Central Asia's IT Talent Market: Trends, Challenges, and Strategies

21 April 2025

Analytics

Services

Central Asia is rapidly emerging as a key player on the global IT map. With a population of approximately 80 million people, the region already boasts over 300,000 IT specialists — a number that continues to grow. While the proportion of people employed in the IT industry remains comparatively low at just 0.3% (compared to 2–3% in the United States and Europe) — the region is experiencing steady and dynamic growth. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are leading the way in driving progress in fintech, outsourcing, digital public services, and cloud technologies. Educational initiatives increasingly nourish the region's talent pool, while international companies increasingly recognize it as a promising hub for hiring and collaboration.

Against this backdrop, several critical questions arise: What exactly is happening within Central Asia's IT ecosystems? Which trends, challenges, and solutions are shaping the industry's future? To address these questions, we gathered insights from regional leaders during the panel discussion "IT Talent in Central Asia: Challenges and Solutions," organized by NGRS and the Global CIO Community. Among the speakers were:

Moderator, Natalia Domashenko, CEO, NGRS (Global IT Hiring)
Maxim Gaifullin, Group CIO/CDO, KazZinc
Yulia Kovaleva, Head of DevRel, Uzum
Denis Posselyonnyy, HR Director, EPAM Kazakhstan & Kyrgyzstan
Mikhail Kazyuberda, Head of Development, Beeline Kyrgyzstan
Timur Muminov, CTO at a fintech startup

Together, we explored key trends and practical approaches to talent management — from digitalization growth and relocation integration to generational dialogue and new retention strategies.

Read the full text on CIO Compass to discover how Central Asia:

Is meeting the rising demand for versatile professionals who can handle multiple roles at once
Is working to close the gap between what universities teach and what the IT industry needs
Goes beyond money to keep talent happy, with flexible work options and special help for foreign specialists
Is developing a new type of HR role focused on keeping employees engaged and satisfied
Solves the shortage of training specialists by helping tech employees move into HR positions

Get all the answers in our detailed summary for CIO Compass members. The complete video discussion is also available on CIO Compass.