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February 12, 2026
Over the past few years, the IT market in Bulgaria has undergone significant changes. With the integration of AI into our daily lives, the caution with which companies hire new employees and the large number of people seeking to enter software development, there is a need for additional training and development of the knowledge and skills of specialists, regardless of their experience.
Employees are looking for a reliable employer who, in addition to the desirable remuneration, good benefits, and a close-knit team, can provide them with opportunities for development and growth. However, different companies have different perspectives on how this can be achieved. Today, we are talking to Ekaterina Stefanova, Learning & Development Specialist at Hypoport Sofia, to learn about the learning culture in the company, what mentoring looks like, and what career development actually means in everyday work.
My name is Ekaterina, and I’ve been part of Hypoport Sofia since 2020. I work as a Learning & Development Specialist. Simply put, my job is to help people in the company get better at what they do. I create and organize trainings, work closely with our team leads on how their teams grow, and support each colleague’s personal development.
Learning and development are key because companies grow when the people in them grow. When a company helps its employees improve, it builds trust and keeps people motivated.
On top of that, investing in learning helps the company keep a high standard of work and grow talent from within, instead of always hiring from outside. This lowers turnover, boosts productivity, and supports a more stable, long-term business.
At Hypoport Sofia, career growth isn’t “one size fits all.” We try to take an individual approach and give each employee tools that help them grow in their own way– everything from certification courses and internal trainings to conferences, mentoring, and a personal career plan.
We also officially give everyone the option to use 10% of their work time specifically for learning, development, and building new skills– so growth is part of the job, not something you have to squeeze in after work.
To make onboarding as smooth and confident as possible, every new colleague gets a dedicated mentor for the first six months. The process includes regular check-ins, getting introduced to the team, the role, and the tasks, while team leads stay closely involved to support the onboarding.
Internal growth here is based on a clear and transparent career path for all teams. It helps each employee understand what level they are at right now and what skills, responsibilities, and tasks they need to move to the next one.
A talk with the team lead helps outline what needs to be developed, and L&D supports this with focused trainings and an individual development plan, so moving up to the next level is realistic and well-supported.
We keep the development dialogue going through two fixed meetings each year between the employee and their leader. One is focused on performance– what’s been achieved, what the results are, and how the person is doing in their role. The second is fully focused on development– future goals, the direction the person wants to take, skills to build, and clear next steps for the near future.
Beyond these meetings, the conversation isn’t limited to formal check-ins– anyone is welcome anytime to share ideas, questions, or needs related to their growth.
I’d advise them to stay true to themselves and their goals, and to have an open conversation with their manager– share what’s missing, where they want to grow, and what opportunities they would like to have. Sometimes the problem isn’t a lack of opportunities, but a lack of dialogue and open communication.
And if the company doesn’t have the resources or structure to support employee development, then it’s worth thinking about whether that workplace matches the person’s long-term goals.