Selecting a recruitment agency

Key considerations and the process that you should follow

Recruiting overseas care workers can be challenging and time consuming and requires compliance with legal requirements and ethical standards. Understandably therefore, it is common to outsource this essential part of the recruitment process to a specialist recruitment agency.

The benefits

Using a recruitment agency specialising in international recruitment has the following benefits:

Expertise and Experience: agencies have experience in sourcing, screening, and selecting candidates from overseas.
Speed: agencies can expedite the process, as they have established relationships with candidates and can quickly process applications, conduct interviews and obtain references.
Compliance: agencies can ensure compliance with legal requirements and ethical standards.
Candidate Support: agencies can support candidates throughout the process. Depending on the agency, this may even extend to assisting with visa applications, transfers and settling in.
Success: most agencies offer a rebate if a candidate leaves within a certain period (e.g. three months). The rebate is usually a percentage of the original fee, which means the agency is committed to a successful placement.

Services offered

Depending on the recruitment agency, the typical services offered will include:

Agreeing brief, job descriptions, salaries and specifications
Advertising and candidate sourcing
Candidate screening and shortlisting
Submitting candidate CVs / profiles / video recordings for consideration
Arranging interview and selection process
Negotiating job offers and providing feedback to candidates
Arranging English language competency tests (IELTS), NMC computer-based test (CBT – nurses)
Assisting candidates through visa applications and pre-employment checks (e.g. ID, reference, criminal record and health checks)
Assisting with travel arrangements, transfers, accommodation, etc.
Assisting with settling-in and induction

Making the right decision

If you decide to use a recruitment agency, it is essential to find a reliable and ethical one to ensure that the process is conducted correctly.

Here are some steps you might wish to take to make an informed decision.

Before engaging a recruitment agency, check that they are on the ethical recruiters list. The list is maintained by NHS Employers and helps identify reputable agencies that comply with the Code of practice for the international recruitment of health and social care personnel.

In addition, check that the agency is a member of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), the largest trade association representing recruiters in the UK. By being an REC member, recruitment agencies demonstrate their commitment to upholding the highest professional standards in the industry.

Look for an agency that is transparent about their fees and rebate periods.

Most recruitment agencies charge either a percentage of the starting salary or a fixed fee for each person successfully recruited. The fee can vary depending on the job role, the number of vacancies and the services you require.

Fees vary but as a guide tend to be 10–15% of starting salary, i.e. £2,000–£3,000 for an entry level care worker.

Most agencies offer a rebate, ensuring that if the candidate leaves the job within a specified period (normally 3–6 months), the agency will provide a partial refund or credit towards future recruitment services. Whilst it would be unusual for an overseas worker to leave their employment during such a short period, it is nevertheless worth checking the rebate terms beforehand.

Before engaging a recruitment agency, make sure you check their terms and conditions and agree a Service Level Agreement (SLA). This should include:

timescales and reporting schedule
who is responsible for each element of the process?
written agreement that the agency accepts liability for screening
interview process (e.g. do you want to video call candidates?)
pre-employment checks, including previous employment references (make sure these meet visa application requirements)
who will be liaising with new recruits between employment offer and relocation?
if the recruiter covers costs up front, and invoices later, you may wish to set caps (e.g. you will cover cost of flights up to £800).

Ultimately, the decision on whether to use a recruitment agency comes down to internal capacity, experience and resources. And whilst a recruitment agency will add more cost, be mindful that recruiting yourself is a big undertaking, which can prove costly if you get it wrong.

Screening process

Check the ethical recruiters list.
Check additional credentials, memberships, etc. (e.g. REC membership).
Ensure they specialise in health and social care and have experience recruiting for the roles you’re hiring.
What are their fees, rebate and payment terms?
What additional services do they offer (e.g. visa applications, travel arrangements and settling-in services)?
Check they do not charge candidates for work finding services (ask to speak to candidates they have already placed in the UK).
What countries do they actively recruit from (must not include red list countries)?
Where are they based? Do they have a presence in the countries they recruit from?
Do they use third parties to source candidates? If so, what assurances can they offer that these are operating ethically?
Obtain references/feedback from previous clients AND candidates that they have placed
Consult with other local care providers for recommendations
Check with your local Care Association to see if they have any commercial partners in this field who may offer discounts to Care Association members
How long have they been operating (check Companies House)?
Check LinkedIn for further information.