Best places to work in Greece 2008

May 27, 2008 at 07:19 · Filed under Jobs in Greece

The Great Place to Work Institute and its international affiliates publish an annual report on great places to work. It includes 15 countries in Europe, nine countries in Latin America, three countries in Asia and Canada.

* There is an updated list for 2009 at, “Best Places to Work in Greece 2009.”

Best Places to Work – All Countries

The remainder of this article will concentrate on Greece, however you are free to click on any of the other countries below in which a link to the English version is provided.

Europe: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom

Latin America: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela

Asia: India, Japan, Korea

North America: USA and Canada

Essential info about Greek companies and jobs

Nearly all of these companies request candidates with bilingual capability, fulfillment of military obligations (if male) and a requirement that they be aged 35 (male) or 30 (female) or younger. For those unfamiliar with Greece, discrimination based on age, gender and nationality is common practice and one that typically goes unpunished.

It is also common for many Greek companies to not have job listings and not disclose the names, e-mail addresses and other contact information of employees, including the company manager or HR. There is almost never an employee directory.

If you are a non-EU citizen looking at this post from outside Greece with hopes that one of these (American) companies will sponsor your work visa and work permit, these privately owned subsidiaries have little or no contact with headquarters back home, and securing visas and permits for a non-EU citizen is rarely done unless you are highly specialized and/or have a connection. It is recommended you read, “How Americans/non-EU citizens can move, live and work in Greece.” Why? Because it’s of vital importance to understand the legalities of visas and permits before looking for a job.

There is a surplus of qualified candidates already in Greece and the entire EU, who can fill these positions with no bureaucracy. Many from outside Greece are also at a disadvantage, since working knowledge of local business culture is essential to successfully capturing the Greek market, which IS the company’s goal. See “Common myths vs. reality about working in Greece” for more details.

How to use this list

All company names are in CAPS and contain the link to their home page. If websites were only in Greek, I provided a translation of contact information in English, in addition to the career/job section link if the company had one.

I do not represent nor have I ever worked for any of these companies, so specific questions or complaints should be directed at respective personnel.

Καλη δουλεια!

Top 20

1. PISCINES IDEALES
Size: 127 employees
Industry: Construction/contractors of swimming pools
Ownership: Private
Career section: www.piscinesideales.gr
Notes: No English; lists jobs, but you must navigate in Greek to Etairia →Kariera

Davaki 18
15121 Pefki
Phone: (210) 6148.400
Fax: (210) 6142.308
E-mail: info@piscinesideales.gr

2. MICROSOFT HELLAS
Size: 95 employees
Industry: Information Technology
Ownership: Private
Career section: www.microsoft.com/hellas/
Notes: No English; navigation in Greek but job listings in English

Kifissias 221
15124 Marousi
Phone: 801 500 3000 or 211 1206 500
E-mail: msgrhr@microsoft.com

3. PROCTER & GAMBLE HELLAS
Size: 286 employees
Industry: Healthcare
Ownership: Private
Career Section: www.pg.com

4. GENESIS PHARMA
Size: 164 employees
Industry: Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals
Ownership: Private
Career section: www.genesispharma.com

5. CADBURY HELLAS
Size: 204 employees
Industry: Food products
Ownership: Private
Career Section: www.cadbury.gr
Notes: No English

Marinou Antypa 41-45
141 21 Irakleio
Athens
Phone: (210) 270-4000
E-mail: recruiting.greece@csplc.com

6. AION
Size: 55 employees
Industry: Retail Carpets
Ownership: Private
Notes: Has English page, but no career section

7. KRAFT FOODS HELLAS
Size: 286 employees
Industry: Food products
Ownership: Private
Career Section: www.kraftfoods.gr
Notes: No English; no job listings, applicants must send their CV (in Greek) to the e-mail address listed

