Hire DevOps Engineers from Poland or Ukraine

Companies often face problems such as delayed product launches and sub-par product quality.

A common reason for these problems is a lack of alignment between the development team and the operations team. 

DevOps has emerged as an ideal solution for this problem since it unites people, processes, and technology into a cohesive unit leading to improved coordination among various teams. 

83% of IT decision-makers have thus reported implementing DevOps practices to increase business value. 

This article provides insights and strategies for hiring DevOps Engineers and explores the possibility of hiring such talents from Poland and Ukraine. 

What Is a DevOps Engineer?

A DevOps Engineer bridges the gap between the development and operations teams to streamline the software development process. They automate processes, enable better collaboration, and use various tools that enhance continuous deployment. 

What Does a DevOps Engineer Do? Roles & Responsibilities

DevOps Engineer responsibilities include a diverse range of tasks with the end goal of making the software development process more effective. Some of the DevOps Engineer roles and responsibilities include: 

• Implementing various automation, testing, and IT Infrastructure tools
• Understanding stakeholder needs and developing solutions for them
• Defining and setting up processes for DevOps operations such as development, testing, and release
• Conducting root cause analysis for incidents that arise
• Monitoring any issues and vulnerabilities in the system
• Reviewing and troubleshooting any bugs in the code
• Creating plans for setting the right team structure and activities for effective project management
• Designing new processes that help minimize waste of time and money
• Guiding team members on DevOps best practices
• Sending progress reports of improvements to management

Why Do You Need DevOps Engineers?

The size of the DevOps market is set to grow at 20% year over year from $7 billion in 2021 to $30 billion by 2028. 

This growth is because companies working with software products realize that DevOps can help them speed up the software development and delivery processes. Furthermore, there is a reduction in manual testing efforts along with efficient scaling of infrastructure. 

This is why DevOps Engineers are in demand from businesses. By fostering better collaboration and continuous integration, companies can quickly get a return on investment from investing in DevOps. 

For instance, the e-commerce company Etsy was able to increase their deployments to sixty per day from two per week which significantly increased their application’s performance and uptime. 

Use Cases for DevOps Engineers

Different companies can have their set of use cases for DevOps depending on their key pain points and priorities. Some of the key DevOps use cases include:

1. Reduced computational costs and operational time

Through the use of automation tools and streamlined CI/CD pipelines, DevOps Engineers help to reduce the computational time which also leads to reduced costs. Additionally, by enhancing the overall system performance, a business can run its operations at optimal speed. 

2. Faster Correction

DevOps focuses on waste reduction where one of the strategies is to create early defect detection systems. This enables developers to save hours every week. 

3. Bug Reduction 

47% of companies that have software products have been using a DevOps methodology within their software development process. These companies reported that the use of DevOps helped to reduce the number of bugs and increase application quality. 

4. Better Team Collaboration

Oftentimes, the team members are proficient in their tasks but the lack of proper collaboration leads to slower execution and lower product quality. DevOps helps to bring teams together and help in developing applications more cohesively.

Tools Required for DevOps Engineers

The tools used by DevOps Engineers and their ability to use them effectively dictate how good the candidate is. Some important DevOps engineering tools include: 

1. Source Control Management

Source control management (SCM) tools help to manage the source code while also fostering better collaboration among the development team. Tools used include Git which includes GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket. An alternative is SVN(Subversion) which includes Apache Software Foundation and GNOME.

2. Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) Tools

Tools required for DevOps Engineer is incomplete without CI/CD tools that help to continuously integrate, test, and deploy software leading to software delivery process automation. Notable CI/CD tools include Jenkins, Bamboo, CircleCI, and TeamCity.

3. Configuration Management Tools

They help to manage the infrastructure and application configurations which leads to automating the deployment and improving efficiency. Examples include Chef, Puppet, Terraform, and Ansible.

4. Containerization/Deployment Tools

Kubernetes, Docker, AWS Elastic Beanstalk, and Heroku are commonly used for containerization. These tools help to move applications from development to production more efficiently.

5. Quality/Testing

Selenium, SonarQube, and JUNIT are some of the quality/testing tools used by DevOps Engineers. They help automate testing and quality assurance processes which are known to be manual and time-consuming.

6. Monitoring and Logging Tools

Ensuring that the system is continuously running with minimal downtime requires monitoring and logging tools such as Nagios, Elasticsearch, Prometheus, and Grafana.

7. Threat & Vulnerability Management

Well-known threat and vulnerability management tools include Aqua Security, Nessus, Rapid7, and Qualys. They ensure that any threats are identified and dealt with before they become serious issues.

