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 August 29, 2023, at the Regional Advisory Center in Magdeburg.
The WelcomeCenter Saxony-Anhalt began by presenting its support services and the opportunities offered by the Skilled Immigration Act. The International Placement Services (ZAV) of the Federal Employment Agency then presented its programs for recruiting foreign nursing staff. The company representatives in attendance exchanged their experiences, challenges, and approaches to solutions and were able to clarify open questions in discussions with the experts.
The five participating company representatives are at very different stages 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 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 structured differently in other countries or do not exist at all. Therefore, early expectation management is essential. It is equally important to sensitize the workforce to different, culturally anchored ways of working and to support the arriving skilled workers in finding a social environment. In addition, one company has had good experiences with providing interested skilled workers from abroad with direct contact persons within the company and staying in regular contact with them. When recruiting abroad, it is also helpful to have local cooperation partners in the respective countries. In addition, there was discussion about 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 at wcst(at)f-bb(dot)de. Our regional advisors are available for individual consultation and support.
