In 2025, employee mobility is no longer a trend. It’s a fact. HR leaders in Bulgaria face a growing pressure: talent is scarce, expectations are evolving, and companies that once relied on loyalty are now learning that loyalty must be earned and maintained.

Retention is not just about keeping people in seats. It’s about keeping them engaged, aligned, and emotionally connected to the mission. But according to fresh data from employers across Bulgaria, this connection is fraying.

This article explores three strategic blind spots identified in the recent regional survey conducted by wherewework and what HR teams can do today to build more resilient, attractive organizations.

Mistake #1: Assuming salary is just a budget line

According to the wherewework survey, 54.8% of employers in Bulgaria say that salary and benefits are the main motivational tool they offer. This reflects a widespread awareness that compensation matters. However, when we look at how this is executed, gaps remain.

Only 23.2% of companies have recently increased their benefits budget, and just 21.4% have introduced new benefits. At the same time, 23.8% of employers offer no benefits at all, aside from salary. This uneven investment leaves a large segment of the workforce without the recognition they expect.

Employee data reinforces the gap: only 1.5% of employees in Bulgaria say they are fully satisfied with their pay. Treating compensation as a static cost rather than a dynamic signal of value undermines retention from the start.

Mistake #2: Overlooking the need for professional development

35.1% of Bulgarian employers include training and professional development in their employee offering. While this is a positive sign, it means that nearly two thirds of employers do not highlight growth as a structured part of their strategy.

Retention is not just about keeping people in roles. It’s about showing them a path forward. When development is missing from the culture, so is long-term engagement.

And it shows: in the employee responses, 74% are open to changing jobs, and 29% are actively looking. Growth opportunities are no longer optional. They are expected.

Mistake #3: Listening, but not deeply enough

When it comes to understanding what employees need, many employers rely on informal signals. In Bulgaria, 30.9% of companies say they use informal feedback as their main listening tool. While this can be useful, it’s rarely consistent or measurable.

Without structured input, it becomes difficult to track dissatisfaction early or to adjust in real time. Companies risk missing clear signs of disengagement — not because they aren’t listening, but because they aren’t equipped to act.

Meanwhile, employee data shows high levels of dissatisfaction with pay and benefits, and a growing appetite to leave. The message is there. The question is whether employers are truly hearing it.

*The insights in this article are grounded in data from the Regional Survey: Salaries & Benefits – Balancing Expectations and Offers, conducted between April and June 2025 across Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, and Republic of Moldova.

With a total of 9,888 responses, including 990 employers and 8,898 employees, the study offers a deep, comparative look at how compensation and benefits are perceived and misaligned across the region.*

Solutions That Work: Tools for HR Leaders from wherewework

At wherewework, we believe retention is not guesswork. It is strategy grounded in data. The platform offers HR professionals dedicated tools designed to close the gap between perception and reality:

1. Employer Branding

Build trust inside and outside the organization through authentic reputation management. With access to anonymous employee reviews, companies gain unfiltered insight into their culture. This allows both recruitment and retention efforts to be rooted in truth, not assumption.

2. HR Analytics Dashboard

See what matters before it escalates. This tool helps HR monitor internal sentiment, detect early signs of disengagement, and evaluate the impact of policy changes. Informed decisions mean smarter, faster adjustments.

3. Salary Report Tool

Designed to provide up-to-date salary benchmarks for specific roles and industries, this report helps companies offer competitive pay and reduce offer rejection due to misaligned expectations.

Each of these tools is not only practical, it is essential for organizations looking to build lasting, people-first strategies.

Final Thought

Retention is no longer a reactive function. It’s a proactive responsibility. The data shows that Bulgarian employers know what’s broken: salaries that feel insufficient, career paths that are unclear, employee voices that go unheard.

The good news? These are solvable problems. But only for those willing to treat retention not as a checkbox, but as a strategy.

In 2025, talent won’t wait around. They’re informed, connected, and mobile. HR’s task isn’t just to stop people from leaving, it’s to give them a reason to stay.