Recruiting IT talent in Austria or Germany is getting harder by the day. Local markets are saturated, competition for skilled developers is fierce, and salaries keep climbing.
And even when you do find a qualified candidate, the total cost—including taxes, benefits, and mandatory bonuses—can strain your budget.
That’s why more and more DACH companies are looking beyond their borders.
Expanding your search to nearby countries like Serbia doesn’t just open up a larger talent pool; it gives you access to highly skilled professionals, competitive costs, and a cultural fit that makes integration efficient.
If recruiting IT talent from Serbia is on your radar too, here’s a breakdown of why it’s worth considering—both in terms of cost and quality.
1. The Cost Advantage of Recruiting IT Talent from Serbia
Let’s be honest: the first thing any company thinks about when recruiting IT talent is the cost. And in Serbia, companies get the same top-notch talent for far less, without compromising quality.
Take Austria as an example. Say you want to hire a developer with a net salary of €2,000. Sounds reasonable, right?
But the total cost for the employer—what you actually pay including taxes—is around €4,200 per month. And that’s before you factor in the mandatory 13th and 14th salaries.
By the end of the year, that same developer costs the company €58,800.
Now, let’s see Serbia. Same net salary: €2,000, except the total cost for the company drops to €3,200 per month.
No extra mandatory 13th or 14th salaries, meaning that for the whole year, that’s €38,400. That’s around 35% cheaper than Austria for the same talent.
To put it another way: for the cost of one developer in Austria, you could hire one developer in Serbia and still have money left over.
Now, believe it or not, it gets even better.
Many companies don’t even hire Serbian developers on traditional contracts—they go B2B. That means no extra social contributions, no mandatory bonuses. You pay for results, not bureaucracy.
One practical example: a company we worked with hired two mid-level developers in Serbia on B2B contracts. Total yearly cost? Around €76,800. Hiring the same talent in Austria? €117,600. That’s €40,000 saved in a single year, and the developers were just as skilled.
So, when you look at taxes, mandatory salaries, and the flexibility of B2B contracts, recruiting IT talent from Serbia is not just cheaper—it’s strategic. You get high-quality IT talent without breaking the bank, freeing up budget to invest in projects, tools, or even expanding your team faster.
2. Access to Skilled IT Professionals When Recruiting IT from Serbia
Sure, cost is important, but skills are what really make a team click. And here, Serbian IT professionals shine.
When recruiting IT from Serbia, you’re recruiting professionals who’ve already worked in international teams, handled complex projects, and know how to deliver under pressure.
That’s huge when your Austrian or German team can’t afford long onboarding cycles.
We once had a client struggling to fill a mid-level Java developer role in Vienna, but the best local candidates were either too expensive or simply unavailable.
Once we moved to recruiting IT from Serbia? Within 2 weeks, we had 3 qualified candidates, all with experience in international projects and ready to hit the ground running.
3. Cultural and Geographical Benefits of Recruiting IT from Serbia
Recruiting It Serbia
How your team works together matters just as much as the cost of hiring or the skills they bring.
The good news? Serbia is right in Europe, just a short flight or train ride from Vienna, Munich, or Zurich.
Need an on-site meeting, sprint planning, or team workshop? No problem at all. Now, compare that to developers in India or Southeast Asia—overnight flights, jet lag, and coordination headaches—and it’s easy to see who wins.
Language is another big plus. Most Serbian IT professionals speak excellent English, and many also know German. That means fewer misunderstandings, smoother collaboration, and faster project delivery.
Essentially, you’re not spending half the time translating instructions or fixing miscommunications.
Lastly, culturally, Serbian developers are accustomed to European business norms.
They value deadlines, structured workflows, and clear communication—just like your in-house team.
What we’ve found is that often there’s no need for a cultural adjustment period that slows down your projects and that, in fact, integration is rather seamless, whether your team is remote or hybrid.
In short, recruiting IT from Serbia gives you a team that’s nearby, easy to communicate with, and already aligned with your company culture. You save time, reduce friction, and actually enjoy working together—something that money alone can’t buy.
