At Friisberg, culture is not an abstract idea. It is something we experience every day in how we work, collaborate and support our clients. In our Culture Factor series, we explore how local contexts shape professional behaviour and organisational success.
Although our office is based in Amsterdam, our work extends across the country, including Oss, and is led by Maarten van de Sande, who heads Friisberg’s Dutch practice. From this base, we support organisations operating at the heart of the Netherlands’ most influential industries.
The Netherlands has a strong, open and internationally connected economy. Services account for more than three quarters of national output, and the country plays a central role in European and global trade. Key industries include logistics and infrastructure, agri food and life sciences, high tech systems and materials, energy and sustainability, and financial and professional services.
The Port of Rotterdam and Schiphol Airport position the Netherlands as a gateway to Europe, while world leading agricultural exports and advanced semiconductor manufacturing underline the country’s reputation for both scale and innovation. These sectors require leaders who can operate in complex ecosystems, balancing efficiency, innovation and collaboration.
Dutch business culture is known for its direct communication style. Clarity is valued over formality, and honest feedback is seen as constructive rather than confrontational. In practice, this enables faster alignment and reduces ambiguity in decision making.
This directness is closely linked to a strong sense of pragmatism. Ideas are expected to lead to action, and discussions are grounded in facts and feasibility. This mindset supports industries such as logistics, infrastructure and energy, where execution and reliability are critical.
Transparency and high ethical standards are also central to Dutch working culture. Open dialogue, clear expectations and integrity in leadership contribute to trust at both organisational and societal level. These values align closely with Friisberg’s approach to executive search and advisory work, where credibility and long-term impact are paramount.
While discussions are open and direct, decisions are rarely made in isolation. Consensus building, encouraging input from multiple stakeholders and shared ownership of outcomes are regarded highly. Although this can take time upfront, it leads to durable decisions and strong commitment during implementation.
Hierarchy exists, but it does not dominate interactions. Leaders are expected to be accessible, well prepared and open to challenge. Expertise and contribution often matter more than title.
At Friisberg, this influences how we assess leadership potential. We focus on leaders who can engage others, listen effectively and lead through credibility rather than authority alone.
Dutch organisations combine flexibility with a high degree of structure and planning. Deadlines are taken seriously, agreements carry weight and reliability is a key marker of professionalism. This cultural trait supports the Netherlands’ reputation as a dependable place to do business and underpins long term partnerships.
For international clients operating in or from the Netherlands, this predictability creates a strong foundation for growth and collaboration.
In the Netherlands, work–life balance is widely recognised as a key driver of sustainable performance. Productivity is assessed by outcomes rather than hours worked, and flexible working practices are firmly embedded in the culture. Working hours are clearly protected, and international companies operating in the Netherlands are expected to respect established business hours. Notably, around 50% of employees work part-time, reflecting a strong societal commitment to balancing professional and personal life.
This respect for personal time supports employee wellbeing, sharpens focus, and fosters long-term engagement. This cultural norm is especially valuable in knowledge-driven industries such as technology, life sciences and professional services, where creativity, critical thinking and sustained cognitive performance are essential for success.
As a highly globalised economy and home to many international organisations, the Netherlands has a naturally international mindset. All Dutch professionals speak English very well and many also master a second language. In many cases, English is even the company language. Multicultural teams are common, and inclusivity and diversity are increasingly recognised as strategic advantages rather than social initiatives.
Dutch organisations value diversity of thought and background, particularly in leadership teams. Friisberg supports clients in building inclusive leadership structures that reflect the markets and societies in which they operate.
Led by Maarten van de Sande, Friisberg partners with organisations across the Netherlands’ core industries, combining local cultural understanding with global expertise.
We support clients through executive search and leadership appointments, identifying leaders who can navigate transformation while aligning with organisational values and culture. We advise on organisational and cultural development, helping leadership teams align strategy, structure and behaviour. We also work closely with clients on succession planning and talent strategy, ensuring leadership continuity in fast evolving sectors.
Given the Netherlands’ role as a gateway to Europe, we regularly support cross border growth and international expansion, helping organisations understand local leadership expectations and cultural dynamics.
From our work in Amsterdam and beyond, one insight stands out clearly. In the Netherlands, culture is not a soft concept, It is a strategic advantage. Directness, collaboration, pragmatism & balance shape how organisations lead, innovate and perform.
At Friisberg, understanding and working with these cultural dynamics allows us to help clients build organisations where people and performance thrive together. That is the Culture Factor in action.
Note: These insights reflect common patterns observed in professional settings. Every individual and organisation is unique, and no culture can be defined in absolute terms. Our aim is to highlight trends that international leaders may encounter when working across borders, and to share how Friisberg helps clients navigate these differences with respect and effectiveness.
We spoke to our Managing Partner Dorota Cagiel based in New Delhi who shared her market insights into Indian Business culture.
