In recent years, outsourcing has become an increasingly popular option for businesses looking to optimize costs while improving the quality of their operations. In this light, Eastern and Central Europe have become particularly attractive destinations for outsourcing. In this article we go over some of the key benefits of outsourcing to this region.
Countries such as Bulgaria and Albania in Eastern Europe for example, offer significant cost advantages compared to other regions like Western Europe and North America, especially for the value and expertise that they provide. Additionally, many Eastern and Central European countries offer tax incentives and other financial benefits to foreign investors, further reducing the cost of doing business in the region.
The Eastern and Central European regions offer a great number of talented professionals, especially in the High-Tech and FinTech industries. This pool is continuously growing to accommodate services like customer experience, software development, and recruitment services. In 2021 alone, there were 900,000+ software development vacancies in the US, whereas there are over a million tech experts in Eastern Europe available to deliver high-quality solutions to Western European and offshore businesses.
The massive talent pool in those regions is at large due to modern higher education that is significantly more affordable compared to many other countries around the world. This allows young people to follow and stay up to date with the latest tech trends as well as to have easy access to the best knowledge and skills to join the workforce. Moreover, students often choose programs in science and languages which gives them an advantage in growing a career in software- and customer experience-related industries.
According to an AIBEST report, 71% of BPO and ITO companies in Bulgaria for example, use English as their working language. Other fluently spoken languages in the Eastern and Central European regions are German, French, Spanish, and Italian. From early on in their education, students start learning at least one foreign language and most have experience living abroad in Western countries. As such, these countries are the ideal outsourcing destination for the multilingual talent that your global business needs.
Similarities in cultures is another important consideration when outsourcing, and Eastern and Central Europe have much in common with the Western business world. Many countries in the region have strong historical and cultural ties to Western Europe and the United States, which means that the region’s workforce is often more familiar with Western business practices and communication styles than workers in other outsourcing destinations such as Asia.
For businesses that require real-time communication and collaboration, Eastern and Central Europe’s time zone advantages can be a major benefit. Most of the region is only one or two hours ahead of Western Europe, which means that there is significant overlap in business hours. This can make it much easier for businesses to communicate with their outsourced teams and keep projects moving forward without delays.
Furthermore, these regions are strategically located in close proximity to major Western European cities, being only a couple of hours of flight away from business hubs like London, Paris or Berlin. Due to this, Western businesses can greatly benefit from keeping their partners geographically closer and outsourcing to nearby destinations.
Finally, Eastern and Central Europe’s political stability is another advantage for businesses looking to outsource to the region. Many of the countries in the region are members of the European Union or have close ties to Western Europe and the United States, which means that they offer a stable and predictable business environment. This can be particularly important for businesses that are looking to establish a long-term presence in the region and need to be confident that their operations will not be disrupted by political instability or other external factors.
With office sites in Bulgaria, Poland, and Albania, we at Pontica Solutions have built highly professional teams experienced in delivering tailored solutions to our global partners in synergy with their company culture. Get in touch with us today to discuss your own unique solution and successfully grow your business.
