europe?
Overview of Europe’s tech industry
Europe is a leading recruiting hub for global technology product companies, driven by its expansive digital economy and robust education systems. According to Eurostat, over 10 million ICT specialists are active across the EU, with key tech clusters in Central and Eastern Europe, the Baltics, and parts of Southern Europe. These regions offer reliable IT recruitment services in Europe for scaling tech companies from the US, UK, and Western EU.
The European Union continues to invest heavily in digital infrastructure, cybersecurity, AI, and cloud technologies, which fuels a steady stream of skilled software engineers.
Why working with European developers?
European software developers combine technical skills with professional integrity. Many locations (especially Poland, Romania, and the Baltics) rank high on the EF English Proficiency Index and QS STEM education rankings.
Key benefits of hiring European developers:
- Strong command of English
- High cultural compatibility with US employers
- Expertise in key languages like JavaScript, Python, .NET, Java, and emerging stacks like Golang and AI/ML
- Familiarity with Agile, DevOps, and cloud-native development
In addition, professional IT recruitment in Europe can shorten hiring timelines and reduce turnover by aligning candidates’ values with your product vision.
Addressing the global IT talent shortage
The global IT talent shortage is expected to reach 85 million by 2030 (Korn Ferry). European countries offer a vital solution, with more than 1.8 million developers across the CEE region alone. Relying on an IT recruitment agency in Europe grants access to high-quality tech candidates without competing in oversaturated markets like the US or UK.
In particular, the European region provides:
- Mid-to-senior talent availability
- Niche expertise (AI, C++, data science, cybersecurity)
- Scalable hiring of 10 to 100+ engineers a year
This makes tech recruitment services in Europe a strategic move for CTOs and HRDs seeking long-term product development at reduced employment costs.
Top IT recruitment destinations in Europe
Poland
Poland leads Central and Eastern Europe as a top destination for IT recruitment in Europe. With over 650,000 tech specialists and around 74,000 ICT graduates entering the labor market each year, Poland boasts the largest tech talent pool in the region. Cities like Warsaw, Kraków, and Wrocław are recognized for their tech R&D infrastructure, multilingual developers, and competitive rates.
Why choose Poland:
- #1 in CEE for STEM education
- Strong English proficiency (B2+ average)
- 2x lower employment costs compared to the US
- Mature tech ecosystems supported by EU legal frameworks
Romania
Romania combines cost-efficiency with technical depth. The country offers around 250,000 IT professionals, many of whom are fluent in English (#1 among CEE countries), French, or German. Bucharest, Iași, and Cluj-Napoca host numerous software R&D centers and benefit from attractive tax policies.
Why choose Romania:
- 16% flat corporate and 10% personal income tax
- 10,000+ annual ICT graduates
- Strong presence of US and Western EU tech firms
- Skilled workforce in backend, embedded systems, and automation
Ukraine
Despite the current russian invasion, Ukraine remains a high-performing destination for tech recruitment services in Europe, as 85% of Ukrainian devs continue to work full-time. The Ukrainian IT sector has demonstrated resilience, growing its exports and talent pool even during crisis periods.
Why choose Ukraine:
- 302,000+ tech professionals with strong engineering backgrounds
- High availability of niche tech skills (AI, cybersecurity, blockchain)
- Strong work ethic and reliability
- Cost-effective long-term partnerships (up to 51% lower salaries than in the US)
Portugal
Portugal is a fast-emerging player in the European tech scene, supported by 230K tech experts, government-backed innovation hubs, and a thriving startup ecosystem in Lisbon and Porto. According to the 2025 EF English Proficiency Index, Portugal ranks sixth both in Europe and globally for English level. Its strategic location makes it ideal for nearshoring and remote hiring across Western Europe and the US East Coast.