Expanding into India involves more than market research or regulatory compliance. Success depends heavily on understanding the country’s cultural and organisational dynamics. Business in India often operates within a hierarchical, trust and relationship-driven context where decision-making can follow the hierarchy and respect for seniority remains deeply embedded. Communication is polite and indirect, and negotiations often involve building trust and relationships before final decisions are made.
In India around 60% of employees are on permanent contracts, while average tenure is 6.5 years, reflecting a mix of stability and project-based employment. Approximately 50% of leaders are perceived as behaving consistently with stated organisational values, and 48% of employees feel the culture reflects these values. Diversity, equity and inclusion policies are present in around 40% of Indian companies, while 55% of organisations have formal employee wellbeing programmes, though implementation varies widely.
Because of this complexity, having local insight helps international companies avoid missteps, build appropriate glo-cal people strategies, and adapt leadership style to local realities.
Hierarchy and authority remain central in many organisations, with senior executives holding most decision-making power. Formal titles and indirect communication are common, especially during early interactions, and meetings often begin with relationship-building before moving to formal discussion. Workforce fluidity is higher than in many European markets, and permanent employees often coexist with temporary staff.
Business relationships place strong emphasis on personal rapport, trust and long-term collaboration. Teamwork, loyalty and group cohesion are highly valued. Balancing traditional hierarchical norms with modern, agile management practices is a challenge. Organisations are increasingly investing in leadership alignment and employee development to strengthen the engagement.
Our India operations are supported from the New Delhi office with the team led by Dorota Cagiel. The team provides local expertise to interpret how Indian culture, from hierarchical structures to workforce flexibility and efficiencies as well as engagement, plays out in daily business.
Friisberg helps international clients align corporate governance, find top talent, grow leadership teams and train international and cross-cultural teams. The team also designs engagement, performance and retention practices suitable for India’s business environment. They advise on leadership interactions to respect local norms while remaining effective and bridging with foreign parties. By establishing credibility and networks, Friisberg enables sustainable operations and long-term success in India.
India presents vast opportunities and success requires cultural understanding, flexibility and strategic adaptation. With Friisberg’s local presence in New Delhi, under Dorota Cagiel’s leadership, international companies can navigate India’s workforce dynamics, cultural complexities and people challenges to build high-performing organisations.
Note: These insights reflect common patterns observed in professional settings. Every individual and organisation is unique, and no culture can be defined in absolute terms. Our aim is to highlight trends that international leaders may encounter when working across borders, and to share how Friisberg helps clients navigate these differences with respect and effectiveness.
UK leaders often assume that European employment regulation stops at the Channel.
This one does not.
The EU Pay Transparency Directive will fundamentally change how pay is discussed, disclosed, and challenged across Europe by June 2026. While the UK is outside the EU, the implications for UK-based organisations are already landing in boardrooms, hiring conversations, and candidate expectations.
This is not a theoretical future issue, it is a live leadership and talent risk.
By June 2026, EU member states must implement laws that introduce:
The intent is clear: reduce pay inequality by removing opacity from both recruitment and reward decisions.
Is this a good initiative? The consensus is broadly yes, with practical caveats. The EU Pay Transparency Directive is widely viewed by policymakers, academics and many employers as a meaningful step towards closing unjustified pay gaps and strengthening trust in pay systems. Greater transparency reduces information asymmetry, supports fairer negotiations, and forces organisations to confront structural inconsistencies that often sit unnoticed for years. Where opinion becomes more cautious is around implementation: employers are rightly concerned about administrative burden, inconsistent application across countries, and the need for robust job architecture before transparency is introduced. In short, the intent is strongly supported; the success depends on preparation. Organisations that approach pay transparency strategically see it as a cultural and leadership opportunity, while those that treat it as a compliance exercise risk exposure rather than progress.
Even without direct legal force in Great Britain, the impact is real in three practical ways.
1. UK companies with European operations: Any organisation employing people in the EU will need to comply locally. In practice, that often drives group-wide changes to job architecture, levelling, pay bands, and hiring processes. Fragmented approaches become very difficult to defend.
2. Candidate expectations are shifting: Once pay ranges become standard across European markets, opacity in UK hiring starts to feel outdated, particularly at senior levels and in scarce skill areas. Transparency increasingly signals confidence and fairness, not risk.
3. The comparison bar is rising: UK employers with 250+ employees already report gender pay gap data annually. The EU approach goes further, extending transparency into recruitment and employee access to pay information. Boards, investors, and employees will inevitably compare UK practice against this higher benchmark.
From my perspective, this is not a reward team problem, it is a leadership credibility issue.
If an organisation cannot clearly articulate:
then pay transparency will expose inconsistency fast - and inconsistency erodes trust, retention, and hiring outcomes.
The strongest leaders are acting before regulation forces them to.
They are:
At Friisberg, we work with clients across the UK (and through our local European offices) to navigate this shift with confidence.
That includes:
Pay transparency is not coming to “disrupt” good organisations, it is coming to reveal whether clarity already exists.
