The research was conducted by the recruitment company Values Value and the platform InGame Job.
In the fourth quarter of 2022, Ukrainian companies published 3,204 vacancies on key industrial and job portals. This is a big drop in the market — in the third quarter there were 4,361 jobs in total.
In the graph below, you can see how the number of vacancies changed from month to month during 2022.
Just compare this chart with the 2021 chart: what a growing market it was!
Geography of Hiring
Can you imagine that in 2021 Kyiv was the leader in the number of vacancies with an office format of cooperation within the industry of ex-CIS region (countries from ex-USSR)? 12,630 vacancies with jobs in Kyiv were published in 2021, and only 7,800 in 2022.
The number of vacancies is gradually decreasing. This may be due to both the general recession of the global market and a local problem with power outages due to Russia’s constant shelling of Ukraine’s infrastructure.
We conducted a survey among subscribers in the telegram channels of Values Value and InGame Job, and found out that 15% of respondents lost their jobs due to constant blackouts.
Ukrainian companies that have managed to stay afloat in 2022 focus on providing support for employees during difficult times such as blackouts. For example, providing a workplace with internet connectivity via Starlink or a generator during power outages. My friend, for example, was provided with EcoFlow and even a generator in case of a total blackout. I’m not sure it’s safe to run the generator on the balcony, but her anxiety has significantly decreased.
Nowadays, Ukrainian specialists are not ready to change jobs, realizing that they have unstable Internet and electricity, if the current company relates to the drop in productivity with understanding. It turns out that the loyalty of the company is also a kind of bonus at the moment.
The Most Hiring Companies in Ukraine
Outsourcing companies with clients abroad are still hiring well.
The Most In-Demand Jobs in 2022
In 2022, marketing- and UA- managers left the top 3 most wanted professions. Otherwise, the situation is very similar to 2021.
The Level of Wanted Specialists
It’s getting harder to find a job for juniors. If at the beginning of 2022, before the full-scale invasion, companies published about 100 vacancies for newcomers monthly, then in December 2022 there were only 16 vacancies.
We live in post pandemic times when most of the companies stay hybrid or remote – not everyone has returned to the office. And it is quite an issue to manage juniors and especially entry level specialists remotely. When there is a choice between ready-made specialists and juniors, most of the companies choose ready-made middles and seniors.
However, this approach isn’t very long term oriented. Who are we going to hire in 5 years if we don’t create trainee projects, if we don’t hire juniors, if we don’t educate them, if we don’t give them an opportunity to gain commercial experience?
Of course, there are outsourcing teams who rely on junior-to-mid level specialists, whose business model is based on raising new talents, but I don’t think they will cope themselves with this imbalance of a demand to mid-to-seniors.
Now, when many companies are experiencing difficulties, it is more profitable for them to hire one experienced specialist than to look for newcomers and adapt them.
What should we do with junior candidates?
In order to somehow influence the situation, we practice the following: in the process of working on a vacancy, we determine the possible interest of the team in junior-level specialists, evaluate the team’s ability to hire a junior and adapt them to their goals. If there is such an opportunity and we have met a promising candidate, we will offer them to the company.
Plus, we are always open to juniors and are ready to give advice to young specialists.
Do not forget that the market is developing like a roller coaster and the moment of the “golden hour” for juniors always comes. For example, remember the years 2020-2021, when companies grabbed juniors immediately after an internship, even for an high salary rate. Even in the context of the wartime of 2022, many startups and large companies (especially outsourcing) continue to grow and are ready to hire specialists of different levels of experience to their staff. And in the darkest times there is a chance to find a ray of light.
