© Landesinitiative Fachkraft im Fokus
How can companies in the health and care sector recruit qualified specialists 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 WelcomeCenter Saxony-Anhalt began by presenting its support services and the possibilities offered by the Skilled Immigration Act. Afterwards, the International Placement Service (ZAV) of the Federal Employment Agency presented its programmes for recruiting foreign nursing staff. The company representatives present shared their experiences, challenges and solutions and were able to clarify open questions 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 because they are receiving fewer and fewer applications from Germany. Others have already started or completed the recruitment process. Challenges and stumbling blocks for companies include lengthy and bureaucratic procedures, especially for the recognition of foreign professional qualifications. It also happens that the expectations of foreign nursing professionals differ significantly from the actual range of tasks and working environment in German nursing, because the corresponding job profiles are designed differently in other countries or do not exist at all. Therefore, early expectation management is essential. It is equally important to sensitise the workforce to different, culturally anchored ways of working and to support the incoming professionals in finding a social environment. In addition, one company has had good experiences with providing interested qualified specialists from abroad with direct contact persons in the company and keeping in touch with them on an ongoing basis. For recruitment abroad, it is also helpful to have local cooperation partners in the respective countries. Furthermore, it was discussed how to deal with incoming applications from abroad or with 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 at your disposal for individual advice and support.