As 2026 rolls in, it is the perfect moment to reassess our goals, but how many of us actually follow through? According to a recent YouGov poll, only 28% of people fully achieve their New Year’s goals, and a staggering 35% have already given up by January. The struggle to stick to resolutions is not just personal, it is one we see in both the athletic and business worlds.
We spoke with Alexandra Wenyon, our Head of Global Marketing at Friisberg, and former Paralympic GB coxswain, about how she built goals as an athlete, and how that framework can be applied in the workplace:
As an athlete, I honed a framework for setting and achieving goals that kept me accountable, focused and motivated. I have successfully adapted these principles to my work in the business world and applied them to the world of executive search. Revisiting goals every six months helps me track progress, recalibrate where necessary, and ensure alignment with my long-term goals.
For a coxswain, you guide, you decide, and you stay composed when everything around you is moving fast. Behind that composure was a goal-setting framework that kept Alex grounded and performing at her best: Bronze, Silver and Gold goals.
These are the practical, daily actions that allow you to show up and perform:
These small, consistent habits are the foundation for bigger achievements, both on the river and in the office.
Silver goals sharpen your craft and your leadership:
These are the targets that improve performance, refine skills, and build credibility.
Gold goals are the ultimate outcomes, the reason you are doing all of this:
“Bronze goals enable silver goals, which make gold goals achievable. The same applies in the boardroom as it does on the water.”
Elite sport holds many parallels with leadership:
Great leaders, like great coxswains, rely on a structured approach to goal-setting. The results speak for themselves.
There were days I operated on pure commitment and very little sleep, leaving London for early morning sessions, working full days afterwards, and spending nearly every hour of annual leave on training camps. Burnout was real, funding was limited, but my ‘why’, my gold goals, always brought me back.
Whether in the boat or the boardroom, goal-setting is a layered process. Bronze goals create the habits, silver goals develop the skills, and gold goals define the ultimate outcomes.
"As the year draws to a close and the holiday season invites us to pause and reflect, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to everyone who has contributed to Friisberg throughout the year. It has been a year marked by commitment, collaboration and meaningful progress.
"Our Executive Committee has devoted significant time and energy to addressing the topics that matter most for Friisberg and to shaping initiatives that will carry us forward. This collective focus continues to strengthen our organisation and our shared direction.
"I would also like to extend a special thank you to our UK and Finnish teams for organising two outstanding and truly memorable conferences. These events not only brought our community together but also introduced us to new colleagues who have already added great value to Friisberg. We are delighted to welcome Dorota Cagiel and Kıvanç Ersöz, whose experience, insights and engagement have already enriched our conversations, and we look forward to building the future together.
"As we look ahead, we are encouraged by the many exciting conversations currently under way and hope to continue welcoming new Partners in the year to come. We are especially looking forward to reconnecting and continuing these discussions at our spring conference in Istanbul.
"This year has also seen important progress in how we communicate and share our story. With renewed focus and energy behind our communications, we are seeing tangible results, and we encourage everyone to continue sharing news, ideas and achievements as we strengthen the Friisberg brand together.
"For now, however, it is time to slow down, switch off and enjoy the holiday season. Time with family and friends, good food, festive moments and well-earned rest. Thank you once again for a remarkable year. I wish you a restful holiday season and look forward to what we will achieve together in the year ahead".
Zoltán Pethõ - President
Sabine Pirkner recently attended The ADIPEC Exhibition and Conference in Abu Dhabi, one of the world’s leading energy conferences, bringing together over 2,250 companies from across the global energy ecosystem.
Despite the physical challenge of attending with a herniated disc Sabine found the experience energising and highly motivating. A major takeaway was the strong emphasis on real, practical AI applications, particularly at the AI Pavilion, where companies showcased how AI is already being used to drive technology advancement and market development.
One standout example was a smart helmet concept (Sabine is modelling fantastically!) that enables instant access to company data through a display and voice control, demonstrating how innovation is becoming increasingly practical and user-focused.
Drawing on her background in international consulting, Sabine highlighted a familiar lesson: innovation does not need to be perfect to begin. Progress comes from starting early and learning along the way.
From a Friisberg perspective, Sabine noted how critical it is to combine future-oriented innovators with pragmatic builders who can turn ideas into scalable tools. Encouragingly, our diagnostics already help identify individuals with strong innovation traits that organisations can build upon.
Seeing how companies such as ADNOC Group and Borouge continue to invest not only in technology but also in talent development was a powerful reminder that sustainable innovation depends on people as much as solutions. Sometimes pushing physical limits expands your mindset, and ADIPEC was a strong example of that in action!
Irena Petrova, Managing Partner at our Sofia office was recently interviewed by ECONOMY.bg as part of a feature with representatives of the Bulgarian Executive Search Association (BESA).
At the end of the year, Economy.bg gathered insights from leading executive search firms to highlight the key changes and trends of the past 12 months. We appreciate the opportunity to share our perspective alongside our BESA colleagues.
