As we enter 2026, tech talent in Indonesia is actually becoming easier to find. Changes in the technology industry over the past few years, including the tech winter and waves of layoffs across the technology sector, have opened up a larger talent pool in the market.
However, having more tech talent available does not automatically make hiring easier. The challenge has shifted from simply finding candidates to finding professionals with the specific profile and capabilities that companies actually need.
Companies are no longer only looking for candidates who are technically strong. They increasingly need professionals who understand business acumen, can solve problems, understand business needs, and translate technical capabilities into solutions that create real business impact.
More Tech Talent Is Available, but the Skills Companies Look For Are Changing
Following the tech winter and various waves of layoffs across the technology sector, Indonesia’s talent pool has become more open. Many professionals with experience in software engineering, data, product, cloud, cybersecurity, and other technology fields are now available in the job market.
At first glance, this should make it easier for companies to find candidates. However, the reality is more complex.
It is not only the size of the talent pool that has changed. Company requirements have changed too.
Companies are becoming more specific about the profiles they need. For a single position, a company may require a candidate who not only has experience with a particular technology but also understands a specific industry, has relevant business process experience, can communicate with stakeholders, and can translate business requirements into technical solutions.
In other words, companies do not always need more candidates. They need more relevant candidates.
This shift means recruitment increasingly requires a deeper understanding of both the talent market and the company’s business needs.
Demand for technology professionals also remains strong across areas such as:
- Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
- Software Engineering
- Data Analytics and Data Engineering
- Cybersecurity
- Cloud Computing
- DevOps
- Product and Technology Management
As AI continues to develop, the need for broader capabilities is becoming even more apparent. Companies can no longer focus only on whether a candidate has experience using a particular technology. They also need to understand how that candidate applies their skills to solve real-world problems.nderstand how that candidate has applied their skills to solve real-world problems.
Tech Opportunities Are Also Shifting
Changes in the industry are also influencing the types of opportunities available to technology professionals.
Following the tech winter and adjustments across parts of the technology sector, an increasing number of opportunities are emerging from tech consulting and companies helping organizations with digital transformation.
Companies across different industries still need technology professionals, but these opportunities do not always come from technology companies directly building digital products.
Banks, manufacturing companies, retailers, healthcare organizations, logistics companies, and service businesses all need technology talent to support cloud migration, data transformation, cybersecurity, software development, AI implementation, and other technology initiatives.
This makes the talent market broader, while also making hiring requirements more diverse. Candidates may need a combination of technical experience, industry knowledge, consulting mindset, communication skills, and business understanding.
Why Tech Hiring Can’t Rely on Job Portals Alone
Job portals remain an important recruitment channel. However, for technology positions requiring specialized skills, relying only on candidates who actively apply can limit the available talent pool.
A Backend Developer with experience building high-traffic systems, for example, may not be actively looking for a new job. The same can apply to Cybersecurity Engineers, Data Engineers, and other experienced technology professionals who are already employed.
This is why passive candidates have become an important part of tech recruitment. Professionals who are not actively looking for a new job may still be open to opportunities that align with their experience, career goals, and expectations.
Candidate screening is another challenge.
A CV can show the programming languages, frameworks, or tools a candidate has worked with. However, it does not always show how deeply they understand those technologies or how effectively they have applied them in real projects.
This makes skills-based hiring increasingly relevant. Companies can evaluate candidates based on the capabilities actually required for the role through technical assessments, portfolios, project experience, and structured interviews.
Read also: Backend Developer in Indonesia: Building the Systems Behind Digital Applications
AI Is Changing How Companies Evaluate Tech Talent
The development of AI is making companies’ requirements for tech talent increasingly complex.
AI can help developers write and explain code, support analysts in processing data, and accelerate tasks that previously required more time. However, knowing how to use AI does not replace the technical knowledge needed to understand and evaluate the work.
Companies need professionals who can understand a problem, choose the right approach, evaluate AI-generated output, and make decisions when the results do not meet the actual requirements.
AI adoption in Indonesia is also accelerating. The Indonesian government reported an AI adoption rate of 92% in February 2026. However, widespread technology adoption does not automatically mean AI skills are evenly distributed across the workforce. Developing AI talent remains an important priority to ensure Indonesia can not only use technology but also develop AI-based solutions.
For companies, this means the profile of tech talent in Indonesia is becoming increasingly complex. Technical expertise remains the foundation, but companies also need candidates who understand business context, can communicate with stakeholders, solve problems, and adapt to changes in technology.
This makes candidates who combine strong technical expertise with business acumen increasingly valuable in the job market.
