One in three IT companies plans to hire in the first quarter of the new year, nearly half expect to keep their teams unchanged, and only 17% are considering layoffs. In 2026, the market will reward skills in AI, cloud computing and cybersecurity. Employers will increasingly look for highly specialised capabilities, hiring individual experts rather than entire teams—according to Experis data.
The net employment outlook for Q1 2026 in the technology and IT services sector stands at +13%. That is 1 percentage point higher than in the previous quarter, but 10 points lower than a year earlier. 32% of organisations intend to recruit new talent, while only 17% are thinking about reducing headcount. Nearly half of businesses (49%) do not anticipate staffing changes.
“Early in the year does support recruitment. Companies have new budgets and can plan hiring over the coming months. But in 2026, the main driver won’t be budget alone—it will be the need to acquire competencies that are critical to delivering technology strategies, especially in AI, cloud, cybersecurity and data. The year-on-year decline of 10 percentage points does not mean the market is slowing; rather, it suggests stabilisation after a period of more intensive hiring. Organisations are regaining balance, taking a more selective approach to team-building, and investing more consciously in talent with the highest business value. At the same time, the fact that 32% of organisations plan to recruit indicates a shift from mass hiring to securing very specific skills. Companies are not hiring at scale today—they are looking for people with specialised capabilities that directly support an enterprise’s technological development,” comments Dominik Malec, labour market expert and Head of Experis IT Resourcing.
Company growth as a hiring catalyst
In Q1 2026, 47% of firms say organisational growth will drive new recruitment. Meanwhile, 33% point to technological progress that requires new competencies. Employers also emphasise expansion into new markets and business areas—necessitating additional roles (27%). The same share of companies are investing in team diversity by creating new positions (27%). Temporary projects lead to team expansion in one in five businesses (20%).
“Polish companies are investing more strongly in new digital products and services, expanding R&D functions, and building capabilities around key technologies. In practice, technological transformation forces the creation of entirely new roles, while also driving deep specialisation within existing IT teams. The greatest demand we currently see is in areas such as AI development and deployment, process automation, cloud architecture and engineering, cybersecurity, and data analytics. Competencies essential to building new products are also growing—roles such as software developers, DevOps engineers, MLOps specialists, automation testers, and UX and Customer Experience experts. The financial sector, e-commerce, manufacturing and professional services are particularly active in strengthening teams in these areas,” Malec notes.
He stresses that companies are seeking not only specialised technical knowledge, but also soft skills that enable effective project delivery in a changing environment. “The most valued are the ability to work in interdisciplinary teams, project management, communication, customer focus, and the capacity to learn and adapt quickly. From an organisational perspective, the combination of technological expertise and business competencies is becoming a key source of competitive advantage. The market is clearly moving away from mass hiring towards searching for top-tier specialists who can make a real impact on growth and innovation,” the Experis representative adds.
Why tech companies are choosing stability
Every second employer says its current staffing level is sufficient to achieve business objectives, and therefore does not plan headcount changes (50%). Almost as many organisations (45%) say their strategy focuses on retaining existing staff. One in four companies (23%) reports that higher operational efficiency allows them to deliver tasks without expanding the team. Some businesses are holding off on staffing decisions while waiting for greater economic stability (18%), and in certain cases financial constraints prevent them from increasing employment (14%).
“For many companies, no change in headcount signals operational stability. At the same time, it reflects a deliberate strategy of caution in an uncertain economic environment. Firms prefer to preserve cost flexibility and test in practice when additional hiring is truly necessary. Businesses are combining stability with the need to develop modern competencies. On the one hand, they invest in employees through upskilling and reskilling; on the other, they bring in experts on a contract basis to quickly gain specialised knowledge needed for key projects. Recruitment is becoming highly precise—companies search for talent only where the skills gap is most acute and where investment in new hires immediately translates into business value,” Malec explains.
He adds that the most effective development initiatives are those that combine practice with real-world experience. “Organisations are increasingly implementing intensive upskilling and reskilling programmes built around practical project tasks and certifications linked to real deployments. The role of mentoring and technical coaching is growing—regular collaboration between senior and junior specialists, code reviews, and pair programming are becoming core elements of a learning culture,” he notes.
Market and economic shifts driving layoffs
A reduction in headcount in the first months of the new year is being considered by 17% of technology and IT services companies—mainly in response to changing market conditions and economic challenges. As many as 71% say demand for certain roles has fallen, while 57% cite economic difficulties as a factor limiting employment. In addition, 29% admit that process automation reduces the need for employees in some areas. The same share (29%) are not backfilling vacancies after employees leave. To a lesser extent, layoffs result from changes in required skill sets (14%).
“Companies are seeing decreased demand for roles linked to traditional IT support, manual testing or systems administration, driven by automation and cloud migration. The best chances of success will belong to those firms that can combine selective hiring of experts with systematic development of internal competencies in the sector’s key areas,” Malec concludes.
Source: CEO.com.pl
