How kariera.gr is transformed into Kariera Group

From the idea of acquiring the leading job research platform kariera.gr, which was first discussed among its Greek owners at a conference in Vancouver in 2017, till now, where the evolution of the brand's internationalization is taking place, major changes have taken place in the international work landscape. The pandemic has left behind remote working, the huge need to retrain the workforce, and international talent mobility - all as new trends that, due to their sudden occurrence, make it difficult for employers worldwide to find the ideal staff for them.

Kariera Group, the newly formed organization that emerged from the move by Kariera S.A., the leading technology company with a presence of over 25 years in the Greek market, to sign an acquisition agreement for CareerBuilder L.L.C. with presence in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Sweden, Netherlands, Norway, Vietnam, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates, provides a powerful response. Nowadays it has the ability to offer solutions globally by combining access to staff from 10 countries with major investments in the technological innovation of its recruitment and staff management platform.

A benchmark in the labor market

Kariera S.A. was founded in 1997 by Theofilos Vassiliadis and Fanis Rigas, creating kariera.gr, a platform that very quickly became a reference point for the Greek labor market and within 26 years it managed to become a leader in the job boards market in Greece, always distinguishing on time the needs of the labor market and offering immediate solutions. In 2007 it was the first Greek startup to be sold to a multinational company, passing to the ownership of CareerBuilder L.L.C.

Thirteen years later, in 2020, the company was acquired again, this time by Theophilos Vassiliadis, one of its two founders, and the Panteliadis brothers. A year later the investment group also acquired Human Factor, a company that provides personnel management software. A move that was accompanied by an investment of €2.5 million to operate a new digital platform, aimed at interactive and direct communication, with links to the social media operating model and responding to a wide range of citizens who are not necessarily looking for a job directly. Like a sophisticated, Greek Linkedin.

Entering the tourism market

In November 2022 kariera.gr acquired Workathlon, the company that introduced innovation in recruitment in the tourism sector. This new alliance came at a pivotal moment for the Greek tourism ecosystem, as last year 50,000 hotel-related jobs remained vacant, while in the first days of June around 5,000 employees resigned, increasing the gap.

With tourism contributing more than 20% to Greek GDP and with 40% of employment directly or indirectly linked to the sector, the Kariera-Workathlon partnership is of particular interest.

Due to the fact that Workathlon, having gained the trust of more than 400 companies and 60,000 employees in the tourism sector, has strengthened Kariera with expertise and specialization in the sector, optimizing the recruitment process and matching candidates to jobs according to their qualifications. In this way, Kariera laid new foundations for finding and utilizing a workforce for the critical tourism sector.

The international footprint

By 2020, Kariera has tripled its revenues in Greece and had succeeded in quadrupling the number of employees in Greece. With investments of more than 3 million euros in a new, technologically advanced platform and dedicated staff, Kariera Group is ready to export its technology, expertise, and expanded portfolio of services to all the foreign markets it now operates in.

Building on the know-how acquired through its cooperation with more than 15,000 recruitment companies, Kariera Group expands, with this acquisition, its presence by offering expanded solutions at an international level, as it will now use the 15 new recruitment sites in Europe and Asia and will create a platform with jobs in 10 different countries. Kariera Group in its new form will have over 300 employees, offices in 10 cities, and a consolidated turnover approaching 30 million euros by 2023.

This strategic move is part of Kariera Group's effort to become a global player in the technology industry by providing expanded services and total HR management solutions to employers who want to stand out. Some of these include leading job search sites, Executive Search and Recruiting services, events with physical or virtual presence such as Kariera Days, providing job-related data, Upskilling/Reskilling services, Talent Creation communities, Employer Branding, People Management Software, etc. While offering the expertise of a large group that understands both the needs of employees and the businesses that offer jobs.