Employee Experience in Greece
The Global Employee Experience Report allows you to access workplace culture, employee engagement, employee happiness and employee wellness in Greece. These four main indexes compose the overall Employee Experience Score that sets the ground rules for the future of work.
Bases of Employee Engagement
The length of a typical work day in Greece starts from 8 am or 9 am, 5 days a week, 8 hours a day. According to Eurostat, Greeks spend more time at work and in Greece work an average of 42 hours a week, and in Europe an average of 40.3 hours a week. Achieving work-life balance is a little difficult. Negotiations are usually conducted slowly. Both negotiations and discussions are usually dominated by the most senior person involved. It is important to note that negotiations do not start during the first meeting, as that meeting is mostly for introductions. Established bonus systems with an integration to performance management would be motivating for employees. Employee recognition would be the key for employee engagement in Greece as they highly value rewards and titles.
Internal Communication and Employee Feedback Culture
Honor, respect and flexibility are core values in Greek business culture. The hierarchy is vertical and status depends on age and position. The concept of honor and respect is important. Everyone's opinion is given importance in internal communication, ideas are listened to, but decisions are made by the top management. They prefer indirect communication because they avoid getting into conflicts. So sharing and receiving employee feedback can be challenging. Also, verbal agreements are considered more binding than written ones, as they are seen as a symbol of mutual trust.
Pillars of Workplace Culture
Be Ready For Flexibility in Time Management
Punctuality is not a red line in Greek business culture. Business partners may be late for appointments. Making an appointment is not always necessary but is considered a courtesy. Negotiations are usually conducted slowly. Both negotiations and discussions are usually dominated by the most senior person involved. Therefore, it is important to know the hierarchy of the company and who the decision maker is. It is important to note that negotiations do not start during the first meeting, as that meeting is mostly for introductions. Also, verbal agreements are considered more binding than written ones, as they are seen as a symbol of mutual trust.
Business Meetings Can Take Longer Than You Expect
It is common for Greeks to offer coffee in a cafe before formal business meetings. Rejecting this invitation will not be welcomed. Before starting the meeting, the host is expected to introduce everyone. Meetings may take longer than anticipated, conversations may be interrupted, accept this as normal. Greeks usually prefer to do business face to face. But, if you were not introduced by a connection, making a personal call will be more effective than an email or a letter for the first contact. Trust is often built by doing business outside the formal setting.
Learning & Development of Future Talents
In 2019, 42% of 25-34 year-olds had a higher education degree in Greece compared to 45% on average across OECD countries. The employment rate among 25-64 year-olds with a master's degree is 81.8%. The employment rate among 25-64 year-olds with a doctoral degree is 88.3% The employment rate among 25-64 year-olds with a bachelor's degree is 74.6 %.
Performance & Productivity GDP per Hour Worked: 98.5
Part-time Employment Rate : 8.5%
Average Wages: 5.760 EUR
Employee Turnover Rate: 14.6%
Minimum Wages: 758.93 EUR
Population: 10.376.952 (2021)
Unemployment Rate: Total 15.9% - Male 12.8% - Female 19.5%