4. Retention and Stability in Recruiting IT from Serbia
At People Focus, we like to say that the point of recruiting IT talent is to keep the right people for the long haul, rather than to just fill a seat. And here, in Serbia, that’s much easier to achieve.
Our statistics show that developers in Serbia tend to stay longer (as in 10 years, at least), of course, when they’re treated well.
For any hiring company, that means less churn, fewer rehiring headaches, and more continuity on your projects.
Think about it: every time a developer leaves, you lose knowledge, slow down delivery, and spend weeks onboarding someone new. With Serbian talent, that risk is lower.
Now, why is this the case?
Well, part of the reason is that many Serbian IT professionals value stability and career growth. If the role is interesting, the environment supportive, and the compensation fair, they’re loyal.
A mid-level developer who might jump jobs every year in other markets could stay three, four, or even five years with the right company. That’s rare in high-demand tech hubs like Germany or Austria.
And it’s not just loyalty; it’s productivity. Longer tenure means developers understand your systems, your workflows, and your team’s dynamics.
They make fewer mistakes, anticipate needs, and often become informal mentors for new hires.
So, when you’re recruiting IT from Serbia, you’re practically investing in a stable, reliable team that can grow with your company.
Less turnover, less stress, more results.
Is Recruiting IT from Serbia Worth It for Your Company?
The short answer? Recruiting IT talent from Serbia is absolutely worth it, but only if you have the right partner.
The thing is, finding top IT talent in this market is challenging. Traditional recruitment methods alone often aren’t enough, especially when you need senior developers or specialized profiles without overloading your internal team.
But that’s exactly what People Focus specializes in. We’re an IT recruitment agency in Serbia that helps DACH companies not just fill vacancies but build long-term, stable teams.
With over 20 years of experience leading a DACH-region IT company—and as a native German speaker—our CEO knows exactly what companies in Austria and Germany need.
That insight lets us find candidates who not only have the right skills but also fit your culture, communication style, and workflow.
Ready to explore our pool of 4,000+ vetted IT professionals and experience just how fast our recruitment process can be? Send us a message, and let’s build you a team that’s ready to grow with your company.”
Recruiting IT talent in Austria or Germany is getting harder by the day. Local markets are saturated, competition for skilled developers is fierce, and salaries keep climbing.
And even when you do find a qualified candidate, the total cost—including taxes, benefits, and mandatory bonuses—can strain your budget.
That’s why more and more DACH companies are looking beyond their borders.
Expanding your search to nearby countries like Serbia doesn’t just open up a larger talent pool; it gives you access to highly skilled professionals, competitive costs, and a cultural fit that makes integration efficient.
If recruiting IT talent from Serbia is on your radar too, here’s a breakdown of why it’s worth considering—both in terms of cost and quality.
1. The Cost Advantage of Recruiting IT Talent from Serbia
Let’s be honest: the first thing any company thinks about when recruiting IT talent is the cost. And in Serbia, companies get the same top-notch talent for far less, without compromising quality.
Take Austria as an example. Say you want to hire a developer with a net salary of €2,000. Sounds reasonable, right?
But the total cost for the employer—what you actually pay including taxes—is around €4,200 per month. And that’s before you factor in the mandatory 13th and 14th salaries.
By the end of the year, that same developer costs the company €58,800.
Now, let’s see Serbia. Same net salary: €2,000, except the total cost for the company drops to €3,200 per month.
No extra mandatory 13th or 14th salaries, meaning that for the whole year, that’s €38,400. That’s around 35% cheaper than Austria for the same talent.
To put it another way: for the cost of one developer in Austria, you could hire one developer in Serbia and still have money left over.
Now, believe it or not, it gets even better.
Many companies don’t even hire Serbian developers on traditional contracts—they go B2B. That means no extra social contributions, no mandatory bonuses. You pay for results, not bureaucracy.
One practical example: a company we worked with hired two mid-level developers in Serbia on B2B contracts. Total yearly cost? Around €76,800. Hiring the same talent in Austria? €117,600. That’s €40,000 saved in a single year, and the developers were just as skilled.