Why choose Portugal:
- Competitive salaries with high developer quality
- Western time zone alignment for US firms
- Skilled engineers in full-stack, cloud, and DevOps
- Supportive startup infrastructure and tax incentives (14-20% corporate tax rate)
Czechia
Czechia offers one of the most stable business environments in the EU. It has a solid talent pool of 226K IT experts, who rank #3 regionally for tech skills. Prague and Brno are home to most of them and have become central hubs for European and international tech firms seeking remote IT recruitment services in Europe.
Why choose Czechia:
- Top-tier technical universities
- Low turnover rates
- High developer productivity and English proficiency
- Strong emphasis on data security and compliance
Bulgaria
Bulgaria presents one of the best price-to-quality ratios for hiring developers in Europe. With more than 128,430 tech specialists and 50+ universities, it’s a well-established destination for software team expansion.
Why choose Bulgaria:
- 10% corporate and personal income tax
- High share of female IT specialists (28%+)
- Strong English skills (ranks #3 regionally)
- Focus on data analytics, web, and app development
Estonia
Estonia is Europe’s digital pioneer, known for e-residency, blockchain development, and a tech-savvy workforce. Its compact size allows for agile recruitment and effective employer branding.
Why choose Estonia:
- High digital literacy and government support
- Experienced developers in cybersecurity and fintech
- Multilingual talent with EU legal compliance
- Ranked #1 among Eastern European startup ecosystems
Cyprus
Cyprus has become a magnet for global tech companies due to its low taxes, EU access, and growing number of IT professionals. Many developers in Cyprus have international backgrounds, making recruitment fast and culturally aligned.
Why choose Cyprus:
- 12.5% corporate tax – one of the lowest in the EU
- EU-regulated business environment
- Developers with high experience in Fintech and SaaS
High English proficiency and talent availability for remote hiring
What sets top European IT recruitment agencies apart
Unlike traditional staffing providers, elite IT recruitment service providers in Europe operate as embedded hiring partners rather than transactional vendors. Their services are designed for speed, retention, and employer value, not submitted CV’s volume.
Distinctive characteristics include:
- Local expertise with global reach. European agencies combine knowledge of regional developer markets with international hiring standards. This enables fast, compliant, and culturally aligned hiring for US-based clients.
- Vertical specialization. Rather than general recruiting, top firms focus on software engineering, AI, DevOps, and niche roles like embedded systems or blockchain.
- Dedicated recruitment squads. Clients receive a full team – including researchers, recruiters, headhunters, and account managers – that works exclusively on their positions.
- Transparency and guarantees. High-end firms commit to specific KPIs, such as time-to-hire and pass rate, with financial guarantees for unmet targets.
These characteristics allow remote IT recruitment agencies in Europe to deliver consistent results in under 6 weeks per hire, even for complex roles.
What to look for in a professional recruitment partner
Choosing the right IT recruitment agency in Europe directly impacts hiring outcomes, team retention, and long-term product delivery. To make the right decision, assess agencies against the following criteria:
- Regional expertise
Ensure the agency has active operations or partnerships in key talent hubs like Poland, Romania, Ukraine, and Bulgaria. Local presence enables faster sourcing, better salary benchmarking, and legal clarity. - Proven tech specialization
Review their track record with software engineering roles, tech stacks, and product companies. Agencies focused solely on IT recruitment in Europe will outperform generalist staffing firms. - Transparent guarantees
Top agencies should commit to clear KPIs – such as 5 hires in 1 month or 30+ hires in 3 months – and offer financial coverage if they miss the mark. - Full-cycle service
Beyond sourcing, your agency should cover interviews, salary negotiation, legal consulting, and post-hire support. - Blind CVs within days
Quick access to vetted profiles (3–5 days) signals a well-prepared talent pipeline and efficient candidate engagement.
Red flags and common mistakes
Avoid these frequent pitfalls when selecting a remote IT recruitment agency in Europe:
- Overpromising and underdelivering – “20 hires in 2 weeks” without real cases on-hand.
- Lack of industry focus – Agencies recruiting for multiple sectors usually lack niche expertise in tech field.
- Hidden costs – Watch for buyout fees, markups on candidate salaries, or unclear billing.