8. Collaboration and Communication Tools

As more teams are working remotely now, DevOps Engineers need the right collaboration tools to maintain regular communication and track issues. Some key tools for this include Slack, Jira, and Microsoft Teams.

Key Skills to Look Out for When Hiring DevOps Engineers

One of the most common roadblocks to implementing DevOps is the lack of skills in employees. Here are the most important skills to asses in DevOps Engineers.

1. Technical Skills

Technical skills for DevOps Engineers are the key foundation for the work they do so measuring their competence in them is essential. Some of the important technical skills include: 

• Linux Fundamentals and Scripting: As per Statista, Linux was the most popular technology skill within the DevOps tech stack in 2022. Ask about their experience operating Linux servers and using scripting through Python. 

• Cloud Skills: Watch out for cloud computing skills such as database management along with experience working with key platforms such as AWS, Google Cloud Platform, IBM Cloud, and Microsoft Azure.  

• Coding Skills: Coding falls under DevOps Engineer required skills where the candidate would need proficiency in programming languages like Java, PHP, Ruby, and Javascript. 

• Automation Skills: Automating the DevOps pipeline requires a sound understanding of CI/CD pipelines, infrastructure, and configurations. Quiz them on their use of automation tools such as Source Code Management (SCM) and Ansibleas. 

• Testing Skills: Proficiency in virtualization along with experience with testing tools such as Docker, Chef, and Puppet are necessary. When discussing testing, ask them if they can perform technicalities such as integrating Jenkins with Selenium. 

• Security Skills: With security being a key risk for software companies today, DevOps Engineers need to be experts in threat investigation, vulnerability assessment, and conducting change management. 

• Proactive Monitoring Skills: Monitoring allows gaining real-time insights into the health of the system. Ask if they are familiar with the principles of feedback loops and have experience with tools such as Splunk and Nagios.

• Containerization Skills: Some necessary tools for DevOps Engineers to perform containerization with maximum results include the Docker Engine, Kubernetes, Docker Swarm, and container registries. 

• Continuous Integration Skills: A non-negotiable part of a DevOps Engineer’s role is to merge the different software changes that occur into the main branch of the system. This process of Continuous Integration requires the ability to automate the integration of code changes. 

• Version Management Skills: Tools such as Git, Maven, and Jenkins help the Engineers manage and track the changes they’ve made to the software code. 

2. Communication Skills

The role of a DevOps Engineer includes communicating with different stakeholders, clarifying any concerns, sharing insights, and taking necessary updates. A candidate who can articulate their ideas with confidence while also having the necessary interpersonal skills can be a valuable team member. 

3. Collaboration Skills

Collaboration is among the DevOps Engineer key skills as a key objective of these practices is to foster collaboration across cross-functional teams. Therefore, look for how empathetic the talent is along with asking for evidence of a helping attitude in their previous role. 

4. Commitment Skills

Among the skills for DevOps Engineers, commitment is usually missed. The role requires solving complex issues that can come up at irregular periods while also satisfying the needs of different stakeholders. A person who can commit to pushing through these challenges is more equipped to excel. 

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Hiring DevOps Engineers

As there are many skills to assess for a DevOps Engineer, businesses have the tendency to make mistakes. Here are some of the common ones that need to be avoided: 

• Overlooking Soft Skills: DevOps Engineers need soft skills such as communication, collaboration, and problem-solving to excel in this role to manage challenges relating to teamwork and project execution.

• Underestimating Automation Proficiency: A key expectation from these talents is to enhance efficiency by automating processes so assessing relevant skills is a must. 

• Ignoring Security Expertise: Without proper insight into security practices, the existing systems may be vulnerable and even compromised. Consider asking them about their understanding of various security measures. 

• Narrowing Technical Focus: It’s important to remember that DevOps is not only about tools and how to use them but also about developing a collaborative approach for the overall success of DevOps initiatives. 

• Neglecting Cultural Fit: 88% of respondents in a Gartner Survey believe that team culture was among the top three attributes impacting an organization to scale DevOps. Hence, it is essential to assess a cultural fit. 

How to Hire a DevOps Engineer: Choosing the Perfect Candidate

To ensure that the right talent is chosen, the hiring process needs to be well thought out and streamlined. Here are some steps to hire DevOps Engineers who are the perfect fit:

1. Define Project Requirements and Skills

It’s a good idea to get started by defining the exact requirements and essential skills for the project. This can be done by defining the scope of the project which will give a clear idea to identify the organization’s needs for the right talent. 

2. Craft a Comprehensive Job Description

Based on the requirements and skills, a detailed job description needs to be crafted. For instance, if a Senior-level DevOps Engineer is required, relevant years of experience, responsibilities, and qualifications need to be highlighted. 

