Just two years after it was officially established, Schwarz IT Bulgaria set itself one of its most ambitious goals to date: to meet the global standards for a top employer. This goal has been prompted by the company's desire to get out of the matrix of local expectations and parallels with other companies in the industry and stand alongside the best companies in the world. And in the worst case, if it failed the first time to handle this undertaking, it would grab the opportunity to identify its shortcomings and develop specific strategies for their elimination. The project started in March 2023 and continued until the end of the year.

The project encompasses the entire life cycle within the company. It spans from employer branding, through recruitment, hiring, onboarding, development, and expansion, to the employee's departure from the company. It also considers all significant moments during the employee's tenure, such as long-term absences, parenthood, position changes, training, digitization, work environment, and well-being.

The project opened in March 2023 and is ongoing, as each step made to improve working conditions prompts further enhancements. The project is an integral part of the company's overall strategy to retain talent, stimulate career growth, promote inclusivity and diversity, and invest in young talent. It supports acquisition of experts from other countries, incl. Bulgarians with successful careers abroad, and upgrades another project focused on hiring and development of women in the IT sector.

The project activities are related to each of the categories uniting specific goals for improvement. They are: Management (Steer) – Training for managers; communication of a clear link between business strategy and human management strategy. Defining, tracking, and reporting key HR metrics. Internal projects One Direction & NEO for achieving transparency. Shaping (Shape) – Activities focused on organization and change, digital HR, and working atmosphere. Introduction of Scrum & Agile, employee journey mapping covering all steps in the employee's life in the company. Attraction (Attract) – Employer branding, talent acquisition & onboarding, training for working with social networks, introduction of an internal selection process management system based on Success Factors. Development (Develop) – Focused on performance, career, and training. Engagement (Engage) – Focus on well-being, employee listening, rewards, benefits, and offboarding. Unification (Unite) – Focus on values, ethics, diversity, inclusion, and sustainability. Training against psychological and physical harassment, DEI champions, sustainability initiatives, and environmental conservation.

As a result, the turnover in the company decreased by over 30%. Internal referrals increased by 30%. The satisfaction of new employees with the onboarding process rose from 3.8 to 4.6 on a scale of 5. Overall employee satisfaction reached a record high of 90%. The company won the HR Manager of the Year award at Career Show 2023, serving as evidence of its outstanding work in personnel management.