“We are curious and dedicated, and we will tell you if we have an idea or think something needs to be fixed! We also take pride in integrating into our clients’ culture. Nearshoring from Latin America puts us in the same time zones as our US clients, facilitating communication and collaboration.” —Justice Erolin, CTO, BairesDev
In 2022, BairesDev, a bootstrapped tech unicorn, saw 71% growth. As a leading software outsourcing company with 4,000 professionals across more than 50 countries, we are uniquely positioned to offer insights into where the tech industry is today and where it’s headed in the future.
From over 1 million annual applications and experience completing projects across more than 100 industries, we have identified five important trends that should be on your radar in 2024.
1. Tech Is Geo-diverse
“The world is our tech hub,” said Justice Erolin, BairesDev’s CTO. “Nonetheless, geographic areas less saturated with big tech companies are ideal for finding talent.”
Thanks to our fully remote model, we are able to work with talent over the world. In fact, geographic talent dispersion increased by 65% between 2021 and 2022.
This was the mindset that led our founders to establish BairesDev as a fully remote company back in 2009. We understand that talent is everywhere — it’s not limited to specific regions, countries, or even continents. We can tap into unseen talent wherever these professionals are.
The majority of our talent is based in Latin America, which is steadily gaining recognition as a tech talent hub. Moreover, more than 30% of our talent lives outside capital cities, underscoring the idea that areas without big tech companies are excellent places to find untapped talent — individuals who may not have previously had opportunities to flex their skills.
2. “Boring Tech” Is Increasingly in Demand
While artificial intelligence (AI), the Metaverse, and Web 3.0 were highly visible and ubiquitous in 2022, this year, in response to a looming recession, we’re seeing a tendency toward “boring technologies.” This is in order to gain efficiency and optimize resources through established or automated technologies during a challenging economic period.
“Companies will focus on initiatives with defined short-horizon benefits,” Erolin explained. “We see investment in projects that will provide immediate, visible value to clients and the organization and away from some highly innovative but high-risk projects.”
3. Tech Serves the User
But boring tech doesn’t mean a boring user experience. There is an increasing focus on the user, with JavaScript — the most popular language for designing engaging experiences — growing in demand: there was a 250% increase in applicants who are experts in the language in just one year, according to our data. In fact, JavaScript continues to top lists of the most popular programming languages period.
Meanwhile, Python developer applications saw a 179% increase in 2022 at BairesDev. In general, Python is easy to understand and use and comes with extensive community support, libraries, and frameworks. The surge in the language’s popularity also underscores the importance of big data and AI across different industries. So, even despite an emphasis on boring tech, it’s clear that AI isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
4. More Women Are Coming to Tech
Women have been notoriously underrepresented in tech. But while there is still a considerable amount of work to be done to increase gender diversity — along with diversity in general — in tech and tech-adjacent fields, we are seeing the needle move a bit.
According to our internal data, which was later published on Statista, applications from female candidates for tech roles increased by 400% between 2015 and 2021. Applications from female candidates for technical and non-technical positions rose from 11% to 41%, demonstrating that women are showing a greater interest in and desire to work in the tech industry.
5. Professionals Are Looking for More Than a High Salary
A competitive salary has always been an important factor in attracting top tech talent. But it is no longer the main draw for professionals in the industry. Professionals want more.
According to our data, 100% of tech professionals surveyed say they want a remote role, and 90% seek out growth opportunities. Meanwhile, 80% would change jobs for more challenging projects.
Yes, monetary compensation matters, but flexibility, work-life balance, and professional/career development matter, too — in some cases, even more than the salary itself.
At BairesDev, we are confident that 2024 will be an exciting year for tech. We look forward to seeing these trends continue to shape the industry!