F. Ginosati 19
144 52 Metamorfosi
Athens
Phone: (210) 288-9000
Fax: (210) 285-1430
E-mail: grkfhhr@krafteurope.com

8. EXODUS
Size: 112 employees
Industry: Information Technology
Ownership: Private
Career Section: www.exodus.gr

9. BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB
Size: 195 employees
Industry: Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals
Ownership: Private
Career section: www.bms-greece.gr
Notes: No English; has career section, but no listings

Athens
Attikis 49-53 & Propodidos 2
152 35 Vrilissia
Phone: (210) 6074 300, 6074 400
Fax: (210) 6074 333

Thessaloniki
19th km National Road, Neon Moudanion
570 01 Thermi
Phone: (23920) 21600
Fax: (23920) 21555

10. PRAKTIKER HELLAS
Size: 1416 employees
Industry: Retail Home Store
Ownership: Private
Career Section: www.praktiker.gr
Notes: Has career section, but no listings; candidates are requested to send their CVs in Greek

11. HELLENIC AEROSPACE INDUSTRY (HAI)
Size: 2766 employees
Industry: Aerospace
Ownership: Government
Career section: None

12. MELLON COLLECTION SERVICES
Size: 276 employees
Industry: Financial Services & Insurance
Ownership: Private
Career section: www.mellongroup.com
Notes: Listings are in English, but descriptions are often in Greek

13. UCB
Size: 133 employees
Industry: Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals
Ownership: Private
Career Section: www.ucb-group.com

14. TASTY FOODS
Size: 757 employees
Industry: Food products
Ownership: Private
Career Section: pepsi.newjobs.co.uk
Notes: No GR website

22nd Km Athinion-Lamias National Rd.
Agios Stefanos
Phone: (210) 629-8000/30
Fax: (210) 621 8100
E-mail: tasty.hr@intl.pepsico.com

15. AIG GREECE
Size: 141 employees
Industry: Financial Services and Insurance
Ownership: Private
Career Section: www.aig-greece.gr
Notes: English version contains limited info; job listings in Greek only

16. ALDEMAR HOTELS & SPA
Size: 1290 employees
Industry: Hotel and Hospitality
Ownership: Private
Career Section: www.aldemarhotels.com
Notes: Has career section, but no listings

17. HEWLETT-PACKARD HELLAS
Size: 231 employees
Industry: Information Technology
Ownership: Private
Career Section: www.hp.gr
Notes: No English website, but career section link is in English

18. PIRAEUS DIRECT SERVICES
Size: 209 employees
Industry: Financial Services and Insurance
Ownership: Private
Career Section: Job Mini-site on skywalker.gr
Notes: No English, job listings in Greek

19. EAGLES PALACE HOTEL & SPA
Size: 83 employees
Industry: Hotel and Hospitality
Ownership: Private
Career Section: None, English website has contact info

20. HELLENIC FABRICS
Size: 453 employees
Industry: Textiles
Ownership: Private
Career Section: Submit your CV form
Notes: No listings, use link to submit your CV in Greek or send to: hrm@hellenicfabrics.gr

Related Posts

“Best places to work in Greece 2007”
“Getting a job at an American Embassy”
“Common jobs for foreigners in Greece: Myth vs. reality”

- Logo from greatplacetowork.com

* Article last updated on July 22, 2009

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Unhappy urbanites, in and out of Athens

May 25, 2008 at 07:39 · Filed under News

Residents of Ioannina, Volos, Larissa, Iraklion, Hania, Patras, Kavala, Serres, Thessaloniki and Piraeus

What is the biggest problem?
48 percent, traffic
15 percent, unemployment
15 percent, cleanliness
13 percent, pollution

General view of your city?
90 percent, parking is “a very big problem”
80 percent, life is too expensive
80 percent, ample opportunities to have a good time
75 percent, not enough open spaces, such as parks and squares
71 percent, city is heavily polluted
>46 percent, pessimistic about the future

* Survey conducted by Public Issue on behalf of Kathimerini.