- Outdated sourcing methods – Manual databases and poor LinkedIn outreach usually lead to low-quality candidates.
Real case of setting up a development team in Europe
When Dotmatics, a US-based product company, sought to build a distributed software development team in Europe, they chose Alcor over generic IT staffing agencies. Within 12 months, Alcor assembled a 30-person team across Poland and Romania, including the Director of Engineering, Full Stack, React, QA Automation, DevOps, Node.js, and other engineers.
Key success factors:
- Blind CVs submitted within 4 business days
- Technical screening completed before client interviews
- Full legal and payroll compliance handled by Alcor
- 15% roles filled with the 1st CV
- A key account manager who provides ongoing support.
By setting up a dedicated offshore team, Dotmatics maintained alignment with its internal practices and hit major milestones, leading to its $5.1 billion acquisition by Siemens in July 2025. The engineers also benefited directly, receiving stock options as part of the company’s growth journey.
This level of service is only achievable with a recruitment partner that understands the European tech market and focuses on long-term client success.
Alcor’s formula for hiring tech talent in Europe
Full-cycle IT recruitment with a 98.6% retention
Alcor provides end-to-end IT recruitment services in Europe, tailored specifically for US and Western European tech product companies. From the intro call to onboarding, every hiring stage is managed in-house by a dedicated recruitment team.
What sets Alcor apart:
- Up to 40% savings vs outsourcing
- 80%+ CV pass rate
- 2–6 weeks per successful hire
- A team of 40 tech recruiters
- A 253K+ verified candidates in our talent database
Unlike typical staffing vendors, we focus exclusively on long-term placements, helping our clients build full-scale engineering teams with minimal turnover.
Data-driven methods and quality guarantees
Our approach is grounded in data, not guesswork. Each search begins with a salary and talent availability report across target European locations. We also track performance metrics like:
- Sourcing channel effectiveness
- Interview-to-hire ratios
- Probation completion rate
- Time-to-hire by role
Tech product companies that scale with Alcor
We’ve helped numerous US-based tech firms scale their teams across Europe, including:
- Sift – Set up a software R&D center in Eastern Europe of 51+ devs
- ThredUP – Built a team of 47 developers and assisted with stock options
- People.ai – Hired 25+ tech experts, including a highly skilled Staff Engineer and top AI specialists
Meet Our IT Recruiters
Tech Recruitment Process
Kick-off call
- Discuss your hiring needs and requirements
- Report on salaries and talent pool for open positions
- Negotiate and sign the contract
Preparation
- Create a hiring strategy
- Compose ideal candidate profiles
- Define and promote your EVP to local developers
Candidate Search & HR Interview
- Source, headhunt, and pre-screen candidates
- Conduct the HR interview
- Evaluate the candidates’ experience, previous projects, English level, and soft skills
Tech Interviews & Offer
- Let you conduct tech interviews and test tasks
- Update you on the hiring progress weekly
- Manage job offers
- Work with offer rejections and counteroffers, if any
Post-offer support
- Accept payment for hires
- Help you onboard your hires 3-month candidate replacement warranty
- Employment, payroll, and other operational support
Result
Your own software development team in Europe of your size, budget, and required skills
Contact UsMore Than Just IT Recruitment in Europe
- From 0 to 100+ engineers in Europe
- Employer of record—no-entity compliant employment
- Comprehensive in-country support
- No buy-out or other hidden fees
- Your team from day one. Your management. Your culture.
Companies Scaling with Alcor
Alcor is a reliable partner that meets our hiring needs. We finally hired experienced software engineers in Eastern Europe with strong tech skills and business acumen. Account Managers are awesome!
With Alcor’s all-in-one solution, we got a software R&D office with 15 senior PHP devs and a compliant operational coverage. I really appreciated their transparent pricing structure and deep expertise.
We interviewed a lot of EoR platforms and companies, but Alcor was the only one that provides a combo package of EoR and Recruting offerings. Alcor helped us build a full stack team in 1.5 month.
