Healthcare employers who want to recruit candidates from overseas  usually have the ability to do so directly or via an international recruitment agency. Their choice on this usually relates to how many direct applicants they have; their budget; their internal resource available and also their experience with the international recruitment process.  

  

However it is important to note that because recruitment from the Philippines is so highly regulated, UK employers who want to recruit from the Philippines will need to sign up to certain guidelines and are mandated to be affiliated with a UK/ Philippine recruitment agency who are registered with the Philippines Overseas Employment Administration. 

  

Employers who want to sponsor candidates from the Philippines must agree to certain obligations including repatriating the candidate to the Philippines at the end of their contract if the candidate wishes to return home; repatriating the body of a candidate to the Philippines were they to die in the UK and also ensuring they do not try to reclaim specific recruitment costs from the candidate including the flight, any recruitment services fee and the fees associated with registering with the POEA. 

  

Navigating the POEA paperwork can be both a time-consuming and costly process, however many employers find the investment worthwhile given the calibre of nurses they are able to recruit from the Philippines. Some agencies will also cover the cost of the paperwork on the employer’s behalf in order to make the process more palatable.  

  

An employer’s decision on whether to recruit directly or via an agency may also depend on how much pastoral support they have within the organisation. In order to ensure a smooth onboarding process, good pastoral support is essential and many international recruitment agencies offer an array of services in this regard including sourcing accommodation; organising clinical training and booking the OSCE test. 

  

Regardless of whether an organisation wishes to recruit directly or via an agency, NHS Employers has produced a toolkit to help employers consider various factors that are likely to influence their recruitment success. Thought it is NHS focused, it also includes some useful advice for private organisations. 

 

My Healthcare Recruit supports UK healthcare employers in the public, private, and care sector to find international nurses who are a great fit for their organization, by using market-leading video interviewing tools to connect them to our database of qualified candidates. Our innovative approach makes international candidates easier to find and more cost-effective to source than ever before. Find out more at www.myhealthcarerecruit.com.