The latest data on pay, hiring, and AI premiums in European tech

European tech’s talent market is the calmest it’s been in years. 

Hiring is down 15%, attrition has fallen to 14.8%, and most companies are planning flat pay budgets for 2027.

But underneath that calm, reward teams have never been busier. 

AI is changing what workforces look like and what companies are willing to pay for skills, equity approaches are splitting, and the EU Pay Transparency Directive (EUPTD) is forcing focus on structure and communications. 

With budgets flat, every pay decision is a choice about where to put that spend.

Ravio’s 2027 Compensation Trends report draws on live HR data from more than 1,600 companies and 618,000 employees, plus a survey of 150 People and Reward Leaders, and interviews with 20 experts in the space.

In this session, three people who see pay from different angles discuss the findings, and what it means for your 2027 plans:

• Leah Sutton, Chief Portfolio Talent Officer at Balderton Capital: the investor view, the investor view, from inside Europe’s fastest-growing startups
• Rob Green, Founder and Principal Consultant at Darwin Consulting: the consultant view across dozens of tech companies
• Amanda Moore, Reward Consultant, EX Gymshark and OVO: the in-house view from someone who owns it all

This session will cover:

• Budgets in a flat year: 21% of employees got a pay raise, but the median pretty flat held at 4.2%, so how do you decide who gets what?
• The AI premium: 27% of companies say they pay more for AI skills, but the data says that premium is very targeted, what do you need to do to compete? 
• Equity: 39% of companies offer equity to everyone, but almost as many are restricting eligibility as extending it, so who should get equity in 2027?
• EUPTD: 52% of companies are waiting on local law before acting, and only 27% say they’re on track, so what can you get done now?

There’ll be live polls throughout and time for open Q&A, so bring all your 2027 planning questions with you to put to our panel.