6 Milestones We Have Achieved in 2024

Although we couldn’t control the uncertainties of the market, we remained committed to our belief that we could influence several factors in favour of the TITANS logo. We focused on consistency, patience, hard work, and determination, while also recognizing the importance of making sound decisions. Today, we are excited to announce that in 2024, we have once again succeeded in our mission and achieved several new milestones!

JavaScript is a simple and versatile programming language that receives strong support from the IT community. It was the most widely used programming language worldwide last year and generated the most significant interest among TITANS clients. Additionally, project managers and Java programmers were in high demand, too. Notably, these three positions have consistently ranked as the most sought-after freelance roles over the past three years.

There were no significant changes in the external market factors, resulting in two consecutive years of comparable numbers for the first time in a long while. It is fair to say that the economy remains less dynamic and efficient than it was before the pandemic, which is evident in the companies we interacted with. They faced increasing challenges, with growing technical debt being one of the most concerning issues. Unfortunately, ignoring this problem has often led to even worse consequences.

Even today, few companies take a proactive approach to managing technical debt. This term refers to the increased costs associated with software development rework that arise when a company prioritizes faster project delivery over producing high-quality code. As a result, this can lead to unidentified bugs, poor user experiences, unstable code, and unmaintainable software. Ultimately, the expenses related to technical debt can consume up to 40% of the IT budgets of major brands.

Addressing technical debt is crucial, as it can significantly slow down any technology-based project. Companies that establish a formal strategy to manage technical debt often gain a competitive advantage. To implement this strategy effectively, they frequently hire the most experienced IT freelancers, which allows them to innovate at a reduced cost.

Our sales team has successfully presented clients with 1,485 qualified candidates, with the highest number of positions filled in October. We are also proud to report that the TITANS blue flag has attracted dozens of new clients. Additionally, one of our significant milestones is an increase in the average total allocation time, which has risen by five months to a total of 28 months. Data and client feedback indicate that freelancers are leaving at a lower rate than in-house staff.

What Is the World of Values Like at TITANS?

TITANS is more than just a platform for outsourcing IT freelancers. Many of our corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities align with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, inspiring collective action for a better future. As the first and founding supporter of the Emocionálny kompas, we cannot imagine 2024 without this initiative, which enhances students’ mental health and concentration skills. Similarly, our favourite project, Rozmanita, continues to promote inclusive education, ensuring that diversity is embraced in schools, along with values of tolerance and respect.

We have been supporting quality teaching at C. S. Lewis Bilingual High School for a long time. Last year, two of its students received internships in our IT development department. They demonstrated excellent programming skills, and we utilized their contributions in our operations. We believe that the DASATO Academy’s non-formal education program serves as a great motivation for high school students in the region. During one of their practical workshops titled “Developing Entrepreneurial Thinking,” our CEOs, Robo Dusík and Marek Greško, had the opportunity to meet with these young people.

The TITANS brand has actively supported the Social Impact Award Slovakia program, which assists young people in transforming their socially beneficial ideas from vague intentions into successful businesses. In 2024, Marek Greško served as a mentor to the talented PurpleMilo team, whose initiative was one of the three winning projects. To promote quality education, we once again sponsored the Summer Camp for Talented Youth in Electronics and OpenLab.

At TITANS, we collected unwanted clothing for Answear.sk and the Ecopolis Foundation’s Wear&Share project. This initiative supported clothing upcycling, assisted socially disadvantaged groups, and contributed to tree planting. We also donated a large quantity of old textiles, towels, and blankets to the Tuláčik shelter in Brezno, where they aid abandoned and abused dogs.

We Are Building a Community For IT Freelancers

Last year, we received some fantastic news: as TITANS, we made it to the final five in the international EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2023 competition! This prestigious competition honors exceptional entrepreneurs. Notably, our company was the only one among the five finalists at the awards ceremony to offer a service rather than a specific product. This experience further fueled our motivation to improve the conditions for IT freelancers and their clients.

