"We've been looking for someone experienced in software or systems for months, and we can't find anyone." That sentence marks one of the points where digitalization projects most often stall. When the question of who will run server, network, ERP, data and security work goes unanswered, technology investments do not move at the expected pace either.
There is a concrete reason this topic is on the agenda now. According to the Information Technology Usage Survey in Enterprises published by TÜİK (the Turkish Statistical Institute) on September 10, 2026, of the enterprises that hired or tried to hire information and communication technology (ICT) specialists in 2025, 31.7% had difficulty in the hiring process. In this article we read the Turkish and European data together, then propose a practical framework for deciding between hiring, outsourcing and building in-house capability.
The picture in Türkiye: specialist employment is rising, but from a narrow base
According to TÜİK data, the share of enterprises employing ICT specialists rose to 15.2% in 2026, up from 13.4% in 2024. The gap by size is very pronounced: the share is 10.8% among enterprises with 10-49 employees, 29.8% among those with 50-249 employees, and 73.3% among those with 250 or more. In other words, the vast majority of small companies do not have an IT specialist on staff.
Hiring activity is limited. In 2025, 6.4% of enterprises hired or tried to hire at least one ICT specialist; the figure was 6.0% in 2023. About a third of those searching, however, struggled with the process.
The reasons behind the difficulty are the most instructive part for decision-making. The problems reported by enterprises that struggled rank as follows:
- Candidates' high salary expectations: 82.6%
- Candidates lacking the required education/qualifications: 71.8%
- Lack of relevant work experience: 71.0%
- Too few or unsuitable candidate applications: 55.7%
Because an enterprise can report more than one difficulty, the percentages add up to more than 100. The picture shows that the problem does not sit at a single point; it builds up across a triangle of budget, qualifications and experience.
The situation in Europe: a shared problem
Eurostat data based on its 2024 survey shows that the problem is not specific to Türkiye. In the EU, 20.05% of enterprises employed ICT specialists in 2024; the share of enterprises that hired or tried to hire ICT specialists in 2023 was 9.55%. Of these enterprises, 57.5% reported difficulty filling the positions.
The most striking aspect of the Eurostat data for decision-making is its finding on who carries out IT work. In 2023, IT functions were carried out by external suppliers in 71.92% of EU enterprises and by the company's own employees in 39.52%. Because the shares add up to more than 100%, many companies use both models together. In large enterprises, outsourcing stands at 83.29% and delivery by in-house employees at 87.23%; in small enterprises the figures are, respectively, 70.19% and 34.44%.
There is a similar size gap on the training side. In 2023, 11.44% of EU enterprises provided IT skills training to their IT specialists, and 19.36% to their other employees.
Because the two datasets cover different years (Türkiye 2025-2026, EU 2023-2024) and different scopes, a one-to-one comparison would not be appropriate. Even so, the shared message is clear: large companies manage an in-house team and outsourcing together, while in small companies the weight falls on outsourcing.
Three paths, three different burdens
The answers to a specialist gap generally fall under three headings. None is right on its own; each one carries a different risk.
Hiring. It keeps institutional knowledge inside the company and provides continuity. However, the salary, qualification and experience barriers in the TÜİK data affect this route the most. In structures that depend on a single specialist, the knowledge can leave with that person when they leave.
Outsourcing. It offers a fast start and a variety of expertise; it is also the most common model in Europe. On the other hand, if the contract, service levels and access rights are not well defined, the company can lose control over its own systems. Outsourcing gives the best results when there is a counterpart inside the company who can define and oversee the work.
Building in-house capability. Training those existing employees who have an aptitude for IT means moving forward with people who already know the company and its processes. It is a longer-term path, and training needs to be regular.
The question of who will develop AI solutions is a sub-topic of its own within this decision; we examined it separately in our article on the ready-made software, external provider and in-house team options.
A practical path to a decision
The steps below are a general framework derived from the findings in the sources; each organization needs to adapt it to its own size, sector and system structure.
- List your IT tasks. Write out headings such as user support, network and server management, software development, ERP management, data and security separately. "IT specialist" is not a single role; it is often the sum of several different jobs.
- Classify each task by criticality and continuity. Work that is daily, continuous and dependent on business knowledge belongs with the in-house team; periodic work, work that calls for deep expertise, and standardized work may be better candidates for outsourcing.
- Identify an internal counterpart. Even if you choose outsourcing, someone inside the company should be responsible for defining the work, setting priorities and overseeing delivery.
- Set a realistic profile when hiring. In the TÜİK data, lack of qualifications and lack of experience are two of the three most frequently reported obstacles. Rather than looking for a single person who knows everything, searching for a profile focused on the critical task, with gaps that training can fill, may shorten the process.
- Tie training to a plan. Identify employees with an aptitude for IT and set up an annual training calendar. European data shows that training is much more common in large companies; at small scale, this is a clear opportunity.
- Read the outsourcing contract with control in mind. Administrator access, documentation, backups and handover terms at the end of the contract should be put in writing from the start.
- Anchor knowledge in the system, not in a person. Whichever model is chosen, configurations, password management and processes should be documented, and dependence on a single person should be reduced.
- Review the model once a year. As the company grows or new systems go live, which tasks are run in-house and which externally may change.
A note from the logistics side. Whether to run a function yourself or hand it to an outside provider is a familiar question in logistics, where warehousing and transport are routinely split between in-house teams and third-party operators. One of our consultants has more than 30 years of experience in operations, logistics and supply chain. At a technology distribution company operating at a scale of roughly one billion dollars, he ran logistics, warehousing, technical service and administrative operations end to end, built and led teams of 100+ people, and delivered lasting gains through KPI-driven programs; he has also managed nationwide warehouse and transport operations and directed large-scale distribution networks. Habits that keep such networks under control, such as a clear inventory of the work, a named owner, terms agreed in writing and a regular review, are the same ones the steps above rely on. We bring that discipline to SMEs through AI and automation. Meet our consultants.
Conclusion
The TÜİK data shows that the share of enterprises employing ICT specialists in Türkiye is rising but still sits on a narrow base, and that roughly a third of the enterprises looking for specialists run into barriers of salary, qualifications and experience. The picture in Europe is similar: outsourcing is the most common model, and large companies use an in-house team and outsourcing together.
For this reason, it makes more sense to treat the "we can't find IT specialists" problem not as a single hiring question but as a management decision about how work will be distributed. Defining the tasks first, then choosing the right model for each, can noticeably reduce the impact of the specialist gap.
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