Human resources are emerging as one of the most pressing issues for Greek businesses, according to the EY Entrepreneurship Barometer Greece 2026.
The survey reveals that while companies want to hire, they are struggling to find suitable candidates and are under pressure to offer better pay and benefits.
As a result, there has been a shift in strategy, with companies becoming more cautious in their hiring, turning more to external contractors, and investing in staff training, all while having to manage rising costs.
Hiring intentions remain, but are declining
According to the survey, 53% of business owners say they plan to hire more full-time employees over the next 12 months. The percentage remains high, but it is noticeably lower than the 67% recorded in 2025.
At the same time, 32% say they will maintain the same number of employees, up from 22% last year, indicating that many companies are adopting a more cautious approach with limited changes to their workforce. At the same time, the intention to hire external contractors, such as freelancers, is increasing to 20% from 14% by 2025.
This trend suggests that companies are seeking greater flexibility, either because they are having difficulty finding the people they need or because the cost of permanent staffing is becoming more burdensome.
The Skills Gap
The main obstacle to hiring is finding candidates with the skills and experience that businesses require. 69% of business owners say they have difficulty finding candidates with the necessary skills, while 51% cite the required experience as a problem.
At the same time, 28% of businesses report difficulty in offering competitive compensation and benefits packages, an increase from 17% in 2025. In other words, companies are not only struggling to find the people they need, but also to convince them to join or stay.
Labor Costs Take Center Stage
It is worth noting that the survey shows that the staffing problem no longer concerns only the search for personnel but directly impacts businesses’ operating costs.
Managing labor costs, alongside offering competitive wages and benefits, emerges as the biggest challenge in human resources management, at 52%, up from 45% in 2025.
This is followed by attracting and retaining talent with the required skills, at 50%, while developing and maintaining employee engagement and corporate culture stands at 40%.
Cost pressures are even more evident in the section of the survey on sustainable development, with 89% of business owners citing rising labor costs as a key source of pressure for 2026. This is followed by raw materials and supplies at 63%, and energy and utility costs, also at 63%.
Training Rather Than Simply Hiring
Faced with this situation, companies appear to be adapting, with 62% of respondents stating that investments in employee training and development have increased over the past 12 months. This is an indication that many companies now realize that the solution lies not only in the labor market, but also within the company itself.
The EY survey notes that companies are being called upon, to the extent of their capabilities, to develop more competitive compensation packages—possibly with an emphasis on variable, performance-based pay—and to invest in the ongoing development and training of their staff.
This pressure adds to an already challenging business environment, where labor, raw material, and energy costs remain high.
For many companies, finding employees with the right skills is no longer just a simple hiring process, but part of their overall strategy.
As the survey shows, their productivity, competitiveness, and ability to continue growing while keeping operating costs under control will be determined to a significant extent by their ability to attract, train, and retain employees.