Hiring across Europe: what actually changes country to country
Notice periods, salary expectations, benefits, legal requirements - what you need to know before hiring in a European country you haven't hired in before.
Europe is not one market
You've hired in Finland. It went fine. Now you need someone in Germany, or the Netherlands, or Spain. How different can it be?
Very. Every country has its own employment laws, salary expectations, notice periods, and hiring norms. What's standard in Helsinki is weird in Berlin. What's normal in Amsterdam is illegal in Paris. If you treat European hiring as one thing, you'll make expensive mistakes.
Notice periods will ruin your timeline
This catches every startup off guard. In Finland, notice periods are typically 1-2 months. Manageable. But in other countries:
Germany: 3 months is standard for anyone who's been at a company for more than 2 years. Senior roles often have 6 months. That candidate you want to start next month? They can't start for a quarter.
Netherlands: Usually 1-2 months, but it increases with tenure. Some contracts specify 3 months.
UK: Typically 1-3 months. Senior roles often 3 months. Garden leave is common - they're paid to sit at home, which means they can't start early even if they want to.
Spain: Usually just 15 days. Which sounds great until you realize it means people leave quickly too.
France: 1-3 months depending on the role. But negotiating someone out of a French notice period is nearly impossible because the employer has no incentive to let them go early.
The practical takeaway: when you find someone in Germany, add 3 months to your start date expectation. Plan your hiring timeline backwards from when you actually need the person, not from when you want to start looking.
Salary expectations are all over the map
A senior software engineer in Helsinki expects roughly 55,000-75,000. The same role in Zurich? 120,000-150,000. In Lisbon? 35,000-50,000. Same skills, same experience, wildly different numbers.
This isn't just about cost of living. It's about local market dynamics, tax structures, and what "compensation" includes. In some countries, base salary is everything. In others, benefits and bonuses make up 30-40% of total compensation.
What you need to know by market
Germany: Salaries are competitive but not as high as you'd expect for the economy's size. The tradeoff is strong job security and benefits. Germans care about stability - unlimited contracts and clear career progression matter more than a 5% salary bump.
Netherlands: Salary expectations are moderate, but the 30% ruling for international hires makes the Netherlands very attractive for talent. If your candidate qualifies, they pay significantly less tax for 5 years. Factor this into your offer.
UK: London salaries are high - comparable to or above Nordic levels. Outside London, they drop significantly. Remote roles have created a weird dynamic where London-based companies hire in Manchester at London salaries, inflating the regional market.
Spain and Portugal: Lower base salaries but improving fast, especially in tech hubs like Barcelona, Madrid, and Lisbon. Good talent is available at lower cost, but the best people know their market value and expect remote-friendly or international-level pay.
France: Paris is expensive. The rest of France is not. French candidates expect specific benefits (restaurant vouchers, transport subsidies, extensive health coverage) that are standard locally but might surprise you.
Employment law is where things get serious
Probation periods
In Finland, you can set a 6-month probation period and terminate relatively easily during it. Other countries are different:
Germany allows up to 6 months of probation. France allows 2-4 months, renewable once. Spain allows 2-6 months depending on contract type. The Netherlands allows 1-2 months, and it must be in writing on day one or it doesn't exist.
If you miss the window or don't document it properly, you're stuck with the full termination protections from day one.
Termination is hard in most of Europe
Finland is relatively employer-friendly by European standards. Most other countries are not. In France, firing someone requires documented cause, a formal process, and often severance that makes your eyes water. In Germany, employees with more than 6 months of tenure are protected by strict dismissal laws.
This doesn't mean you can't hire in these countries. It means you need to be more careful about who you hire, use probation periods properly, and understand what you're committing to before you sign a contract.
Contractor vs. employee classification
Many startups try to hire "contractors" in other countries to avoid employment law complexity. This is risky. Most European countries have strict rules about what constitutes an employee vs. a contractor. If someone works for you full-time, uses your tools, and follows your schedule - they're an employee regardless of what the contract says.
The penalties for misclassification range from back taxes and social contributions to fines. In some countries, the worker automatically becomes a permanent employee with full protections. Use an employer of record (EOR) if you want to hire in a country where you don't have a legal entity.
Cultural differences in the hiring process
How candidates expect to be contacted
In the Nordics, a casual LinkedIn message works fine. In Germany, people expect more formality - a proper job description, clear process, and professional communication. In southern Europe, personal connections and referrals carry more weight than cold outreach.
What candidates ask about
Finnish candidates ask about the product, the team, and remote work. German candidates ask about contract type, notice period, and career development path. Dutch candidates ask about the 30% ruling and holiday allowance. French candidates ask about RTT (extra days off) and the company's comite d'entreprise. Know what matters in each market before you start selling the role.
Interview expectations
Nordic interviews tend to be casual and flat - first names, informal tone. German interviews expect more structure and formality. French interviews often involve discussing general intelligence and education background more than specific skills. UK interviews fall somewhere in between.
Adapting your interview style to the local culture isn't about being fake. It's about not accidentally signaling that you don't know what you're doing.
The practical approach
Start with one country at a time. Don't try to hire in 5 markets simultaneously. Pick the one where you have the strongest business case, learn how it works, then expand.
Use local expertise. A recruiter who knows the German market will save you months of mistakes. An employment lawyer in France will save you from a wrongful termination suit. These aren't optional costs - they're insurance.
Use an EOR for your first hires. Setting up a legal entity in a new country costs 10,000-50,000 and takes months. An employer of record lets you hire someone next week. Once you have 5+ employees in a country, setting up your own entity starts making financial sense.
Talk to people who've done it. Every founder who's hired across borders has a horror story. Learn from theirs so you don't create your own.