The article explores whether executive remuneration increased in Bulgaria and how 2025 unfolded for the executive search market. Irena shares her key insights below:
The year 2025 has brought significant changes in the landscape of artificial intelligence, leading to a re-evaluation of what it means to be human. The year has been marked by a shift from the notion of AI as a mere tool to a transformative technology that reshapes our understanding of human capabilities and societal interactions.
AI's Role in Society: AI has become a defining texture of waking experience, challenging our perceptions of reality and human interaction. It has crossed the point of no return, impacting various aspects of life, including; how we work, our creativity and privacy.
Human-Centric AI: The year has emphasized the importance of human collaboration and curation in the AI landscape. It has revealed that AI-generated content, while innovative, can also lead to misinformation and that human creativity comes out on top.
Human Intelligence and AI: The Mensa Foundation's exploration of human intelligence in the age of AI has led to the recognition of human and AI as complementary rather than competitive. This understanding highlights the unique qualities that humans bring to the table, such as creativity, emotional intelligence, and ethical reasoning.
AI's Impact on Mental Health: AI therapy chatbots have been tested and found to stigmatize certain conditions and suggest harmful responses, raising concerns about their reliability in mental health support. This has sparked discussions about the ethical use of AI in therapeutic contexts.
In conclusion, 2025 has been a year of profound change, where AI has not only advanced but also challenged our understanding of what it means to be human. It has brought to light the need for a balance between AI's capabilities and the human touch that cannot be replicated by machines.
With 32 offices across 22 countries, we asked our teams to share their holiday traditions. From Bulgaria to New Delhi, their responses reveal a striking common thread: across cultures, winter is a season to create light, connection and energy through rituals, food and community.
Across the Alps and Rhine, French families, particularly in Alsace and Moselle, mark Advent with candles, bake traditional bredeles and visit Christmas markets that fill towns with light. The main celebration on 24 December revolves around a family meal and gift-giving, surrounded by illuminated streets and glowing lanterns. In Germany, Christmas markets transform cold town squares into warm communal spaces, where mulled wine, roasted almonds and music provide comfort and shared joy.
In Bulgaria, Christmas Eve begins with a vegetarian supper featuring symbolic dishes: grains for continuity, beans and nuts for health, honey for sweetness, and bread baked with a hidden coin for luck. The badnik, a ceremonial log, is burned for warmth and blessings, while children practise survakane, tapping adults with decorated cornel branches and reciting blessings. Before sunrise on Christmas Day, groups of Koledari sing ritual songs, and in some villages masked Kukeri dancers ring bells and leap through fire to chase away negative spirits and awaken new energy.
This year, Ukrainians are celebrating Christmas with Europe on 25th December rather than on the 7th January, a symbolic choice that reflects our shared values and cultural direction. Ukrainian New Year traditions remain deeply rooted. We place a Didukh, a sheaf of wheat symbolising our ancestors, near the festive table. Families prepare kutia, holubtsi and varenyky, and always leave a place for those who cannot come home. This year, many chairs remain empty because someone is defending Ukraine. We even joke that we have never been closer to our ancestors. While the world prepares fireworks and LED decorations, we mark the New Year with the most authentic “traditional lighting” – candles during blackouts. It is a dark joke, yes, but one born from resilience, not despair.
Traditions continue, even during power cuts, in shelters, and with unstable internet. Christmas follows the winter solstice, the longest night of the year, after which days begin to grow longer. Light always triumphs over darkness. Our ancestors celebrated this with rituals, carols, and warmth shared around the table. Today, we feel it anew: even when the city goes dark, a single candle can still illuminate the room, a reminder that darkness is temporary.
When one flame becomes the centre of the celebration, it shows what New Year truly means here: family, culture, and the enduring belief that even the longest night will end.
In Poland, the first star in the sky signals the start of Christmas Eve. Families share opłatek, exchange blessings, and sit down to twelve meatless dishes, leaving an empty place at the table as a gesture of hospitality and inclusion.
Further north, in Finland, the season is quieter and more reflective. Families gather at home, enjoy traditional foods passed down through generations, listen to melancholic Christmas music, and celebrate Santa Claus as a symbol of trust and goodwill. Saint Lucy’s Day also brings symbolic light during the polar night, highlighting the importance of hope and warmth.
In India, Christmas transcends religion, celebrated across states from Goa and Kerala to the North East and major cities. Midnight masses, family gatherings, festive street markets, bakeries overflowing with seasonal treats and shared meals turn the season into a nationwide celebration of togetherness.
In the United Kingdom, England balances ritual and humour. Christmas cards, table crackers and Stir-Up Sunday pudding-making combine tradition and shared silliness, while in Scotland Hogmanay is a full-scale celebration of fire, music and community. Torchlight processions, shortbread exchanges and even the Loony Dook, a New Year’s Day plunge into the freezing sea, show a unique blend of bravery, camaraderie and festive spirit.
In Lithuania, Advent is a time of reflection and anticipation. Families light one candle each Sunday, and Christmas Eve, Kūčios, remains the season’s most significant celebration, marked by a symbolic dinner, shared blessings and family connection.