We wanted to switch from our outsourcing provider, and Alcor has become really game-changing for us. Within a mere 6 months, we got a fully-fledged team of 30 engineers in our own R&D office.
Alcor’s R&D solution eclipses full-cycle recruitment, EOR service, and operational support for our offshore team. Their ‘all-in-one place’ approach is far more cost-effective than I could’ve imagined.
I value their commitment to going the extra mile. We evolved from an outstaff project into an independent company, and Alcor’s support was crucial. They hired and ondoarded 15+ professionals for us.
Thanks to Alcor, we hired four engineers and a designer that strengthened our team. Beside stellar recruitment, Alcor flawlessly handled our payroll. Their approach was seamless and swift.
Alcor closed our 4 QA positions in a month and more than doubled the team in a year! We chose Alcor because of their communication style, cost, scope of services, and ideas to help us be successful.
Expanding our engineering team outside the US with Alcor was a game-changer! They found 15 talented developers and provided seamless EOR & operational support. Great responsiveness to our needs!
Alcor’s flexible model helped us scale from 0 to 30 devs in a year first, and then to 50! No buy-out fees, seamless hiring, and top-tier talent. A hassle-free way to grow without setting up a subsidiary!
FAQ about IT Recruitment Services in Europe
What is the portrait of an average candidate you recruit for a tech position in Europe?
Alcor holds recruiting for tech roles in Europe to a high standard. With 8 years of tech recruitment experience and a network of over 253,000 candidates, we deliver senior developers with rare tech stacks and ensure a corporate culture that perfectly matches your tech product needs.
Our hires’ tenure averages 2.5 years, so you get top-10% talent and long-term cooperation. Plus, we go beyond retained search and provide 24/7 dedicated account support for your tech talent in Europe.
Will there ever be a shortage of IT talent in Europe and how can Alcor address it?
While Europe is facing tech talent shortage, McKinsey advises to continuously scan the market for new hires and explore partnerships to bridge the talent gap.
Partner with Alcor: our 40 tech headhunters in Europe and a vetted network of over 253,000 candidates make recruiting for tech roles in Europe quick, efficient, and shortage-proof.
What is the best strategy to hire tech talent in Europe?
The best strategy for tech companies is to partner with a local provider that has a solid team of tech recruiters with experience in end-to-end hiring of senior developers and headhunting C-level and rare specialists in Europe.
Alcor’s 40 senior tech recruiters have already assembled teams of 20-30 elite developers for Sift, LivePerson, Dotmatics, and Ledger. We find IT talent in Europe in 2-6 weeks, while the average tenure of our hires is 2.5 years. Contact us to discuss your team scaling needs!
Do you use FTE or B2B models of employment when recruiting for tech roles in Europe?
We hire tech talent in Europe both on a B2B and FTE basis. Which one should you choose as a tech executive?
B2B contracts are the simplest way to hire remote developers, as you don’t need a legal entity to recruit IT talent in Europe. You can pay higher net salaries while avoiding costly social security contributions, payroll tax, and personal income tax—your tech workers handle their tax obligations. Alcor can also handle this function, so your developers can have peace of mind. Plus, our lawyers can advise you on contract provisions, ensuring you hire tech talent from Europe on the best terms for both parties.
Want to hire a software development team in Europe on an FTE basis? Alcor’s Employer of Record service has you covered. We already have legal entities overseas, so you bypass business incorporation hurdles. Our lawyers will draft tech-focused employment contracts, with local labor law specifics included, and mitigate any risks related to worker misclassification, social security, and tax obligations. Meanwhile, Alcor’s payroll specialists will take care of taxes, social contributions, and accurate salary payouts so you can focus on your product development instead.
Contact us to get more details on this topic!
What else does Alcor’s software R&D solution in Europe include?
In addition to IT talent sourcing in Europe, EOR, and in-country operational support, our tech R&D solution covers additional services, such as employer branding, tech RPO, WFH assistance, etc. Our clients also benefit from detailed consultations on taxation, labor laws, salary benchmarking, and more.