For U.S. companies struggling to find specialized technology talent without escalating costs, the answer may lie in an approach already being used by European businesses. Companies are combining local leadership with skilled developers in Central and Eastern Europe. They are building international technology teams that offer an alternative to traditional outsourcing.

This model is gaining relevance as demand for technical expertise continues to grow. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects employment of software developers to grow 10% between 2025 and 2035. The median annual wage for U.S. software developers reached $135,980 in May 2025, before benefits and recruitment costs. Companies face mounting pressure to find talent while managing expenses.

Yet hiring internationally brings its own challenges. Choosing partners based primarily on cost can lead to poor technical matches, communication difficulties, and expensive setbacks. For businesses entering unfamiliar markets, success depends on more than access to developers. It requires an understanding of technical requirements, working cultures, and how to build teams that perform well together.

Rebeka van der Heiden, founder of Peoply.tech, a Slovakia-based technology recruitment firm, connects Central European developers with companies across Western Europe, particularly in the Netherlands and the UK. She is now looking to expand into the U.S. market. Before founding Peoply, van der Heiden worked in IT project management.

There, she saw how a lack of understanding of technical roles could lead to unsuitable hires. That experience shaped her approach to recruitment, emphasizing technical understanding, transparent pricing, and quality over quantity.

How Peoply vets developers

Peoply begins by understanding each client's projects, technical requirements, and working culture. Candidates undergo in-depth interviews about their previous work, followed by technical assessments coordinated with the client and evaluated by the client's engineering team. Although Peoply's recruiters are not engineers themselves, they receive technical training to better assess candidates' experience and identify potential mismatches.

“With AI increasingly making its way into our own recruitment operations, as well as the industry as a whole, it simultaneously highlights the importance of keeping the personal and human touch as a priority,” van der Heiden says.

Over the past four years, van der Heiden says only two placements have failed because of cultural fit.

“The point is to match personality and communication style, not just skills,” she explains. “That is what makes a placement last.”

Transparency also extends to pricing. Peoply allows developers to set their own rates. It recognizes that pricing can reflect individual circumstances and experience rather than serving as a direct measure of technical quality. Clients can see how their costs are structured, helping them make more informed hiring decisions.

“Price and quality are not the same thing,” van der Heiden says. “We check every candidate's skills, whatever their rate.”

Rates, costs and Central Europe's talent pool

The financial advantages can also be significant. According to Peoply's hiring guide, its clients save an average of 40% on developer costs compared with hiring equivalent talent in the Netherlands. In one example, a senior engineer costs less than €62 per hour through Peoply, including its fee.

A comparable Dutch hire costs €109 per hour once employer costs are included. For van der Heiden, the real advantage is not simply paying less. It is accessing skilled developers at competitive rates without compromising on technical capability or team fit.

Central Europe's appeal extends beyond competitive rates. The region has a strong tradition of technical education, with universities producing graduates who compete internationally in computer science and programming. Poland, for example, ranks fifth by gold medals in the all-time International Olympiad in Informatics standings, while Slovakia ranks eleventh.

Van der Heiden also points to the working culture she has encountered, particularly a strong work ethic and willingness to communicate directly. In her experience, developers who feel comfortable questioning technical decisions and suggesting improvements can help prevent misunderstandings and contribute more effectively to international teams.

From single hires to development teams

Many of van der Heiden's European clients have adopted this approach. They retain leadership and oversight in their home markets while integrating Central European developers into their existing teams. Peoply supports these arrangements beyond recruitment, handling contracts and administration while helping businesses handle local requirements.

Companies can begin with individual contractors without establishing a local entity, then consider a more permanent presence as their teams grow. Van der Heiden sees an opportunity to extend this model to U.S. businesses interested in establishing development operations in the region.

Some of Peoply's European clients have moved beyond filling individual vacancies to building longer-term development teams. Van der Heiden points to improvements in hiring efficiency, talent retention, and reduced reliance on domestic contractors as evidence of one thing: international recruitment can become part of a broader workforce strategy.

Central Europe offers U.S. technology leaders an opportunity to rethink how they build development teams. Van der Heiden believes successful international partnerships depend on understanding the people, technical capabilities, and working relationships behind the rates.

Companies don't have to treat international recruitment as a way to fill vacancies at a lower cost. They can approach it as a long-term investment in building stronger, more adaptable teams.