Finally, in the Netherlands, December begins with Sinterklaas on 5 December, a children’s festival featuring gifts, sweets such as pepernoten and chocolate letters, and playful poems. Christmas itself is centred on family, candlelight and multi-course meals, often accompanied by handmade ‘surprises’ that emphasise thoughtfulness over extravagance.
Across these diverse traditions, some themes are universal. Light is used to dispel darkness, food carries symbolic meaning, movement and ritual release energy, and inclusion is actively practised through gestures such as empty chairs, door-to-door visits and shared celebrations. Winter, rather than a season to endure, becomes a period organised around ritual, community and continuity.
Friisberg’s teams show that even in the coldest, darkest months, connection, creativity and care can turn tradition into energy, and shared experience into resilience.
When the Moomins curl up for their long winter hibernation, someone must keep Finland's reputation for warmth, wonder and winter magic alive. Fortunately, Santa Claus is more than up to the task. According to Finnish tradition, the secret workshop of the elves, and the true home of Santa Claus, lies deep in Korvatunturi, a fell on the Finnish–Russian border. Its remote location is both a blessing and a curse. It preserves secrecy and enchantment, but it also ensures that no one can ever really confirm the story. In Finland, however, we are comfortable living with such mysteries. Uncertainty is part of who we are.
Yet one thing remains absolutely certain. Santa Claus has been woven into Finnish Christmas traditions for over a century. And he has not always appeared in the familiar American-style red suit. The Finnish Santa, known as joulupukki, literally the "Yule Goat", reflects the layers of our society, a combination of old European folklore, Christian tradition and modern reinvention.
Originally, joulupukki was very different from the cheerful figure we know today. He was as grey as a November morning, horned like an old harvest goat, and wandered from door to door asking for food and drink. Over time, St Nicholas, the patron saint of children, introduced the idea of distributing gifts to the poor. Much later, American advertisers added the iconic snow-white beard and a red outfit conveniently matching their brand colours.
Together, these influences created today's Finnish Santa Claus, a diplomatic and egalitarian ambassador of goodwill. He relies on Mrs Claus, industrious elves and a devoted reindeer team, each of whom reflects the Finnish ethos of shared effort, perseverance and practicality.
But Santa is not the only figure who brightens the deep northern winter.
One might think that Lucia, the girl crowned with candles who brings light into the darkest time of year, would be as beloved throughout Finland as Santa Claus. Yet her celebration occupies a different emotional space.
Saint Lucy was a young Christian martyr from third-century Sicily whose name comes from lux, meaning light. Although Italian in origin, her legend travelled north through medieval trade routes and religious customs, eventually becoming deeply rooted in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and parts of Finland, particularly in Swedish-speaking communities.
Her story resonates strongly in Nordic countries because it touches on two essential themes of northern life:
Celebrated on 13th December, close to the old winter solstice, Lucia marks the symbolic return of light. In Nordic tradition, a chosen Lucia girl, dressed in white with a red sash, wears a wreath of candles and leads a procession of attendants who sing ancient songs. Her arrival signals hope at a time when daylight lasts only minutes.
Lucy's legend emphasises compassion, humility and generosity, values that align naturally with Finnish Christmas traditions. She is seen not only as a bearer of light but also as a messenger of care for others.
Lucia is specially celebrated in Swedish speaking areas and actually the charity visits are more common and more noticed in smaller cities (like Porvoo, Loviisa, Inkoo, Vaasa, Kokkola and others in the coastline). The custom is more subdued than in Sweden, but it remains a heartfelt reminder that even small lights matter.
And yet, despite the beauty of the Lucia tradition, most Finns keep their emotional focus elsewhere.
For us, Christmas is not primarily about spectacle or ceremony. It is about going home.
More important than Lucia's light is the glow of familiar windows in the dark. More comforting than processions is the quiet reassurance of shared rituals. We eat the same dishes our grandparents prepared, listen to the same slightly melancholic carols, slow down in the stillness of the season and wait for a gentle knock on the door followed by the question every Finnish child knows:
"Onkos täällä kilttejä lapsia?"
"Are there any good children here?"
No unnecessary fuss. No airs or graces. Just honesty, trust, kindness and the joy of being together.
This is why Finland's Santa Claus endures, not simply as a global icon but as a quietly heroic figure who embodies the values that define us.
Santa Claus is the CEO of all our dreams, supported by a team as diverse and dedicated as our own society. Alongside him stands Lucia, a symbol of light and compassion. Together they remind us that Finnish Christmas, like Finland itself, is strongest when tradition, community and warmth guide us through even the darkest winter days.
Expanding into Bulgaria requires more than understanding the market, it demands insight into organisational culture and people dynamics. In Bulgaria, 55% of leaders and 52% of organisational culture are perceived as authentic and aligned with stated values, highlighting the importance of cultural credibility in business success.
