Working in Greece: A rewarding experience

Living and working in a foreign country can seem a challenging experience, but will undoubtedly offer you plenty of opportunities and benefits, such as the exploration of a new culture, the chance to network and meet new people, the improvement of your foreign language skills and the upgrade of your CV.

My name is Karin and I come from Sweden. I moved to Greece in January 2020, after having been offered an exciting position at Teleperformance Greece. So, I will share with you below my story, explaining the reasons why I chose Greece as a life and work destination and why I decided to join Teleperformance.

Why I chose Greece

Relocating to work in one of the most beautiful Mediterranean countries may be, even more so, the most rewarding experience of your life. I am, of course, referring to Greece, the country perceived to be the crossroad of civilizations, and which has been a place of inspiration for many people around the world, due to its geographical location, ancient history, magnificent natural landscapes, and rich culture, among other unique characteristics. What also makes Greece an attractive destination not only for holidays and tourism, but also for residence and work, is the mild Mediterranean climate with sunny days most of the year, along with the delicious cuisine, the comparatively lower accommodation prices, and cost of living, as well as the Greek hospitality and approachability.

Why I chose Teleperformance

While I was in search of a new international work experience that will allow me to grow professionally and enrich my CV, I came across a job ad posted by Teleperformance in Greece. They were looking for a Technical Support Advisor that speaks fluent Swedish and English. I saw myself in this role, as Swedish is my mother tongue, I am proficient in English (and German as well), plus I love technology! Moreover, I would be offered the chance to live the “Mediterranean experience” in one of the most vibrant and historical cities, the capital of Greece, Athens.

As you may already know, Teleperformance is a multinational company headquartered in France, which provides a variety of services, including customer care, technical support, sales, social media, as well other related services around the world. In other words, Teleperformance is the global leader in customer experience management. Teleperformance in Greece employs more than 11,000 people from 109 nationalities, serving over 140 markets in 40 languages and dialects, and supporting the world’s biggest and most well-known brands operating in different industries, among which PayPal, Canon, Netflix, Microsoft, Volkswagen, Audi.

A Great Place to Work

Teleperformance in Greece has received multiple awards and recognitions during its 30 years of operation. It is worth mentioning that the company has been certified as a ‘Great Place to Work’ in 2021, 2020, 2017 and 2013 and has been named ‘Best Multilingual Contact Center’ for three consecutive years at the ‘European Contact Centre & Customer Service Awards’, the longest-running and largest awards programme in the customer contact industry (and having collected 13 awards in total from the institution). Last but not least, Teleperformance Greece has won the special distinctions of the “Best Diversity Strategy” and “Best Crisis Management Strategy” based on its Covid-19 response actions, as well as a prestigious award for its Corporate Social Responsibility plan, embracing employees and community.

My recruitment experience

Getting back to my story, I submitted my online application for the vacancy without second thought and only two days later I was contacted by a friendly recruiter to discuss the next steps. I went through the interview process, which was quite smooth and well structured, making me feel even more motivated and eager to become part of the Teleperformance Greece team. Luckily, I was a successful candidate and of course accepted the job offer. Then, the challenging yet exciting relocation part started.

Relocation package

To my pleasant surprise, I was told that the company would cover my relocation expenses and was going to undertake the booking and payment of the flight ticket, a hotel room I can stay in for two weeks upon arrival, as well as a taxi to transfer me from the airport to the hotel. It was also great to be informed that the company would support me in finding an apartment that suits my needs, as they cooperate with real-estate agencies, providing me with information related to the accommodation market in Greece, being the point of contact during my search process, and covering the agency fee.

Upon arrival

When I arrived in Athens and joined the team, I had a very positive and engaging onboarding experience. I received full administrative and legal support during the hiring process, specifically with gathering and filling out some required documents, getting a tax number, registering to the social security system, opening a Greek bank account, and dealing with other required procedures. Non-EU citizens are also supported with the process required to receive the specific visa that will allow them to enter Greece (visa application fees are refunded), as well as their application for a residence & work permit to the relevant Greek authorities (free legal support is provided, including follow-ups and updates).

A diverse environment

It was really encouraging and motivating to find out that I became part of an inclusive company culture that strongly supports diversity and offers equal opportunities to everyone, regardless of ethnicity, race, age, gender, beliefs, or disability. I happily welcomed the opportunity to join a multicultural, multiethnic, friendly, safe, and fun workplace and meet colleagues of diverse ethnicities, backgrounds, and experiences. Being a human oriented company, Teleperformance organizes various initiatives and events (mainly virtually at present, adapting to Covid-19 and social distancing) to entertain and engage its employees, such as corporate social responsibility initiatives, cultural, wellbeing, and team building events. The company also strives to give back to the community and protect the environment. In this context, it offers employment opportunities to socially vulnerable groups, including disabled, homeless people, refugees and long-term unemployed.

Happiness comes from inside out

Teleperformance believes that “each interaction matters” and that happiness comes from inside out, thus it is committed to delivering the best possible working experience to its employees and an excellent experience to its clients. The company promotes equality, fairness, respect, creativity, open communication, transparency, and innovation, while constantly puts efforts in improving its tools, platforms, and services, by using high technology. From the very first moment of the Covid-19 outbreak, Teleperformance Greece transferred its functions to a digital environment, ensuring the health and safety of its people, and applied all necessary protection measures to its facilities. At the same time, nurses and occupational doctors were made available on-premises during working hours.

Cost of living

Teleperformance offers a competitive salary package for the Greek market. As the cost of living is far more affordable compared to other big European cities, you can live more than well with the above-average wage offered by the company, covering all your basic needs, while enjoying personal things and activities, such as travelling, entertainment and cultural visits. On average, monthly rents prices in Athens range from around 300-350 euros to 500-600 euros (depending on the size of the apartment, quality status, and location). In other cities, rental prices are even lower.

Company benefits

Additionally, the company offers the below attractive benefits to its employees:

✅ Free Greek language courses to help them adapt more easily to the Greek culture

✅ Additional Private Health Insurance Package

✅ Participation in training & development programs

✅ 2 extra salaries entitlement according to the Greek legislation; the Christmas Benefit (one full salary) and the Easter Benefit (half a salary)

✅ A generous bonus for referring new colleagues (can reach up to 2000 euros per referral)

✅ Access to Teleperformance’s “Discount Book” for special offers and discounts

✅ Participation in numerous charitable, environmental, and animal welfare actions organized      

throughout the year

✅ Participation in fun events, sports activities, and family & wellbeing initiatives

✅ Opportunity to work from home (depending on the job role) with state-of-the-art equipment
 

An exciting step in your career

So, if you love connecting with people, looking for a new and exciting step in your career, while becoming part of a recognized international company that has been certified as a Great Place to Work and has gained numerous other recognitions, and the idea of relocating to beautiful and historical Greece sounds exciting to you, then Teleperformance in Greece is the right place for you to become part of.

You can view all available job opportunities Teleperformance Greece offers here and submit your electronic application.