Facing staff shortages, many Russian companies are likely to deprioritize gender, age, and communication skills when evaluating applicants for IT roles. A recent survey indicates that 40% of hiring decisions focus on how a candidate will be trained, while 31% hinge on a completed project portfolio. The results come from a collaboration between the Position research center and Hexlet online programming school, as reported by socialbites.ca.
Among respondents, 72% believe that salaries in tech companies are determined solely by the knowledge and experience of IT professionals. In the remaining 28% who tie compensation to gender and age characteristics, half worry that pay gaps could reach 10% to 30% due to factors not aligned with the employer’s needs.
IT experts also identified the areas where soft skills and demographic characteristics are most often assessed. The top three roles that emphasize soft skills are designers, cited by 39%, marketers by 30%, and product managers by 29%. In contrast, positions like data scientists (8%), developers (10%), data analysts (12%), and testers (13%) show less emphasis on gender, age, and communication traits during hiring.
Soft skills tend to be most in demand for entry level staff, with 38% of participants highlighting this group. Mid-level professionals follow at 24%, while interns are viewed as needing these competencies less than IT specialists overall.
In a broader context, the survey underscores ongoing debates about fair compensation practices and the balance between skills, experience, and demographic considerations in hiring across technology sectors in Russia. These dynamics have implications for global readers in Canada and the United States who navigate similar talent shortages, wage transparency discussions, and the push to define clear skill requirements that transcend gender and age. The findings remind companies to base compensation on demonstrable expertise and project outcomes while recognizing the value of soft skills in team collaboration and product delivery. The conversation about early career readiness, ongoing training, and professional development remains central to building resilient tech workforces in North America as well.
One more note adds a stark personal dimension to workplaces. A share of the population reports relationship abuse, highlighting the broader social context in which IT professionals operate and the importance of supportive workplace policies. This reminder points to the need for inclusive human resources practices that protect all staff while focusing on skills, performance, and opportunity within tech careers. [Source: Position research center and Hexlet survey quoted by socialbites.ca]