Bulgarian companies are actively developing employees whose behaviour reflects organisational culture, demonstrating a strong focus on aligning leadership and workforce practices. At the same time, 55% of businesses have a DEI policy (compared with 91% in the UK and 72% in Romania), and over 65% have formalised wellbeing policies, showing growing recognition of inclusion and employee support.
Workforce stability remains strong: 81% of employees are on permanent contracts, and average tenure is 9.2 years. Younger professionals are driving cultural change, with 69% of 18-29 year olds supporting more women in senior roles.
Bulgaria blends tradition with evolving cultural expectations. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for international businesses, and Friisberg’s local expertise ensures organisations can navigate them effectively.
Bulgarian companies often retain clear hierarchical structures with respect for senior positions. Input from teams is valued, but final decisions tend to sit with senior leaders. This aligns with assessments of traditional corporate culture in the country.
A national working conditions survey found that 81% of Bulgarian employees are on permanent contracts, and the average tenure in the same organisation is around 9.2 years.
This reflects expectations of stability and long-term employment relationships, which can differ from markets where job mobility is higher.
A 2025 study reported that only 51% of respondents in Bulgaria believe their organisational culture fully supports their business goals.
Between 54% and 72% of companies say they are actively trying to improve organisational culture.
In Germany and Bulgaria, expectations for correspondence between leadership behaviour and real culture, and between culture and stated values, are high. The study found that 55% of leaders and 52% of organisational culture were perceived as authentic and aligned with stated values.
By contrast, only 9% of respondents in Germany believe their organisation hires employees whose behaviour fully aligns with the culture, and only 8% feel that the development of such people is fully encouraged. In Bulgaria, however, the largest number of respondents give their organisation the highest rating for developing employees whose behaviour aligns with organisational culture.
This highlights that in Bulgaria, cultural alignment and employee development are perceived as more actively supported than in some other European markets, making local insight especially valuable for international companies.
In a study of 708 employees, around 20% reported frequent workplace conflict.
In broader surveys, 29.3% of employees said they were completely satisfied with working conditions, while 43.5% were fairly satisfied.
Wellbeing policies are widely formalised in the region: the UK, Romania, and Bulgaria all have over 65% of organisations with formalised wellbeing policies. However, implementation can be inconsistent, particularly in the United Kingdom. Germany lags behind both in terms of the existence of policies and the consistency between behaviour and organisational intentions.
In Bulgaria and Romania, organisations are often more innovative in their approach, offering additional benefits and flexible practices to support employees. This confirms that Bulgarian businesses are increasingly recognising the value of wellbeing and employee support initiatives.
Social attitudes are also evolving. A national survey found that 61% of Bulgarians believe there should be more women in senior business roles, rising to 69% among people aged 18 to 29.
Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies are less widespread in Bulgaria compared with some other countries: 55% of businesses in Bulgaria have a DEI policy, compared with 91% in the UK and 72% in Romania. This suggests that while inclusion is gaining attention, there is still significant room for growth and international companies can play a role in strengthening DEI initiatives.
This indicates that younger professionals increasingly welcome modern leadership styles, inclusive workplace cultures, and structured DEI and wellbeing approaches.
Bulgarian workplaces blend traditional hierarchy with modern expectations. Friisberg helps leaders understand when formality is expected, when informal communication is appropriate and how to adapt leadership styles to fit local norms.
With high rates of permanent employment and long tenure, employee loyalty and stability matter. Friisberg helps international companies structure roles, communication and engagement strategies that align with these expectations.
Since only around half of companies feel their culture supports strategy, Friisberg provides practical guidance on aligning values, behaviours and leadership expectations to create cohesive teams.
The insights that 55% of leaders and 52% of organisational culture are aligned, and that Bulgaria scores highest in developing employees whose behaviour aligns with the culture, underline why leadership behaviour, cultural authenticity, DEI, wellbeing, and employee development are critical in Bulgaria.
Face to face communication and trust building remain important in Bulgaria. Friisberg’s on the ground presence ensures that new entrants develop the relationships needed to operate effectively.
Bulgaria offers strong opportunities, but business success depends on understanding how people work, communicate and build trust. With Friisberg’s local expertise, organisations gain more than market insight, they gain a partner who understands the cultural context that determines long term success.
Note: These insights reflect common patterns observed in professional settings. Every individual and organisation is unique, and no culture can be defined in absolute terms. Our aim is to highlight trends that international leaders may encounter when working across borders, and to share how Friisberg helps clients navigate these differences with respect and effectiveness.
With Friisberg UK in London, Birmingham and Edinburgh, our end-of-year conversations naturally reflect a blend of English and Scottish traditions. The result is a December full of shared stories, gentle teasing and the occasional debate about whether shortbread counts as breakfast.
Here is a brief cultural tour of the season from our side of the Channel, combining well-known customs with some of the lesser-known rituals that our international colleagues often enjoy discovering.
England approaches Christmas with sentiment, structure and just enough chaos to keep it interesting.
