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Latvia is a small country located in Northern Europe, bordered by Estonia, Lithuania, Russia, and Belarus. Its capital, Riga, is a bustling city full of culture and history, and home to the largest concentration of Art Nouveau architecture in the world. The country is known for its beautiful natural areas, with thick forests, meadows, and rivers, and its many ancient castles, which are popular tourist attractions. Latvia is also known for its rich folk traditions, especially in music, dance, and crafts. With a modern economy and strong infrastructure, Latvia is an attractive destination for tourists and investors alike. Latvia is also a great place to find software developers. But software engineers in Latvia are also hard to find and hard to hire. Experienced developers get a lot of messages from recruiters, in some cases five or ten messages per day. To find engineers in Latvia you have to search for engineers in different sources, reach out based on their preferred contact details, personalize your outreach and make an attractive offer. In this guide you'll learn more about the tech ecosystem in Latvia, which methods to use to find developers and how to hire them.
According to a 2020 report by the Latvian Investment and Development Agency, Latvia has a well-developed knowledge-based economy, with a strong emphasis on IT and technology. The country is home to over 13,000 IT professionals, including 4,000 software developers and 3,000 data scientists. Additionally, over 40,000 people are studying computer science and engineering-related fields at universities in Latvia. This talent pool is further supplemented by the country’s highly skilled professionals from abroad. According to the report, the number of professionals from outside Latvia working in the IT sector has grown from 4,000 in 2017 to 6,000 in 2020. The report also found that the number of tech start-ups in Latvia has more than doubled in the past four years, with the total number reaching 650 in 2020. The country has also seen a surge in venture capital investment in the tech sector, reaching €77 million in 2020.
The tech ecosystem in Latvia is quite vibrant and is becoming increasingly important to the country’s economy. Latvia is home to some of the most promising startups and tech companies in Europe, such as TechHub Riga, a tech hub that provides support to local startups and tech companies, and TransferWise, a leading digital banking and money transfer company. The country is also home to several software development and IT outsourcing companies, as well as an active venture capital and angel investor community. Latvia has a large number of high-quality universities and research institutions, as well as a growing number of accelerators and incubators. The government is also taking steps to promote the development of the tech sector, including providing tax incentives to startups.
1. Riga IT Meetup
2. Blockchain Riga
3. WebRiga
4. Riga DevOps Meetup
5. Riga Tech Girls
6. Riga Data Science Meetup
7. AI & ML Riga
8. Riga JavaScript Meetup
9. Riga Python Meetup
10. Riga Robotics Meetup
1. Use online job platforms: There are a number of online job platforms that can be used to source software development talent in Latvia. Examples include LinkedIn, Indeed, and UpWork.
2. Network within the local tech community: Latvia has a thriving tech community, with numerous meet-ups, conferences, and other events. Attending these events and networking with other software developers is a great way to meet potential candidates.
3. Contact local universities: Many universities in Latvia offer courses in software development. Contacting the universities and attending their job fairs can be a good way to find talented software developers.
4. Use recruitment agencies: Professional recruitment agencies can be a great way to source software development talent in Latvia. They will be able to identify the best candidates for your specific requirements.
The best way to find developer talent in Latvia is to find them in the places where they have an online profile and are active. Examples of those platforms are GitHub and Stack Overflow. LinkedIn can also be a valuable source.
Talent search engines can help you find developers online through a variety of sources. Most talent search engines also provide verified contact details so you can reach out to the talent you have found. In some cases these engines even automate a big part of the outreach process so you can reach hundreds of candidates per day.
An example of a talent search and engagement engine is HeroHunt.ai which can find 1 billion candidates worldwide and lets you reach out automatically with personalized messages.
An alternative way to attract development talent is to post a job on a (local) job board.
1. CV-Online.lv
2. Job.lv
3. LinkedIn
4. Facebook Jobs
5. Lieti.lv
6. Profesija.lv
7. HeadHunter.lv
8. JobFly.lv
9. Joboo.lv
10. JobBazaar.lv
If you are sourcing for remote talent then you can utilize remote specific job boards where you can post your remote job.
1. Fiverr
2. Bark
3. Upwork
4. Toptal
5. Freelancer
6. LinkedIn
7. PeoplePerHour
8. Guru
9. Latvian Job Board
10. Aasaanjobs
When you’re hiring software developers you need to be aware of the local average salaries in order to provide a competitive job offer. Below are the average salaries for software developers per experience level.
The average salary for a junior developer in Latvia is around 1,800 EUR per month. This salary can vary depending on the type of company and its location. On average, junior developers in Latvia make between 1,500 and 2,300 EUR per month.Junior developers are usually expected to have a thorough understanding of the basics of software development, such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, as well as experience in at least one programming language, such as Java, Python, or C#. They might also be required to have knowledge of databases, web development frameworks, and version control systems.Junior developers are usually given more basic, less complex tasks and are typically supervised by more experienced developers. They may also be asked to mentor more junior members of the team and help with code reviews.
The average salary for a senior developer in Latvia is €3,000 per month. This is higher than the national average salary in Latvia which is around €1,650 per month. Senior developers in Latvia typically have more experience than their junior counterparts and are responsible for developing software, applications, and systems. They are also expected to be able to support and maintain the systems they have developed, as well as provide technical advice to clients. Additionally, senior developers in Latvia usually have the ability to design software applications and systems from scratch, as well as troubleshoot any existing issues that may arise.
Maybe your company doesn't have an office (yet) in Latvia. But that doesn't mean you can't hire employees in Latvia. There are several options like EORs which can help employ developers legally according to the regulations in Latvia.
An Employer of Record (EOR) is a third-party service provider that acts as the employer for employees in countries where a company does not have a legal entity. This enables companies to employ people in countries where they have no legal presence or in industries where foreign ownership is restricted or prohibited.
If your company is looking to hire employees in Latvia and does not have a legal entity in the country, an EOR can be used to manage payroll and other HR functions. Here is a brief overview of how to use an EOR in Latvia:
1. Choose an EOR: Research different EOR providers to find one that meets your company’s needs. Check their experience in the country, the services they offer, and the cost.
2. Set up the EOR: Once you have chosen an EOR, you will need to set up the account and provide the necessary paperwork. This includes documents such as the company’s registration number, bank account details, and other relevant information.
3. Hire employees: The EOR will handle the recruitment process, including background checks, visa applications, and other employment-related tasks.
4. Payroll and taxes: The EOR will manage payroll, taxes, and other HR functions for the employees in Latvia.
5. Termination: The EOR will also handle the termination process, including administering the necessary paperwork and providing any necessary severance pay.
Using an EOR to hire employees in Latvia can be a cost-effective and efficient way to expand into the country without having to establish a legal presence. With the right EOR, you can rest assured that your employees will be taken care of, and your business can continue to grow.
Across GitHub, Stack Overflow and LinkedIn, including emails
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