Are you considering expanding your business into Greece's strategic Mediterranean market without establishing a legal entity? Greece's position as a gateway between Europe, Asia, and Africa, combined with its skilled workforce, competitive operational costs, and growing sectors like technology and tourism, makes it an attractive destination for international companies—but navigating its complex employment laws and bureaucratic requirements requires specialized expertise. This is where an Employer of Record (EOR) service becomes your essential business solution. Greece offers access to the EU single market, a highly educated multilingual workforce, and significant cost advantages compared to other European markets, with particular strengths in shipping, energy, and digital services. However, the country's employment landscape features intricate labor regulations with mandatory collective bargaining agreements, complex social security systems, detailed termination procedures, and frequent legislative changes that demand careful compliance management. An EOR service eliminates these barriers by serving as your local legal employer, handling compliant hiring, payroll processing, benefits administration, and regulatory compliance—allowing you to focus on capturing Greece's emerging market opportunities with confidence.
Business culture in Greece
Business culture in Greece is characterized by relationship-focused, expressive, and hierarchical traits that shape workplace interactions. Unlike Western business cultures that often prioritize efficiency and direct transactions, Greeks value building personal connections before conducting business. Understanding these cultural elements helps international managers build trust and navigate the Greek business landscape successfully.
Communication
In Greece, business communication tends to be expressive and animated with an emphasis on personal connection. Greeks use many hand gestures and maintain eye contact during conversations. They may speak passionately about topics and sometimes interrupt each other, which is not considered rude but rather shows engagement and interest.
Relationships
Professional relationships in Greece are built through shared meals, social gatherings, and personal conversations about family and interests. Greeks value loyalty, trust, and genuine connections over purely transactional business dealings. Business partnerships often develop only after personal rapport has been established.
Hierarchy
Workplace hierarchy in Greece typically follows a top-down structure which influences decision-making and reporting relationships. Senior leaders make most important decisions, and showing respect to those in authority positions is essential. Employees generally expect clear direction from their managers and may be reluctant to challenge ideas publicly.
Time management
Attitudes toward time and punctuality in Greece tend to be flexible which affects scheduling and deadlines. While being on time for meetings is appreciated, Greeks often take a more relaxed approach to schedules. Meetings may start late, run longer than planned, and focus more on relationship-building than strictly following an agenda.
Practical applications
When working with colleagues in Greece, international managers should invest time in relationship-building to establish trust and credibility. Schedule business lunches or dinners to get to know partners personally before discussing serious business matters. Be patient with decision-making processes that may take longer than expected due to relationship considerations.
Managers should also show respect for hierarchy by addressing senior leaders appropriately and recognizing their authority in meetings. When planning projects, build in extra time for deadlines and be flexible with meeting schedules to accommodate the more relationship-focused Greek business approach.
Greece employment market overview
The Greece employment market is characterized by worker shortages, skill mismatches, and demographic challenges that shape hiring opportunities and challenges. Greece's job market is growing in tourism, construction, and IT sectors, with a 11.6% unemployment rate. The country faces a significant worker shortage with over 300,000 additional workers needed by 2025.
Talent availability
Skilled professionals in Greece are limited in technical fields with a notable mismatch between education and market needs. Despite high unemployment among college graduates, employers struggle to fill technical positions. This creates a paradox where unemployment exists alongside unfilled job openings.
Key industries
Greece's strongest employment sectors include tourism, hospitality, shipping, technology, and construction which offer opportunities for international companies. Tourism alone accounts for nearly 20% of the country's GDP and employs a significant portion of the workforce, especially during summer months.
Salary expectations
Salary ranges for professionals in Greece typically range from €800-€1,500 monthly for entry-level positions and €1,500-€3,000 for mid-level roles, affecting hiring budgets. Senior management positions in international companies may command higher salaries, but overall compensation remains lower than Western European averages.
Language skills
Business language proficiency in Greece is moderate with about 51% of professionals speaking English as a second language. Knowledge of Greek remains important for customer-facing roles, while international business is commonly conducted in English.
Hiring implications
Companies hiring in Greece should consider upskilling programs to address skill gaps and improve candidate matching. Offering competitive benefits beyond salary can help attract talent in a tight labor market.
Companies hiring in Greece should also explore international recruitment channels to address worker shortages, particularly in technical fields. The significant need for workers creates opportunities for bringing in foreign talent with specific skills.
What are the benefits of using an EOR in Greece?
The key benefits of using an Employer of Record (EOR) in Greece include simplified compliance with complex labor laws, quick market entry without setting up a local entity, reduced administrative workload, access to local expertise, and cost reduction.
Here are the 5 benefits of using an EOR in Greece:
Simplified compliance. Greece has specific labor laws that can be hard to understand. An EOR takes care of following all Greek employment rules, tax requirements, and social security payments (EFKA). This keeps your company safe from breaking laws that could lead to fines or legal problems.
Quick market entry. Setting up a company in Greece takes a lot of time and paperwork. With an EOR, you can hire Greek workers right away without creating your own Greek company. This means you can start doing business in Greece within days instead of months.
Reduced administrative workload. The EOR handles all the paperwork for hiring, paying, and managing employees in Greece. They take care of contracts, payroll, tax forms, and required benefits like paid leave and holiday pay. Your team can focus on growing your business instead of dealing with Greek paperwork.
Local expertise access. Greek employment practices have unique features like mandatory Christmas and Easter bonuses. An EOR knows all these local rules and customs. They can help you understand Greek work culture and make sure your employees get all the benefits they're entitled to under Greek law.
Cost reduction. Creating and running a Greek company costs a lot of money. Using an EOR saves you from spending on legal fees, office space, and hiring HR staff in Greece. You pay one simple fee to the EOR instead of dealing with multiple expenses and financial surprises.