England sends astonishing numbers of Christmas cards. This tradition stretches back to 1843, when Sir Henry Cole, a civil servant and early advocate for the modern postal system, commissioned the first commercial Christmas card. His aim was simple: encourage the public to use the newly introduced Penny Post - and it worked spectacularly. The idea spread quickly, becoming a national habit rooted in courtesy, connection and the very British fondness for polite correspondence. Even in a digital age, the ritual still carries cultural weight.
No English table is complete without crackers and every participant ends up in a flimsy paper crown, united briefly in colourful humiliation. Crackers are one of the most recognisable features of an English Christmas table, complete with a tiny toy and a joke so terrible it becomes a bonding exercise. The tradition began in the 1840s with a London sweet-maker named Tom Smith, inspired by the cracking sound of logs on a fire, wrapped his sweets in paper with a small explosive pop. Crackers appealed to something distinctly English: shared silliness, gentle theatricality and the idea that everyone, from grandparent to guest, should look equally ridiculous for one meal.
The Christmas pudding is one of England’s most iconic festive dishes – it is dense, dark, full of spice and fruit, and it arrives at the table with ceremony, often flaming dramatically in brandy. Its origins go back to medieval “plum pottage” which was a hearty mixture of meat, dried fruit and spices served at feasts, but over the centuries, the meat vanished, the fruit increased and the recipe slowly evolved into the sweet, rich pudding we know today. What keeps the tradition alive is not just the taste, but the ritual: families gather on Stir-Up Sunday to mix the ingredients, each person taking a turn to stir clockwise and make a wish. Coins or charms are sometimes hidden inside, meant to bring luck to whoever finds them (as long as they don’t break a tooth).
Come rain, frost or a determined gale, everyone goes for a long walk on 26 December. The purpose is fresh air, guilt management and making space for leftovers. Dogs consider it the highlight of their holiday.
Scotland treats New Year with the same enthusiasm that England reserves for Christmas and the result is a season of symbolism, warmth and impressive stamina.
Fireworks, music, ceilidhs and crowds that stay cheerful in freezing temperatures mean that Hogmanay is not just an evening, it is an experience.
In Edinburgh, the celebrations begin long before the 31st with the famous torchlight procession winding through the city, thousands of people carrying flames through historic streets that glow with fire and tradition. The entire city becomes a stage set, with crowds singing, hugging and dancing in streets that should, by all logic, be too cold for any of those activities.. Hogmanay here is not simply the turning of the year, it is a declaration of optimism, community and collective stamina.
This tradition has deep roots in Scottish folklore, in fact it dates back to ancient Celtic and Viking customs that viewed the threshold of the home as a powerful, symbolic boundary. The characteristics of the first visitor were believed to influence the household’s luck for the year ahead and dark hair became particularly favourable after Viking times, when the sudden arrival of fair-haired strangers at your door rarely boded well! Today, the tradition is embraced with far more warmth (and far less danger), but the symbolism endures. The first-footer brings prosperity, comfort and good cheer, making it one of Scotland’s most enduring and charming New Year rituals.
Scotland’s tradition of plunging into the freezing North Sea on New Year’s Day is legendary - it is bold, bracing and undeniably questionable. What surprises us most is that Lorri Lowe, our UK Managing Partner, has done the Loony Dook many times. Not once, not “just to see what it’s like”, but many times. Given that Lorri is known across Friisberg for her stilettos, designer outfits and long hair, the idea of her voluntarily entering the North Sea feels almost folkloric in itself. This is a woman who will quite happily take a taxi to avoid a walk in the rain, yet has repeatedly marched into icy water. The contradiction is, somehow, entirely on brand.
Throughout December, beautifully presented shortbread appears in offices, homes and unexpected places. It is more than a biscuit, it is a cultural expression of warmth, generosity and a deep respect for proper baking. Shortbread’s status in Scotland runs deep with its origins dating back to medieval oat-and-butter biscuits that later evolved into the rich, crumbly recipe we recognise today. Because butter and sugar were once expensive luxury ingredients, shortbread became a celebration food, baked only for Christmas, Hogmanay and weddings. The tradition endured so offering shortbread is still seen as a gesture of hospitality and good fortune - it is, quite literally, Scotland’s way of sharing sweetness and prosperity.
When Friisberg hosted its conference in Edinburgh earlier this year, the team experienced Scottish tradition first-hand. The ‘piping in’ set the tone instantly, and the ceilidh that followed became an unforgettable highlight - watching colleagues attempt reels with varying levels of rhythm and enthusiasm proved once again that Scotland knows exactly how to bring people together. The atmosphere was warm, joyful and every bit as spirited as the culture it represents.
We wish our Friisberg colleagues and clients a season filled with warmth, reflection and exactly the right balance of crackers, ceilidhs and cold-water bravery.
The holiday season is a time when cultures shine brightest, revealing the rituals, flavours, and customs that bring people together. At Friisberg, we are proud to have 32 offices across 22 countries. Each deeply rooted in local traditions and rich cultural heritage. This global presence gives us more than just geographic reach; it gives us local insight that brings meaningful value to our clients.
