Recruiting nurses from abroad

The recruitment process must comply with national and international laws and norms related to the recruitment of labour from abroad. The recruiting organisation has plenty of opportunities to influence that recruitment is carried out in a transparent and ethically sustainable manner and that it respects employees’ rights and equal treatment.

The management’s commitment to ethically sustainable recruitment and effective cooperation between different partners have proven to be key factors in successful recruitment.

It is best to prepare for surprises: the challenges may include the amount of bureaucracy and the slowness of processes.

Recruitment as a project

Approaching recruitment from abroad as a project can improve the smooth running of the process from the very beginning.

It is important that the organisation has a dedicated individual or team responsible for international recruitment, with adequate resources allocated to the role.  Their responsibilities may include coordination of recruitment as well as communication and cooperation between different stakeholders, such as recruited nurses, management, supervisors, educational organisations and recruitment agencies.

It may also be useful for the organisation to have a party which both supervisors and those recruited from abroad can turn to when necessary.

Choosing a recruitment partner

When recruiting from abroad, many healthcare and social services organisations make use of the services offered by private service providers, such as recruitment agencies. Recruitment agencies are often responsible for implementing the recruitment process in the country of origin and also provide support at other stages of recruitment process, for example by helping employees settle in a new country.

When selecting a recruitment partner, the service provider’s reliability, competence and ethical practices are important.

When the recruitment partner is a recruitment agency, it is essential to clearly define the responsibilities and division of tasks between the recruiting organisation and the service provider.

The key parties for the successful recruitment process, such as the HR department of the recruiting organisation, the recruitment company and other key actors, should be invited to participate in the cooperation. Regular discussions foster seamless cooperation, enable process monitoring and provide a platform for feedback.   At the same time, the challenges that have emerged can be discussed openly and solutions can be found.

The Work in Finland website provides useful information and lists reliable recruitment partners with experience in international recruitment:

• Trusted recruitment experts to help you (Work in Finland)

Duration and terms of employment contracts

The terms and duration of employment contracts should be carefully considered in advance, as they may affect the commitment of a nurse recruited from abroad to their workplace.

Employment contracts may be fixed-term, such as until the completion of the training, or directly on a permanent basis.

Inclusion into work and the work community is improved when the recruiting organisation actively participates in the recruitment process.

The participation of the organisation’s representative in the job interviews benefits both the employer and the applicant. The interview often serves as the nurse’s first contact with their potential future employer, offering an opportunity to introduce the employer and the available vacancies.

By participating in the recruitment process, the organisation gains an understanding of the competence and professional skills of the interviewees and can affect the selections. This ensures that the educational background and work experience of nurses recruited from abroad meet the needs of the organisation.

During the interview, it is beneficial to discuss the applicant’s preferences for placement and working in certain types of units or tasks. The position should be tailored as well as possible to the nurse’s educational background, work experience and personal aspirations.

An ethically recruiting organisation values and utilises the previously acquired education and competence of a nurse appropriately and does not underestimate their professional skills. 

The aim should be to make the previously acquired competence of nurses available within a reasonable timeframe.

Nurses must be offered the opportunity to complete a degree that corresponds to their background and career preferences. The decision on which path and what kind of career path the nurse will pursue in Finland should be based on sufficient information. It is a good idea to provide nurses recruited from abroad with information on healthcare professions and their job descriptions and pay levels already during their pre-departure training. Registered nurse qualification and the apprenticeship training of a practical nurse are discussed in more detail in the Professional skills and career opportunities section of the guide.

When recruiting nurses from abroad, it is important to ensure that too many new employees are not placed in the same unit at the same time. There must be sufficient resources for the guiding and orientation of new employees. 

Informing the work community

When the decision on the placement of a nurse recruited from abroad has been made, it is essential to prepare the work communities and supervisors for their arrival. Recruitment from abroad should be communicated in time, and work communities should be prepared to discuss any questions and concerns raised by recruitment in their work communities.

More information on this can be found in the section Inclusion into the work community. 

Information for the recruited nurse

The preparation of a recruited nurse for a new working environment can also be supported by providing advance material about the organisation, work community and work tasks. This helps them gain an understanding of their future role even before moving to Finland.

An online meeting can also be arranged in which the nurse can meet a representative of the future employer, such as the organisation’s contact person, their future supervisor and instructor, and possibly also their colleagues. This will help the nurse feel welcome even before they arrive. 

Also see:

• International recruitment in the health and social services sector (Work in Finland)