3. Screening and Interviews

Conduct screenings and interviews either through phone calls or video interviews. This will help to filter out the candidates with potential and who share a similar cultural fit to the organization. 

4. Technical Assessment

As technical skills are the key foundation for a DevOps Engineer, focus on creating a comprehensive technical assessment that tests all the areas of problem-solving and use of best practices. 

5. Reference Checks

To be completely sure of the talent’s abilities and attitudes, a reference check may be the best source. It can also provide insights into their time-management skills and collaboration skills which may be hard to measure through assessments. 

6. Offer and Negotiation

For the chosen talent, offer a compensation package with a fair salary and benefits that creates a win-win situation for both parties involved. Ensure that everything is clearly articulated in the contract to clarify expectations. 

7. Onboarding and Integration

Consider an Onboarding and Integration process that will guide the candidate on the relevant tools used, how existing teams are working, and making proper introductions. This will help the DevOps Engineer to start providing value to the business faster. 

How Much Does It Cost to Hire a DevOps Engineer?

The annual cost for a DevOps Engineer is $130,000 in the U.S. while in the U.K. it is $85,000. 

These costs are lower in Poland with the average annual salary for a DevOps Engineer being $48,000 while in Ukraine it is $38,000 per year. 

Best Models for Hiring DevOps Engineers

Depending on various factors such as the duration of the project and budget, there are different models to choose from. Here are the three most common models to hire DevOps Engineers.

1. In-House

In-house DevOps Engineers are full-time staff who get paid a monthly salary. 

Advantages

• Dedicated Team Member: Since DevOps can require availability at irregular timings too because of the need for regular monitoring, a dedicated full-time team member may manage the task better
• More Integrated to Company Culture: The DevOps Engineer needs to become part of the company culture to ensure the best collaboration among multiple teams which is more feasible for a full-time employee

Disadvantages

• Higher Expenses: The company is liable to pay monthly salary plus benefits to the DevOps Engineer which might not pay off if a wrong hire is done
• Upskilling Can Take Time: As new technologies and practices emerge within DevOps, the business would need to invest the necessary time and resources 

2. Freelance 

Freelancers work as independent professionals who work on a project-by-project basis. 

Advantages

• More Affordable: The project-based work modality can be more cost-friendly than having a full-time hire
• Access to Required Skills Immediately: Businesses can pick freelancers with all the relevant skills they need for a project without having to wait for notice periods. 

Disadvantages

• Lack of Reliability: The freelancer may have multiple projects that lead to missing important deadlines
• Data Privacy Concerns: DevOps requires handling sensitive data which would require careful consideration to be given access to a freelancer. 

3. Outsourcing

Outsourcing means that a third-party recruitment firm helps in hiring the required talents. 

Advantages

• Faster Time to Hire: As they help to solve similar problems of hiring tech talent to multiple clients, their process is much more streamlined
• Access to multiple top candidates: The presence of an existing database of vetted candidates allows companies to choose among quality talents

Disadvantages

• Possibility of Coordination Issues: There can be communication problems between the recruitment firm and the company HR team
• Mismatch in Talent Expectations: It is possible for the outsourcing firm to recommend talent who isn’t the perfect match

Hire Offshore DevOps Engineers

An Offshore DevOps Engineer may be an ideal option for companies today since DevOps can require 24/7 monitoring along with high costs for talent. 

Going for Offshore talents allows for more affordable costs along with continuous monitoring by the Remote DevOps Engineers. 

Why Hire DevOps Engineers from Poland Or Ukraine?

Poland and Ukraine have emerged as top destinations for hiring tech talent. Some of the reasons for this trend include: 

• Technical Expertise: Poland currently has 10 active unicorns while Ukraine has 4. These startups crossing $1 billion in valuation were started by natives of these countries which shows their technical ability. 

• Cost-Effective Solutions: The DevOps Engineer salary in Poland or Ukraine is much lower than salaries in North America or Western Europe. 

• Education and Training: Both of these countries have a strong tradition of IT education with many youths being attracted to specialized areas such as DevOps

• Time Zone Compatibility: As DevOps requires extensive collaboration, the similarity in Time Zones helps to set up meetings more easily

• Availability of Talent: IT exports are a big part of both of these economies. This is why there are many skilled talents available for hire in these countries.

Let RemoDevs Help You Hire DevOps Engineers

RemoDevs specializes in helping companies hire the best tech talent from Poland and Ukraine. We can hire DevOps Engineers for you by filtering out the top 1% of talent who best fit your offer and culture.

Lukasz Wybieralski

Chief Executive Officer at RemoDevs

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Founder and Chief Executive Officer at RemoDevs