This year, we’re excited to launch the Friisberg Holiday Series, where we ask our colleagues around the world to share the traditions that make the season special in their countries. From festive foods and family rituals to symbols of hope, generosity, and togetherness, these stories offer a window into the diverse ways people celebrate this magical time of year. Hanna Kuntsi from our Finnish team even describes Santa as "The CEO of all our dreams!".
Just as Poland’s Christmas Eve traditions highlight hospitality, unity, and inclusion - setting an extra place for a stranger, sharing the opłatek wafer, and gathering around a table prepared with care - each of our offices brings unique customs that reflect the values at the heart of Friisberg: connection, empathy, and community.
Join us as we travel from country to country, discovering how our global teams celebrate the season and how these traditions inspire the way we work, lead, and collaborate.
We are starting the series with Nevena Nikolova Friisberg Partner and Group CFO who is based in Sofia, Bulgaria.
Across Bulgaria, winter has long been a season shaped not only by cold and darkness but also by traditions that bring warmth, protection and connection. Some of these customs remain central to holiday celebrations, while others are kept alive mainly in smaller communities or remembered fondly as part of Bulgaria’s cultural heritage. Together, they reveal a deep understanding of how people stay energised during the darkest months: through meaning, togetherness and shared light.
Budni Vecher, the Christmas Eve ritual supper, is one of the season’s most symbolic gatherings. Families prepare a vegetarian meal with an odd number of dishes, each carrying its own meaning. Walnuts are placed on the table for fortune-telling, incense is burned to cleanse the home and the ceremonial badnik log is kept alight through the night to bring warmth and blessings. It is a quiet, reflective moment rooted in hope.
The Koledari, Bulgaria’s Christmas carollers, once travelled from house to house before sunrise on Christmas Day. Groups of young men sang ritual songs that promised health, prosperity and protection from misfortune. Although less common today, the tradition remains one of Bulgaria’s most powerful winter customs and symbolises the triumph of light and community over darkness.
Survakane, the joyful New Year’s blessing, remains widely practised. On New Year’s morning, children gently tap adults on the back with decorated cornel-branch sticks, called survachki, while reciting blessings for abundance and good health. Homes are filled with laughter and optimism, and the exchange becomes a cheerful transfer of positive energy from one generation to the next.
Baba Marta, the celebration of 1 March, marks the symbolic end of winter’s heavy months. Although not a mid-winter tradition, the giving of red-and-white martenitsi (small piece of adornment made of red and white yarn) is closely tied to the psychological shift out of darkness. These simple threads carry enormous emotional significance, acting as wearable reminders that brighter days are returning.
Kukeri rituals, elaborately costumed Bulgarian men, who perform traditional rituals intended to scare away evil spirits., held from mid-winter into early spring, bring colour, movement and noise to villages across the country. Elaborate masks, heavy bells and energetic dancing are used to scare away evil spirits and awaken new life. While often celebrated in festival form in cities, the villages that preserve the tradition experience it as an intense, communal release of energy.
Light and fire play a central role in restoring hope during the darkest weeks of the year. Whether from the burning badnik log or the flaming torches of the Kukeri dancers, fire symbolises purification, safety and the shared ability of a community to “bring back the light”.
Communal movement and visiting also reinforce the feeling of belonging. The songs of the Koledari and the lively steps of Kukeri dancers rely on participation and presence. These customs spread positive energy through physical closeness and collective action.
Food plays an important symbolic role too. The dishes prepared for Christmas Eve, such as grains, beans, nuts, honey and the traditional pita with a hidden coin, represent nourishment, continuity, health and luck. These foods offer reassurance at a time of year traditionally marked by scarcity.
The dramatic masks, loud bells and vigorous movements of the Kukeri are designed to drive away negativity and awaken life forces. The result is a powerful emotional release that lifts communities during the heaviest part of winter.
Finally, martenitsi provide a simple but powerful reminder of resilience and renewal. The red-and-white threads symbolise the return of warmth and the gradual reawakening of nature, offering hope even before spring fully arrives.
Bulgarian winter customs show that resilience grows through meaning rather than endurance alone. Leaders can draw on this insight by creating shared rituals, such as regular reflections or symbolic moments of recognition, to support their teams through demanding periods.
Community is another essential source of strength. Just as the Koledari and Kukeri thrive through participation, teams flourish when there is a sense of belonging. Encouraging shared experiences helps people feel supported and energised.
Small symbolic gestures can also have significant emotional impact. The hidden coin in the Christmas bread or the exchange of martenitsi demonstrates how simple actions can create moments of joy. Leaders can provide similar experiences by celebrating small milestones, offering personal encouragement or establishing weekly team rituals.
Finally, these traditions show the importance of leadership that brings light to challenging circumstances. People need clear markers of hope, progress and possibility. Leaders who highlight the positives and illuminate the path ahead help their teams remain motivated even when the environment feels difficult.
Find out more about our Bulgarian team here: Sofia Office - Friisberg & Partners International
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