8 Reasons Why 2025 Was Completely Different from Other Years

We’ll share which IT freelance specialisations were most in demand among clients, the key internal changes at TITANS, what we looked forward to throughout the year, how we navigated the economic crisis, and the unexpected award we received.

Do you know what has been the biggest challenge for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the EU over the past five years?

Finding qualified staff remains a persistent challenge, and production costs continue to rise. Another issue is digitalisation, which—while offering a wealth of untapped opportunities—requires strategic planning and investment in new technologies and skills.

These factors motivate companies to hire freelancers who, drawing on their experience across diverse projects and clients, bring invaluable expertise. IT outsourcing also offers additional benefits: higher motivation and reduced staff turnover.

This is further demonstrated by the steadily increasing average overall duration of our client partnerships at TITANS. In December 2025, this figure reached 29.45 months. As a result, we signed contracts with 27 new clients last year, and our freelancers collectively contributed nearly 60,000 man-days to client projects.

The most in-demand freelance IT position was the Java developer role, while JavaScript—the most sought-after programming language in 2024—moved to second place. Overall, software developers accounted for 45% of all filled positions.

The third-place ranking also shifted: last year, it was held by business analysts. There was significant demand for manual testers, BI/DWH specialists, ICT analysts, automation testers, and system administrators. Project managers—previously the third most important role for clients in 2024—fell to ninth place, accounting for only 7.4% of positions, while consulting roles saw the least interest (3.2%).

We Weathered the Economic Crisis

“It was one of the most unique years in TITANS’ history,” stated CEO Róbert Dusík. “For the first time in 12 years, I led the company on my own for an entire year, without Marek—and this situation will not change.”

The leadership transition was accompanied by several other significant changes. Like many European SMEs, we have faced a challenging economic climate in recent years. The lingering effects of the pandemic and the aggressive Russian war against Ukraine have driven up not only natural gas and electricity prices but also input costs. Additionally, supply chain disruptions, geopolitical tensions, and shifts in monetary policy have all contributed to rising global inflation.

Smaller companies across Europe were forced to adapt quickly. To stay competitive, they reassessed business models, optimised their operations, and pursued new strategies to mitigate external risks.

TITANS was no exception. We conducted a thorough assessment of our position, stabilised the company through difficult but necessary measures, and successfully navigated the economic crisis. Our objective was to maintain our leadership in the IT outsourcing and freelance market while positioning ourselves for renewed growth.

Despite the many challenges TITANS faced this year, we achieved several outstanding milestones. Our recruitment department secured 2,142 ideal candidates, and the sales team conducted 717 interviews and recommended 1,414 IT freelancers to clients. September marked our highest number of partnerships, and we reached a record 182 project allocations.

“I am truly proud of what we have accomplished together and how we have overcome each challenge,” said Róbert Dusík.

Delivering excellent results requires operational excellence within our company. To support this, we continued to hold ALL STAFF meetings throughout the year, where we reviewed data from previous periods and discussed key strategies. Regular Pulse Checks and Open HR Days helped us assess team morale and identify opportunities to further strengthen our workplace culture.

We have grown through training programs and workshops focused on leadership, GDPR, LinkedIn, HR, self-development, health and wellness, and working with AI—many of which were proactively organised by our colleagues.

We also supported organisations that bring remarkable value to society and, paradoxically, often rely on partners to continue their work. In addition to Rozmanita, we supported Emotional Compass, Slovensko.Digital, the Qubit Conference, the “Woman in IT” awards gala (organised by Aj Ty v IT), and our favourite CODECON events in Bratislava and Žilina.

We also supported education by partnering with the Summer Camp for Talented Youth in Electronics and collaborating with the Slovak University of Technology (STU) in Bratislava, where we organised hands-on workshops. In addition, we donated supplies to the Tuláčik animal shelter in Brezno and contributed to the Wear & Share project by Answear.sk and the Ekopolis Foundation.

Our move marks the beginning of a new chapter for TITANS

This long-anticipated milestone has provided us with a new view from our office. After many years, we said a nostalgic goodbye to Seberíniho Street and moved into beautiful, modern spaces at Eurovea City.

We have seen firsthand the impact of an aesthetically pleasing environment—even during the busiest times, productivity thrives when surrounded by greenery, quiet offices for deep focus, sunny terraces for lunch, and views of the setting sun painting our glass-enclosed spaces.

In this regard, great credit goes to our indispensable HR and Back Office departments, which expertly managed the logistics, furnished the new designer spaces, and ensured a record-breaking speed for packing and unpacking. Our CFO also played a crucial role—overseeing contractual matters, managing building operations, and demonstrating exceptional skill in handling complex maintenance tasks.

Throughout the year, we celebrated birthdays together, admired photos of our colleagues’ newborns, and rejoiced in team weddings (did you know that two people met and became a couple right here at TITANS? We’re proud to be matchmakers!). After work, we bonded over pub quizzes, bowling, VIP movie screenings, team-building event, a retro-themed Christmas party, Halloween breakfast, the ČSOB Marathon, and countless lunches, drinks, ice cream outings, and traditional goose feasts.

On our 12th anniversary, the TITANS brand received a remarkable gift: we were included in a prestigious international ranking of excellent companies! The American magazine Newsweek and the Best Practice Institute selected the top 1,000 business leaders from more than 25,000 companies worldwide.

It is a great honour to be recognised among those who uphold the highest standards. We are especially proud to be the only brand represented in the Information Technology & Services category. The evaluation considered not only financial health and social responsibility, but also customer and employee satisfaction. We extend our sincere thanks to everyone in our IT outsourcing and freelance community for being a vital part of the TITANS world.

2025: TITANS Year in Fun Facts

1. Our most frequently used word in July was “espresso tonic.” It tasted best enjoyed on the terrace overlooking the Danube.
2. Eight people worked in the office in the dark.
3. During the move, we packed 192 boxes with our personal belongings.
4. Most of our freelancers celebrate their name day on June 29. That’s 38 people in total named Peter.
5. The HR and Back Office departments planted a total of 70 flowers in our new workspace.
6. All employees, together with our business partners, have a total of 1,192 years.
7. We consumed approximately 98 kilograms of coffee.
8. Within a single week, HR sold 120 pieces of furniture from our former offices.
9. We signed 297 internal documents electronically.
10. The coffee maker’s grounds container was left unemptied far too many times.
11. We achieved 114 KPIs throughout the year.
12. For each open position, HR reviewed approximately 350 pages of resumes.
13. We published 11 issues of our LinkedIn newsletter, Keeping Up with TITANS. Subscribe to stay informed about key insights and trends in the IT world.