Ukraine’s war against Russia has displaced millions — The United Nations estimates that nearly 5 million individual Ukrainians have left the country since late February 2022. While Europe has seen the most border crossings, Ukrainians also go to the United States, Canada, and other countries seeking safety, a better life, and opportunities to help their families and relatives back home.

Work During Wartime

Despite this unprecedented displacement of people and intellectual capital, thousands of Ukraine’s IT workers are available and eager to resume their livelihoods. The people of Ukraine are deeply touched by the support and solidarity many foreign governments have shown. One of the ways that private companies worldwide can demonstrate their support is through actively recruiting experienced Ukrainian developers, coders, project managers, and other information professionals. The tech sector has led the growth of demand for off-shore and near-shore workforces to scale innovation and support at a rapid rate. At the same time, the accompanying worldwide explosion of remote and hybrid work environments has created timely opportunities for both Ukrainians and businesses worldwide. Companies like Jooble, a Ukrainian IT company and leading worldwide job search engine are stepping up to meet business demands for a high-quality talent pool with experienced, qualified full-time, part-time, and contract workers. Regardless of current hiring needs, there are several steps companies can take to demonstrate their support for the people of Ukraine.

Spread Awareness

Don’t underestimate the power of education and signals. Without any doubt, this is one of the most important things you can to do. News doesn’t live long, and people tend to forget what is happening on the other side of the world. Ukrainian armed forces are work wonders resisting the Russian army to ensure a certain level of security that lets the economy operate. However, despite the picture of ‘’normality’’ in some big cities such as Kyiv or Lviv, the situation is fragile and worsens in other Ukrainian territories (Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Bakhmut, etc.) Spreading awareness is a key to support. Even if your employees didn’t know much about Ukraine and its history, it’s never too late to learn a bit. If you need some first-hand experience, you can contact Ukrainian entrepreneurs, artists, politicians, volunteers, or even service members through LinkedIn and other social media. Using the Ukrainian national colors blue and yellow to temporarily your company logo or can also symbolize support and solidarity. Your users and customers will remember that the war is not over. Therefore,

Hire Ukrainian Specialists

As of May 2022, nearly 5 million jobs have been lost in Ukraine since the start of the full-scale war. Industrial and manufacturing facilities, schools, hospitals, and shops were destroyed. Many employers had to shut down their businesses due to occupation, fluctuation, or a constant artillery threat. Despite the opportunity to move to other, more secure regions of Ukraine, people are still struggling to find a job. Many professionals from creative industries, marketing, and engineering also lost their jobs because foreign companies seized their activity in Ukraine till the end of the war. As a result, numerous experienced, motivated, and mostly English-speaking specialists became unemployed. If your team is expanding, and you are looking for professionals, please, consider candidates from Ukraine too. Many of them have relevant experience working remotely in multinational teams. Beyond that, Ukrainian specialists (especially the younger generations) may be fluent in several languages. If they mention stress resistance and an ability to work well under pressure and in a fast-paced environment in their CVs, you can trust these words. Over the past decades, Ukraine has become a big IT technology hub. Many foreign companies outsourced Ukrainian specialists or opened their offices in Kyiv, Odesa, Lviv, Kharkiv, etc. Ukrainian product companies also successfully compete on the world market. Therefore, you can help talents find fulfilling jobs in this difficult time and get yourself a powerful member of your team.

Support Ukrainian Charities

There are many ways to support Ukraine in the war. For example, if you are ready to help the Ukrainian armed forces, donate money to such trustworthy foundations as Come Back Alive. They regularly report on all expenditures and even show what kind of ammunition or even weapons were bought for defenders. On the other hand, if the idea of buying weapons contradicts your values, other spheres urgently need money and effort. For example, you may choose to support Hospialiers Ukraine which fields paramedical units saving lives at the front line. Alternatively, people who flee the war and have lost everything need clothes, food, and basic supplies. Unfortunately, many residential buildings were ruined by the Russian artillery, so the number of people whose lives were affected by the war is not getting smaller. If you find it heartbreaking to see how animals experience the war, there are also verified organizations helping those who can’t stand for themselves. Another great form of charity is attending concerts or exhibitions of Ukrainian artists. They donate a huge part of their income to various volunteer organizations. Thus, you contribute to something good and have a great time. Sounds great, doesn’t it? Many Ukrainian clothes, jewelry, and decor brands are currently shipping worldwide. Buying their products, you also help a lot.

Provide Access to Your Services

It is a very effective way to help the Ukrainian people. Currently, most businesses in the country are experiencing financial problems, so they may stop subscribing to various tools or software. To help Ukrainians stay afloat, let them keep working and strengthen the economy, many international companies decided to grant free access to their services to Ukrainian users. Another great alternative is providing people with educational opportunities. For example, if you can allocate a few places in your professional courses for the most talented candidates from Ukraine and thus, give them a chance to start a new profession. By the way, even the smallest discounts for services and tools will do. It just depends on your current capacities. Any help is highly appreciated.

Exit the Russian market

To date, numerous companies have decided to leave the Russian market out of ethical and practical considerations that have surfaced since Russia’s invasion. Many have found conducting business in Russia to be morally or ethically untenable. Choosing to exit a market is not a step to be taken lightly for most businesses. But increasingly, companies worldwide are withdrawing their business from the country to signal their refusal to support Russian aggression against Ukraine. “Слава Україні!” or “Sláva Ukrayíni!” is the Ukrainian national salute. It means “Glory to Ukraine!” and it’s never been more important than right now. Ukraine’s rich intellectual heritage, rich resources, hard-working people, and thriving business environment are under an existential attack whose impact will be felt worldwide for generations to come. The worldwide community is showing its support for Ukraine. By looking for ways to connect with Ukraine’s workforce, businesses like yours add incalculable support for more than 40 million men and women who are proud to call Ukraine home. Bio Maria Bohdanovska is a journalist-turned-content manager for the worldwide job search engine Jooble. She’s passionate about finding solutions and explaining difficult things in simple ways. Maria enjoys developing content strategies and establishing an online presence for client websites.