Hiring in Greece: a practical guide for international employers

Greece, and Athens in particular, has a strong supply of software, security, networking and AI talent, much of it used to working in English with teams in other countries. Hiring there can work very well, but the first hire usually raises questions that a UK hire does not: who employs the person, how they are paid, and what the offer has to say.

1. Decide how you will employ people. The usual routes are your own Greek entity, an employer of record that employs the person on your behalf, or a contractor arrangement. Take legal and tax advice on which suits you before you go to market, because it changes what you can offer.

2. Agree the role and the pay. Decide the seniority, the working pattern (office, hybrid or remote within Greece) and the pay range, and decide whether you will quote it as gross monthly or gross annual.

3. Go to market. Strong candidates in Athens are usually employed and often hold more than one offer at a time, so be ready to move from first interview to offer in a few weeks, not a few months.

4. Make the offer. Put the pay basis, the number of payments a year, the start date and the working arrangement in writing, and check it with whoever will run payroll.

Many Greek employment contracts pay salary fourteen times a year, with the extra payments made at Christmas, at Easter and as a holiday allowance. A gross monthly figure multiplied by twelve will therefore understate what an employee expects to earn in a year. Always state the basis of an offer in full.

Do candidates need to speak Greek? For most technology roles working with international teams, no: English is the working language. Customer-facing roles serving Greek clients are different.

Can the role be remote? Often, yes, and many candidates expect some flexibility. Be clear from the start about how often, if ever, the person needs to be in an office.

How long does it take? For a mid-level or senior technology hire, plan on several weeks from brief to accepted offer, plus the candidate's notice period.

We recruit technology roles in Athens and across Greece for Greek and international employers. We can help you set the pay and the profile against the market, run the search, and take candidates through to an accepted offer.