10 TIPS ON HOW TO CHOOSE A RECRUITMENT AGENCY FOR NURSES

You have a dream of going abroad to Europe and working there as a nurse? Good choice and great opportunities, especially in Germany! 45,000 nurses are needed there in order to fully cover the need across hospitals and elderly care facilities. To make the big step to Germany you usually need to rely on the help and support of a recruitment agency as the application process is rather difficult and tricky. But what does it take to find a trustful and reliable recruitment agency? What are the characteristics of a good agency? Are there any signs that you can trust one? How to avoid hidden costs or other unexpected outcomes? We’ve put together ten factors you should carefully check out before signing your agreement with a certain recruitment agency. Take your time to compare agencies and offers before you make your choice—it is often hard to switch agencies as you already have invested a lot of time and money into your journey to Germany. So, don’t rush and carefully check out all options!

1. NEVER PAY AN AGENCY FEE

Never ever pay a commission fee for being advised by an agency or referred to a German employer. Based on an agreement between the Philippines and Germany, this is forbidden. There still exist a couple of black sheep amongst recruiting agencies. So, hands off if an agency or future employer demands any commission from you!

2. VERIFY POEA ACCREDITATION (Filipino Nurses Only)

Only agencies and employers accredited by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) can be taken as serious ones. It goes without saying, check each agency you consider applying with, whether it is POEA-accredited or not. To do so, just follow the official POEA link and verify, if the respective agency is listed. Or simply call the POEA hotline at 722-1144 or 722-1155 and receive approval this way. You will find Care With Care’s Manila based partner MAGSAYSAY GLOBAL SERVICES, INC. on the list that operates under the license number POEA-013-LB-032714-R.

3. SCAN THE AGENCY WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA

The first impression should always be an excellent one. And today’s business card of a recruitment agency should be its website. Go online and carefully check the website of the agency in question: Is it friendly and inviting? Does it contain enough useful information and offer details? Do you find testimonials there? Is there an imprint giving you the contact data? We at Care With Care have just updated our website to be fully transparent about our process. You also can check the agency’s Facebook or Instagram for further details: How often is the page updated? What are the reviews? How professional is the content?

4. TEST AVAILABILITY OF AGENTS

For sure you want to know who are the people behind the chosen recruitment agency. Are they competent, helpful and proactive? Because in the end you will rely on them as they will accompany you for at least a couple of months. Check if the website offers a hotline you can call to get a basic feeling about the people on the agency side or send a Facebook message to check how responsive the agency is.

5. CHECK ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Before committing to an agency, you should carefully read the entry requirements. Some agencies demand work experience or very specific skills. Care With Care does not require any proof of practice. Even registered nurses on a beginners’ level are welcome to participate in the program.

6. FIGURE OUT NUMBER OF EMPLOYERS

If a recruitment agency has contracts with three to five German employers only, you might have a hard time getting a job offer from them as you will compete against better students in your German class. It might also be hard to rematch you with another facility in case something goes wrong or you simply don’t get along with your employer. Proactively ask each agency about the number of potential employers across the country. For example, Care With Care offers jobs with 25+ different employers in 100 locations all over Germany.

7. WATCH OUT FOR HIDDEN COSTS

Some agencies might cover the costs of the language training fully. But this might result in unexpected salary deductions later. Care With Care has no hidden fees or salary deductions and shares the point of view that both parties—the agency as well as the candidate—should make an investment. Of course, with a lower investment on the candidate’s side.

8. ASK FOR THE FINAL LANGUAGE LEVEL

Some agencies promise to bring you to Germany with the B1 language level already. But this means that you would need to work as a nursing assistant while still taking a B2 course in Germany and preparing for your B2 exam, which usually lasts around a year. This, in its turn, implies receiving a much lower salary and having the stress of studying after work. After all, there’s still a risk of failing the B2 exam and having to return back to the home country.

9. CHECK QUALITY OF LANGUAGE SCHOOLS

Also, don’t forget to check the quality of the language school(s) an agency works with: Ask about the specific partners and for how long they’ve been cooperating. Maybe there is even an internal language school and lab available. Always remember: You need the best language training! If you fail at the exam, you need to repeat it and pay the examination fee again.

10. HAVE A LOOK AT REVIEWS OR CONTACT OTHER NURSES

Whether it is Facebook or Google, also take the time to read some online reviews to get a better impression of each agency. What do nurses say about the different recruiters? Do they share positive feedback on your chosen one? Reviews can be helpful, especially when you are still indecisive. If you want to know more details, search online and try to find nurses who have already been deployed by an agency in question—usually, they will be more than happy to give you all the insider information to help you make the decision.

All in all, we recommend you to not rush it or to make sudden decisions about your recruitment agency for Germany. Take your time instead and check all available information about the potential recruiters. In the end trust your gut feeling and only commit to an agency offering help and positive vibes.