OSREC

Please keep in mind that recruiters who specialize in bringing people from overseas have a different remit from local recruiters.  Below is a list that may be helpful in your discussions with them:

1. A good recruiter will offer you a lot of advice and help you to plan not only your immediate needs, but also future needs at the same time.  In Australia for example you can have nominations approved for up to two years, so if your immediate needs are for 10 people but in the next 2 years it is likely to be 50 or 60, they will help you with this both in terms of planning and sourcing the right people for the right time.  Nominations can be applied for in bulk and cost $55 each, but can be paid as and when you use them.  You would not have to pay for all 60 nominations at the outset, if you want 10 people immediately then only the ten nominations used need to be paid for.  These are the type of things you need to be told, and is also a sign that the recruiter is aware of the options that you have.
2. They should offer to speak with you for at least 30 – 40 minutes initially to fully understand what you are looking for, and this will be followed up several times as more in–depth details are needed.
3. A report should then be submitted to you after the initial conversation, and may possibly include details which may have been in question, but not able to be answered at the time.  Typically a report will be done for companies looking to employ several people and will consist of details of where they recommend the applicants are sourced from, and why.  And also what the advantages and disadvantages of sourcing from different countries may be.
4. The report should also include details about the right type of visa that should be applied for and again the reasons given, the costs of this, and the immigration process should be outlined in a step–by–step easy to understand format.
5. Your chosen recruiter should offer you either skills assessment videos, or to reimburse travel costs for a recruitment trip if you are looking to employ enough people.  They should make every effort to make you aware of the skill level available, and the need for any training upon the employee’s arrival.  An example of this may be welders who are professional and experienced but may not have the modern equipment that is used in your country, or may be used to working in metric measurements and not imperial.
6. Employees from Eastern Europe, Asia and South America will all have a good work ethic; however there will be major differences in their mentality and skill levels.  The recruiter should be able to advise you of this in detail, what to expect and help you to make the right decision based on their previous experience.  However this would happen only if your recruiter is able to source workers from several countries.
7. It is advisable to know the background and history of the agent recruiting from overseas, which countries and types of companies they have been supplying etc.  Overseas recruiters can range from the sublime to the ridiculous.  Going for the cheapest option can be a mistake, this does not mean that a good overseas recruiter will be the most expensive, but just to watch out for those offering a deal that is free or very low cost, unless the reasons for doing so are explained in detail.  What may be free and low cost to you now could be very expensive for the applicant and bring you unwanted publicity at a later date.
8. Experience is very important in overseas recruiting, you should look for someone who has been providing the service for several years, and is of good reputation.  Ask for client testimonials and case studies, and if they can provide these without delays then you can be sure of their background and knowledge, and will be able to give you the best advice and service.  They should also be aware of the laws of the countries they are recruiting from as this can avoid delays in getting the workers to your country after the visa is issued.  The Philippines for example has the POEA  which is set up to protect Philippine workers, and if their rules and documentation requirements are not correctly followed there will be problems getting the people out of the country to start their job in a new country.  Similar federations are in process in Eastern Europe too.
9. Recruiters offering overseas workers need to be able to guarantee you the quality of the employees, so be sure to ask what guarantees they provide.  They should also offer an unrestricted ‘after sales’ service.  They should also follow up to make sure that the employees have all arrived safely, have settled, and that their families can contact them.  Upon arrival, applicants may be a little demanding as they try to get accustomed to their new way of life.  They will have many questions, and the agent should be available on a daily basis to deal with as many of their enquiries as possible.  This can be done by telephone by calling them on a daily basis.
10. There are many "middle men" appearing in the overseas recruitment business.  They may be in the form of a local recruiter dealing with overseas agents, or overseas agents dealing with other overseas agents.  This is often where applicants get charged extortionate fees.
11. You should be sure that whoever you are dealing with understands the local markets they are recruiting from.  We recently did a trip to Moldova where we were working for the first time with a local Moldovan agent.  We had 45 people to interview, and from that only 5 people were suitable.  Many were not at the level of English their resume had stated, many had no idea about the jobs they were supposed to be professionals in, and the agents had adjusted the resumes to suit the jobs we were recruiting for.  It is very easy these days to have certificates made up which are not real, and to take enough information from the internet to make an impressive resume.  If we had not physically gone there to do face–to–face interviews and a proper screening process, then it could easily have ended in disappointment for many people.  Any middle man whether local or overseas needs to know the territory and local languages to ensure a proper screening process.  Unfortunately some agents will try to push forward people who are just not suitable for the job, just to try and make the sale.  They will be charging the applicants money, and if there is no guarantee clause, they do not always have the employer’s needs as a priority.
12. The simple way to avoid a bad result is meeting the applicants face–to–face.  This is such an important point that it should not be ignored, and is the best advice we could give to any employer thinking of recruiting from overseas.

Using an agent is essential… but using the ‘right’ agent is the tricky part.

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