Listen to the article

• 

After conducting a survey showing that Greek start-ups find it extremely difficult to recruit the talent they need, the entrepreneurial ecosystem Starttech Ventures has launched a global competition. The aim is to attract skilled workers to Greek start-ups. Those with the required skills can win a job at a start-up in Athens.

“The report shows that Greek start-ups are restricted in their growth due to difficulties finding the right people to fill their vacant positions. That is why we are launching a global competition to win a job and free legal and administrative support in obtaining an EU visa,” says Dimitris Tsingos, founder of Starttech Ventures.                

The survey shows that 70 percent of the companies expect to employ more than ten people during the coming year, and 30 percent expect to hire more than five people. Half of the companies rate the difficulty of finding suitable applicants an eight or more on a scale of one to ten. Moreover, 60 percent have chosen not to fill open positions due to a lack of qualified applicants.

“This means there is a real opportunity for skilled workers to relocate to Greece and work for Greek start-ups,” says Dimitris Tsingos.     

The report shows that there is a need for many kinds of software engineers. The most difficult-to-find and sought-after engineers are front-end engineers, followed by full-stack engineers. But other types of software engineers are also needed and hard to find. The results align with previous studies and interviews that Starttech Ventures conducted with four start-up founders who participated in the survey. An essential requirement is that the skilled workers have a few years of experience within the field and can communicate in English.

“You do not need to learn Greek, even though you are welcome to do so, and I know that those hired for these positions will find that working in Athens has many things to offer. Those who have already taken the step attest to the warm welcome and inclusiveness they have experienced at Greek start-ups,” says Dimitris Tsingos.