Competition for IT specialists, primarily developers, has noticeably intensified in Kazakhstan. Companies note that demand for building and supporting digital products continues to grow, while the talent market cannot always keep up with business needs in terms of speed and level of qualification.

The shortage is most acute in the segment of experienced specialists. With development vacancies open, many employers say that quickly finding a strong middle/senior-level developer is becoming harder: there are fewer candidates, and the requirements for them are higher. This affects project launch timelines and increases hiring costs. Some companies are moving to a “grow from within” model, strengthening internships and in-house training to fill positions over a horizon of several months rather than weeks.

The situation is also aggravated by remote work. Since the remote format has taken hold, many developers look not only at the local market but also at international offers. This increases competition for strong specialists within the country: employers have to offer more flexible conditions, clear growth and interesting tasks to retain employees.

On the client side, changes are noticeable in how projects are structured. Businesses are becoming more cautious in planning timelines: there are more stages of approval, pre-project analysis and prototyping to reduce the risk of rework and “fires” during development. Demand is also growing for turnkey teams — when it is easier for companies to work with a ready-made combination (PM, design, frontend, backend, testing) than to assemble specialists one by one.

Overall, the market is moving toward a more mature model: hiring is becoming more systematic and projects more structured. However, the talent shortage remains one of the main issues for IT companies and businesses, especially amid accelerating digitalization and the growing number of products that require ongoing support.