According to the latest data, the global Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) market is currently valued at approximately USD 320 billion and is expected to reach nearly USD 700 billion by 2033, growing at an annual rate of close to 10%. Traditional outsourcing leaders such as India, the Philippines, and the United States continue to dominate, but the trend of hiring external, specialized teams—rather than building in-house structures—is also gaining momentum across Europe, including Poland. This shift is particularly visible in times of economic uncertainty, talent shortages, and increasing pressure on operational efficiency. Experts emphasize that outsourcing today is no longer just about cost reduction, but about flexibility and speed.
Poland is steadily strengthening its position as one of the most important outsourcing hubs in Europe. Already a few years ago, the country hosted more than 1,700 business service centers employing over 400,000 people, accounting for more than 6% of total employment. Today, Poland ranks among the most preferred outsourcing destinations globally, holding second place worldwide for IT outsourcing services. The value of IT services in Poland has exceeded PLN 66 billion, with approximately 30% attributed to IT outsourcing. At the same time, the software development outsourcing segment reached around USD 3.8 billion in 2025 and continues to grow at an annual rate of nearly 9%.
“Companies’ approach to outsourcing is evolving. Today, organizations are not just buying specific competencies, but above all the ability to scale their business instantly and adapt to changing conditions. They can respond to growth and slowdowns faster than their competitors. If a project needs to start immediately and the labor market cannot deliver the right candidates in time, the natural choice is to engage a ready, trained team that can seamlessly integrate into organizational processes and begin work almost immediately,” says a Devire expert.
Companies Move Away from Rigid Structures
A decade ago, outsourcing was mainly associated with call centers or IT support. Today, it covers a much broader spectrum—from finance and accounting processes, through administration, to advanced technology and sales projects. Its role is also evolving. In many organizations, outsourcing is no longer just a supplement but is becoming the foundation of the operating model.
This shift reflects real market challenges. Employment in Poland’s business services sector continues to grow by tens of thousands annually, illustrating the scale of demand for skills. At the same time, many industries—especially IT and finance—face persistent shortages of qualified professionals.
“In outsourcing, access to competencies is often reduced from several months—typical for traditional recruitment—to just a few days. Increasingly, decisions to engage external teams are driven not by cost optimization but by necessity. In many cases, it is the only way to deliver projects on time,” adds the Devire expert.
Risk Shifts to the Provider
Another key factor driving outsourcing is cost pressure. Globally, companies are turning to outsourcing to gain greater financial predictability and reduce risk. In this model, organizations transfer part of the cost and responsibility to an external partner—from recruitment and training to workforce management. In practice, this means a shift from fixed costs (CAPEX) to operational expenses (OPEX), along with better budget control, as providers typically charge based on hourly rates or fixed fees tied to actual engagement.
“In certain areas, such as administrative processes, savings can reach up to 40% compared to in-house models. The risk lies with the provider, who is responsible for staff turnover, absenteeism, and compliance with labor regulations. In a dynamic environment with increasing employee turnover, this becomes increasingly important for companies,” says a Devire representative.
Operational Challenges Remain
Poland is also benefiting from the growing popularity of outsourcing. The country has become one of Europe’s key business service hubs, both in nearshoring models and global competence centers. Central and Eastern Europe offers companies labor costs that are 40–50% lower than in the United States, while still providing access to a large pool of highly qualified IT specialists.
Despite these advantages, outsourcing comes with specific challenges. The selection of the right partner is critical—not only in terms of competencies but also alignment with working style, pace, and organizational culture. In practice, this requires careful verification of processes, team management quality, and communication standards.
Equally important is internal preparation. Companies increasingly begin with a skills audit and identify which areas can be externally scaled. Based on this, they define key performance indicators (KPIs) for cooperation, such as onboarding time, quality of work, and project delivery timelines.
Operational challenges may also arise along the way. First, team integration requires consistent tools, clear processes, and well-planned onboarding. Second, data security and the protection of know-how are crucial considerations.
In practice, outsourcing delivers results only when it is well designed and consistently managed at every stage of the partnership.
