printAttracting Foreign Highly Qualified Specialists to Moscow:
Barriers and Prospects
Nefedova A.I.
Cand. Sci. (Sociol.), Leading Researcher at the Laboratory for Innovation Economics, Associate Prof. Department of Sociology, Assoc. Prof. Department of Educational Programmes, Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge, HSE University, Moscow, Russia. anefedova@hse.ru
Morozova E.B.
Expert at the Research Center for Emerging Competencies and Talent Development, Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge, HSE University, Moscow, Russia morozova.eb@hse.ru
Dunde T.O.
Postgraduate Student, School of Sociology, Research Assistant, Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge, HSE University, Moscow, Russia tdunde@hse.ru
The article was prepared within the framework of the Fundamental Research Program of the National Research University Higher School of Economics
Nefedova A.I., Morozova E.B., Dunde T.O. Attracting Foreign Highly Qualified Specialists to Moscow: Barriers and Prospects. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya [Sociological Studies]. 2026. No 2. P. 26-34
The globalization of labor markets and the intensifying competition for human capital call for a rethinking of approaches to attract foreign professionals. Moscow, as one of the leading metropolises with a developed economy and ambitious technological projects, faces an acute need for an inflow of qualified labor resources. However, the process of attracting such specialists is currently associated with a number of serious challenges due to multiple external constraints. This article presents an analysis of both current practices in recruiting foreign employees and the barriers encountered by Moscow-based companies in this process. The empirical basis includes materials from 11 in-depth interviews with representatives of major Moscow companies conducted in the summer of 2024, as well as the results of a focus group involving 32 representatives of large and medium-sized businesses, including experts in talent acquisition, held in June of the same year. The findings show that the recruitment of foreign professionals in Moscow continues despite external limitations. At the same time, companies tend to focus on attracting specialists with unique knowledge and skills that are scarce in the domestic labor market. The main barriers include the complexity of migration procedures, the shortage of qualified HR professionals with expertise in relevant legislation, and the high cost of hiring such employees, driven by the need for a personalized approach and the provision of individual working arrangements.
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