What Can HR Do to Find the Right Tech Talent?
When the talent pool becomes more open while company requirements become more specific, HR cannot simply focus on increasing the number of candidates. Recruitment needs to ensure that candidates actually match the company’s technical requirements and business needs.
Start With Skills, Not Just Job Titles
A job title does not always provide a complete picture of what a candidate can do.
Before opening a position, HR and hiring managers should align on:
- Required technical skills
- Expected proficiency level for each skill
- Relevant experience
- Technology stack
- Scope of work
- Mandatory and nice-to-have skills
For example, a company’s requirement for a Backend Developer cannot simply be described as “backend development experience.” The company may actually need someone with experience in Java, Spring Boot, PostgreSQL, AWS, microservices, or system design.
Beyond technical skills, recruiters and hiring managers also need to understand the business context behind the role. This helps them distinguish between candidates who simply meet the technical requirements and candidates who can genuinely create value for the business.
The more specific these requirements are from the beginning, the easier it becomes for recruiters and hiring managers to identify relevant candidates.
Evaluate What Candidates Can Actually Do
Recruitment also needs to move beyond simply looking at “what is on the CV” and focus more on “what the candidate can actually do.”
Technical assessments, portfolios, case studies, project experience, and structured interviews can provide a clearer picture of a candidate’s capabilities.
This approach can also reduce the risk of moving forward with candidates who appear suitable on paper but may not be the right fit when facing the actual responsibilities of the role.
Don’t Make the Hiring Process Too Long
Strong tech talent often has more than one opportunity available.
A lengthy recruitment process can cause companies to lose qualified candidates before a hiring decision is made. This does not mean the selection process should be rushed. Instead, every stage should have a clear purpose.
HR and hiring managers can improve the process by agreeing on evaluation criteria early, defining interview stages before opening the vacancy, and ensuring that feedback and decisions are delivered within a clear timeframe.
Expand the Talent Pool
For difficult-to-fill positions, companies do not have to rely solely on active applicants.
Sourcing through LinkedIn, professional communities, employee referrals, technology events, talent networks, and recruitment partners can help companies reach a broader range of candidates, including passive talent.
This becomes particularly important when companies are looking for candidates with highly specific experience.
Tech Talent Is Also Choosing the Company
Competition in recruitment is not only about companies choosing candidates. Candidates are also choosing which companies they want to work for.
Beyond salary, technology professionals may consider:
- Career growth
- Technology stack
- Learning opportunities
- Project impact
- Leadership
- Work flexibility
- Company culture
- Job stability
This is why employer branding for tech talent should go beyond office photos, employee activities, or company events.
Candidates want to understand what their actual work experience will look like. They want to know which technologies they will use, what kind of projects they will work on, who they will collaborate with, and what opportunities they will have to grow.
The clearer a company communicates this value, the greater its chances of attracting candidates who genuinely match its needs and culture.
How Can a Recruitment Partner Help?
Not every company needs a recruitment partner for every position. However, external recruitment support can become particularly useful when companies are hiring for difficult-to-fill roles or positions requiring highly specialized skills.
A recruitment partner can help companies:
- Understand the talent market
- Define the right candidate profile
- Reach passive candidates
- Conduct initial screening
- Expand the talent pool
- Accelerate sourcing
- Provide more relevant candidates
For companies undergoing digital transformation or building a technology team, this approach can also allow internal HR teams to focus more on hiring strategy, candidate experience, and long-term talent planning.
Geekhunter Insight: Tech Hiring Is Shifting From Volume to Relevance
The changing landscape of tech talent in Indonesia means recruitment is becoming less effective when measured only by the number of CVs received.
Following the tech winter and various changes across the technology industry, the talent pool has actually become more diverse. The challenge for companies today is no longer simply where to find tech talent, but how to identify the right talent.
The profile companies are looking for is also evolving. They are not simply looking for someone who can work with a particular programming language, tool, or technology stack. They are looking for professionals who are technically strong, understand business acumen, can see the bigger picture, and can connect technology solutions with business needs.
This is where technology recruitment requires a more targeted approach. When companies are looking for a specific combination of skills, the right talent may not be easy to find through job postings or candidate databases alone.
Companies need access to a broader talent market, along with a deeper understanding of which candidates genuinely match those requirements.
This is where a recruitment partner like Geekhunter can help. By understanding the technology talent market and the needs of each company, Geekhunter helps organizations find candidates who not only have the right technical skills but also bring relevant experience and capabilities that align with business needs.
The challenge in 2026 is no longer simply finding tech talent. It is finding the right tech talent.
Need Help Finding the Right Tech Talent?
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