So, when you look at taxes, mandatory salaries, and the flexibility of B2B contracts, recruiting IT talent from Serbia is not just cheaper—it’s strategic. You get high-quality IT talent without breaking the bank, freeing up budget to invest in projects, tools, or even expanding your team faster.
2. Access to Skilled IT Professionals When Recruiting IT from Serbia
Sure, cost is important, but skills are what really make a team click. And here, Serbian IT professionals shine.
When recruiting IT from Serbia, you’re recruiting professionals who’ve already worked in international teams, handled complex projects, and know how to deliver under pressure.
That’s huge when your Austrian or German team can’t afford long onboarding cycles.
We once had a client struggling to fill a mid-level Java developer role in Vienna, but the best local candidates were either too expensive or simply unavailable.
Once we moved to recruiting IT from Serbia? Within 2 weeks, we had 3 qualified candidates, all with experience in international projects and ready to hit the ground running.
3. Cultural and Geographical Benefits of Recruiting IT from Serbia
Recruiting It Serbia
How your team works together matters just as much as the cost of hiring or the skills they bring.
The good news? Serbia is right in Europe, just a short flight or train ride from Vienna, Munich, or Zurich.
Need an on-site meeting, sprint planning, or team workshop? No problem at all. Now, compare that to developers in India or Southeast Asia—overnight flights, jet lag, and coordination headaches—and it’s easy to see who wins.
Language is another big plus. Most Serbian IT professionals speak excellent English, and many also know German. That means fewer misunderstandings, smoother collaboration, and faster project delivery.
Essentially, you’re not spending half the time translating instructions or fixing miscommunications.
Lastly, culturally, Serbian developers are accustomed to European business norms.
They value deadlines, structured workflows, and clear communication—just like your in-house team.
What we’ve found is that often there’s no need for a cultural adjustment period that slows down your projects and that, in fact, integration is rather seamless, whether your team is remote or hybrid.
In short, recruiting IT from Serbia gives you a team that’s nearby, easy to communicate with, and already aligned with your company culture. You save time, reduce friction, and actually enjoy working together—something that money alone can’t buy.
4. Retention and Stability in Recruiting IT from Serbia
At People Focus, we like to say that the point of recruiting IT talent is to keep the right people for the long haul, rather than to just fill a seat. And here, in Serbia, that’s much easier to achieve.
Our statistics show that developers in Serbia tend to stay longer (as in 10 years, at least), of course, when they’re treated well.
For any hiring company, that means less churn, fewer rehiring headaches, and more continuity on your projects.
Think about it: every time a developer leaves, you lose knowledge, slow down delivery, and spend weeks onboarding someone new. With Serbian talent, that risk is lower.
Now, why is this the case?
Well, part of the reason is that many Serbian IT professionals value stability and career growth. If the role is interesting, the environment supportive, and the compensation fair, they’re loyal.
A mid-level developer who might jump jobs every year in other markets could stay three, four, or even five years with the right company. That’s rare in high-demand tech hubs like Germany or Austria.
And it’s not just loyalty; it’s productivity. Longer tenure means developers understand your systems, your workflows, and your team’s dynamics.
They make fewer mistakes, anticipate needs, and often become informal mentors for new hires.
So, when you’re recruiting IT from Serbia, you’re practically investing in a stable, reliable team that can grow with your company.
Less turnover, less stress, more results.
Is Recruiting IT from Serbia Worth It for Your Company?
The short answer? Recruiting IT talent from Serbia is absolutely worth it, but only if you have the right partner.
The thing is, finding top IT talent in this market is challenging. Traditional recruitment methods alone often aren’t enough, especially when you need senior developers or specialized profiles without overloading your internal team.
But that’s exactly what People Focus specializes in. We’re an IT recruitment agency in Serbia that helps DACH companies not just fill vacancies but build long-term, stable teams.
With over 20 years of experience leading a DACH-region IT company—and as a native German speaker—our CEO knows exactly what companies in Austria and Germany need.
That insight lets us find candidates who not only have the right skills but also fit your culture, communication style, and workflow.
Ready to explore our pool of 4,000+ vetted IT professionals and experience just how fast our recruitment process can be? Send us a message, and let’s build you a team that’s ready to grow with your company.”