We certainly didn’t slack off in 2024, as evidenced by our presence at a record 10 events with the TITANS booth. Additionally, our colleagues participated in even more events. We want to emphasize that, as the main and founding partner, we take immense pride in CODECON’s continuous improvement and the way it raises the bar year after year. To highlight this progress, we invited a special speaker, Jaroslav Kopčan from the Kempelen Institute for Intelligent Technologies (KInIT), to Bratislava. Additionally, our speaker, Juraj Hajnala from Pixel Federation, opened the conference in Žilina.

We recognize that girls and women aspiring to pursue a career in IT face unfair barriers. That’s why we are committed long-term partners with the outstanding organization Aj Ty v IT and its Slovak Women in Tech conference. Following our great success, we continued with the Business Breakfast at FEI STU in Bratislava. During the FEI Job Fair, students learned how to succeed in the challenging IT market and gain experience on world-class projects. Additionally, we proudly supported Slovakia.Digital, KInIT, and the Qubit Conference at TITANS.

In March, our CEOs opened the Slovak PyCon 2024, which also featured experts from TITANS, including Key Account Manager Michal Brandis and Senior IT Recruitment Consultant Sylvia Ličková. Our booth drew attention with an interactive wall where visitors could enjoy various ball games. At the Forbes Business Fest, the discussion among Marek Greško, Róbert Dusík, Artur Gevorkyan, and Sajfa not only inspired the audience but also provided a lot of laughs. Participants visited us to explore potential cooperation opportunities with a top-quality IT workforce and had a great time playing TITANS Jenga.

During Spring ITAPA 2024, Marek Greško discussed the necessity of attracting talented freelancers to Slovakia in the panel titled “Human Resources for a Modern Country.” His keynote presentation with Róbert Dusík on the flexibility of IT projects was a success at the autumn version of the event. Both CEOs also spoke at the prestigious HRcomm conference, where they shared their strategies for selecting the right team members, maintaining employee satisfaction, and learning from their own mistakes. At Unispace STU FEI, they engaged with students about their journey from coding to leading a successful international company.

The Era of Freelancers Has Arrived

Freelancing offers several advantages that resonate with the priorities of today’s society, creating a golden era for this work style. These benefits include the desired autonomy, the potential for higher earnings, the ability to work remotely, and an improved work-life balance. According to Statista, it is projected that there will be 86.5 million freelancers in the U.S. by 2027.

Our recruitment department aligned with market trends, reaching out to a total of 13,362 candidates last year. Additionally, it selected 2,440 freelancers who best matched the clients’ requirements.

We are excited to announce that we have added 2,410 new individuals to our IT talent database! Our current total now exceeds 30,000 verified freelancers, hundreds of whom have actively participated in our clients’ IT projects over the past year. Additionally, to raise awareness about IT issues within our society, we have launched a regular LinkedIn newsletter titled “Keeping Up With TITANS“, which highlights interesting trends. Have you subscribed to it yet?

Freelancers Are Supported by the Most Loved Workplace

In 2024, we welcomed new team members to enhance our Recruitment, Finance, Sales, HR, Acquisition & Integration, and IT departments. By the end of December, we had 38 team members in Slovakia. We also appointed two new team leaders in Sales and improved the gender balance in the TITANS team, with five of the new hires being female.

We take great pride in announcing that the TITANS brand has been recognized for the second consecutive year in the esteemed Top 100 Global Most Loved Workplaces 2024, as reported by the respected US magazine Newsweek. We are thrilled to have secured an impressive 64th place among the 100 most loved workplaces worldwide. It is an honor to represent our small country on a global scale!

We prioritize regular communication, mental well-being, and personal growth, which has allowed us to create an environment of professionalism, mutual respect, and inclusion, even amidst the challenges in the Slovak market and a polarized society. We strengthened team cohesion through various events, including the ČSOB Bratislava marathon, the celebration of TITANS’ 11th anniversary, a September team-building activity, and a Christmas party on the Danube. Additionally, the HR department organized two rounds of the popular Kahoot online pub quiz, featuring summer and winter themes for both the Slovak and Czech teams.

Last year, we celebrated a significant milestone and honor: TITANS was recognized as one of the Most Popular Workplaces for Young Professionals! We received a perfect score in this prestigious ranking. This acknowledgment reinforces our commitment to fostering a supportive environment where our young colleagues can launch their careers. We look forward to further developing our TITANS community.