IT professionals are moving through the job market at a remarkable pace, with a notable shortage shaping the landscape. This observation comes from industry leader Stanislav Bliznyuk, president of Tinkoff Bank, who spoke at the Finopolis forum to RBC. The takeaway is clear: demand for skilled IT talent remains high across the region, and competition among employers is intensifying as a result.
According to Bliznyuk, an IT professional can receive five to seven concrete offers from potential employers within just a short three-day window, especially when they are exploring opportunities that include career advancement. The rapid response reflects the strong appetite for digital expertise and the value placed on professional growth in today’s job market.
He described the situation as a severe talent famine. In his view, such scarcity drives two main outcomes: rising compensation levels and elevated hiring costs for many companies. When the talent pool tightens, the price of securing top IT talent tends to climb, and the recruitment process becomes more competitive and demanding for organizations—not only to attract candidates but to retain them amid rising expectations.
Bliznyuk also highlighted concerns about the long-term impact on workforce quality. As fewer specialists enter the pipeline and some workers believe that a few advanced skills suffice for easy recruitment, there is worry that the overall standard of IT expertise could erode. The risk is not merely about filling roles today, but about sustaining a robust skill base for the future as projects grow more complex and technology stacks become more demanding.
For Tinkoff Bank, wage pressures are a factor to monitor closely. While the institution acknowledges rising personnel costs, it notes that current performance metrics have not yet shown a clear negative effect. Still, management expects potential changes in the talent market to become more evident over the next three to five years, prompting a need for ongoing strategic planning around compensation, training, and retention, as well as broader investment in technology teams and internal career pathways.
On a related note, there has been recent progress in domestic technology initiatives designed to reduce vulnerability and enhance privacy. News from Russia about the development of locally produced smartphones designed to operate with stronger protection against surveillance reflects a broader push toward safeguarding digital ecosystems. These efforts illustrate how national initiatives can influence the technology supply chain, affecting both manufacturing and the available pool of skilled workers who contribute to such projects. The intersection of policy, security, and talent remains a critical area for IT leadership to watch as markets evolve and new tools and standards emerge.