© Landesinitiative Fachkraft im Fokus
How can companies in the health and care sector recruit skilled workers from third countries to meet the demand for well-trained employees? This was the topic of our company workshop on 29 August 2023 at the regional advice centre in Magdeburg.
The WelcomeCentre Saxony-Anhalt began by presenting its support services and the opportunities offered by the Skilled Immigration Act. The Federal Employment Agency's International Placement Services (ZAV) then presented its programmes for recruiting foreign nursing staff. The company representatives in attendance discussed their experiences, challenges and solutions and were able to clarify open questions in dialogue with the experts.
The five participating company representatives are at very different points in the recruitment process. Some are very interested in the existing opportunities, as they are receiving fewer and fewer applications from Germany. Others have already started or completed the recruitment process. The challenges and stumbling blocks for companies include lengthy and bureaucratic procedures, particularly when it comes to recognising foreign professional qualifications. It also happens that the expectations of foreign nursing staff differ significantly from the actual range of tasks and working environment in the German nursing sector because the corresponding job profiles are organised differently in other countries or do not exist at all. Early expectation management is therefore essential. It is equally important to sensitise the workforce to different, culturally anchored ways of working and to support the incoming specialists in finding a social environment. In addition, one company has had good experiences with providing interested skilled workers from abroad with direct contact persons in the company and staying in constant contact with them. For recruitment abroad, it is also helpful to have local cooperation partners in the respective countries. In addition, the participants discussed how to deal with incoming applications from abroad or specific hurdles in the entry and recognition process.
If you are interested in a similar exchange of experiences with other companies, please send us an email to wcst(at)f-bb(dot)de. Our regional advisors are available to provide you with individual advice and support.