Career development is highly dependent on the direct manager. In the Sofia office, there is only one BA and Product Management unit, overseen by a single manager responsible for around 30 people. Career progression often aligns more with the manager's priorities than with employees’ individual goals — including being assigned to projects that may not match your skills, interests, or development plans, as long as the project brings in revenue.
Limited people management — one-on-one meetings typically occur only during the probation period.
Project transitions can be challenging — at the end of each assignment, employees must actively search for a new project, similar to a job hunt. This includes multiple interviews, and your preferences regarding new assignments may be disregarded by your manager. The pressure can be significant.
The assessment process (required for promotion beyond Level 3, i.e., Senior) is a good idea in theory but is often used as a gatekeeping tool. Employees may be blocked from entering the process for months or even years, despite being told that salary increases above a certain level are only possible after assessment. When approved, the raise is usually modest (around 15–16%). It feels like a catch-22.
Annual salary increases are minimal — typically capped at 3%. Furthermore, the effective date of these raises is frequently delayed from January to April, or even July of the following year.
Feeback process is formal, but has no value for employees that exceed expectations.
It’s demotivating to see new hires (e.g., mid-level candidates) being onboarded with questionable qualifications and salaries that exceed those of current Senior-level employees — especially those who earned their promotion through the internal assessment process.
On a lighter note, there’s a small birthday gift each year (e.g., a branded bottle or bag) — but it's inconsistently distributed. One year you might receive it, the next year you might not. The logic behind the selection remains unclear.