Residents of Athens

General view of Athens?
65 percent, “dissatisfied” with quality of life, want to live elsewhere
39 percent, traffic getting worse
25 percent, mounting trash piles
17 percent, pollution

How do you feel about Athens Mayor Nikitas Kaklamanis?
84 percent, term coincides with deterioration in parking
79 percent, a peak in crime
69 percent, an aggravation of the city’s pollution
56 percent, disappointed overall

Nai or Oxi?
89 percent back creation of bicycle lanes
76 percent support demolition of old buildings to create space
54 percent think demonstrations should be restricted in the kentro
47 percent object to toll charges, as majority are car owners
33 percent claim sensitivity to importance of recycling (However, 70 percent of those recycling claimed to do so only five times a month; 15 percent, three or four times; 15 percent, once or twice)

* Survey conducted by Public Issue on behalf of Kathimerini.

In the News

“Noise of Greek cities contributes to poor mental and physical health” — Ta Nea

Sources

“City life becomes a drag” – Kathimerini
“City life tires Athenians” – Kathimerini
“Reclaim the city and do it now” – Commentary in Kathimerini
“Sharp rise in crime in Greece 2008” – Kathimerini

Photo from daylife.com

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Back from the black hole?

May 23, 2008 at 00:28 · Filed under Personal

Loyal friends and readers have probably noticed that I’ve not posted anything new for the past 2 weeks, which is the longest I’ve stayed silent in this site’s short history. At first the black hole was due to the amount of work on my plate, then it was because a hungry mosquito feasted on my writing hand, which swelled the size of an orange. Now, I don’t seem to have a reason.

My vision for this site was to present information not already covered in a clear, accurate and realistic way, whether it be practicalities of living/working in Greece, unique stories from my life that entertained and served a larger purpose, or topics given little or no attention in the news. After all, what’s the point of sinking time and effort into something regurgitated or done to death?

Wednesday night on Apodeixeis, I watched Nikos Evangelatos present an entire show on how Greece is the “king of expensive” when comparing prices of the same items elsewhere in the EU. Hey, no kidding. I first reported this fact in June 2007, during which I was not paid thousands of euros to appear on TV, but compensated by being called a liar, stupid, unfair and ill informed about Greece, then had the pleasure of being ridiculed in Greek forums and plagiarized by a Greek newspaper that will be forced to appear before an Ethics Committee at my request.

Facts are not my invention, all I am is a messenger with a mirror from which many choose to look away. Greek friends give me excellent material for this site all the time, but I know I’ll be crucified if I write certain stories and often wonder if it would have been better to lie about my nationality so the focus would be on the actual story and not who wrote it.

I’m deftly aware my country isn’t perfect, no country is. If I wasn’t aware of it, I’ve got a dozen people a day shoving it in my face on the bus, on the street, in the grocery store, at public sector offices, at work, and almost anywhere I vacation. I can shrug it off, but it’s boring and annoying nonetheless. So I ask myself, why the hell am I willingly maintaining a website that essentially invites that same grief into my home, in addition to plagiarism, legal action and neuroses? It used to be because it was fun, but lately there’s a part of me that believes my time would be better spent elsewhere.

A man in Australia whom I call a friend told me there are times that “remind <him> how embarrassing it can be to be Greek.” I understand what he means because I feel the same way about being American. I told him that being Greek is a great thing in which to take pride, just like being American can be. But we have our crosses to bear for the idiots of this world, who unfortunately claim the same nationality. All we can do is keep being who we are and break those stereotypes.

I have done everything I can to be an ambassador during my 11 years abroad, but I will not give up my inherent right to be a truthteller. And those two roles are not in conflict with each other.

I love Greece in a completely different way than I love my own country, and I am compassionate toward all people regardless of nationality…but being blind or in denial is not a part of that. Love is not unquestionable allegiance, painful longing, putting your beloved on a pedestal and seeing only perfection. This brainlessness is called being ‘in love.’

True love is what’s left when those feelings are gone, when you finally see the flawed glory of the person or thing you love for who and what they really are, and embrace those imperfections and grow together to create an inexplicable bond. That’s what I mean when I use the word ‘love,’ and this is the bond I have with Greece.

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