Karat blog

AI is not yet replacing software engineers, according to most organizations surveyed in Karat’s 2026-2027 AI Workforce Transformation Report. In the U.S., 90% of tech leaders say they’re maintaining or growing engineering headcount while using AI to do more. This indicates that companies are using the productivity gains from AI to build more, rather than […]

90% of U.S. technology leaders are using AI to increase output without reducing engineering headcount, while 75% globally say a strong engineer is worth at least 3x their compensation SEATTLE, October 8, 2026 – AI is increasing the capacity of engineering organizations, but technology leaders are largely using those productivity gains to build more rather […]

Enterprise leaders can scale technical interviews by standardizing evaluation criteria, modernizing assessments for the AI era, expanding interview availability, and adding trained interviewer capacity. This not only allows enterprises to conduct more interviews, but it also creates a consistent, high-quality hiring signal across teams, roles, regions, and talent sources without stretching engineers thin. Scaling technical […]

To assess engineering skills in financial services, organizations should define the competencies needed for each role, develop interview content that measures both foundational engineering and AI skills, evaluate candidates in realistic environments, and standardize their interviews and scoring. By taking these steps, you’ll be able to reliably identify software engineers who can build secure products […]

In every issue of The Talent Signal newsletter, Karat Co-Founder and President Jeffrey Spector explores the trends reshaping technical hiring. From changing skill requirements to new hiring challenges, the series helps engineering leaders understand how the broader landscape is changing software engineering and what it means for building high-performing teams. One of the biggest themes […]

Financial services engineering leaders are tasked with modernizing legacy systems, shipping new digital products, and navigating an AI revolution – all while competing with big tech and fast-growing startups for increasingly scarce engineering talent. To better understand where FinServ engineering leaders are feeling the most pressure, Karat analyzed data from 303 CTOs, CIOs, VPs of […]

CTOs, CIOs, and VPs of Engineering are under pressure. They’re being asked to scale AI-ready teams faster, modernize aging infrastructure, and do both with tighter budgets. Where you hire is now an important strategy, rather than just a recruiting decision. For years, hiring was concentrated in coastal cities. Now, AI transformation is reshaping the U.S. […]

London is Europe’s largest market for software engineering talent and one of the world’s most significant hubs for enterprise technology. In Karat’s 2026 Top Cities for Engineering Talent report, London jumped up 14 spots from last year to rank 16th globally. In Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), London comes in second for elite […]

San Francisco and the larger Bay Area have long been the world’s most iconic engineering market. While many headlines over the last few years have reported on companies and tech workers leaving California for lower-cost markets like Texas, our data shows that San Francisco remains one of the world’s most concentrated and competitive markets for […]