If You Want Reliable and Qualified Workers for the Next Tourist Season, You Must Start the Search Immediately

Employers whose workload significantly increases with the arrival of the tourist season typically start searching for workers just before the season begins. This is supported by the fact that employment agencies are overwhelmed with requests for foreign labor during the spring months. The consequences of such practice were evident this season, with numerous ‘we are hiring’ signs everywhere, predominantly along the coast.

There are several reasons for this. Hiring foreign labor is still uncharted territory for most domestic employers, so it is not surprising that a large number of them are unaware of the duration and complexity of the recruitment process. On the other hand, some simply do not plan in time, while many still hope that domestic workers will fill the vacant positions.

Mirko Latković, co-founder and director of the foreign worker recruitment agency Globirò from Split, which he founded with his business partner Anita Rosić, answered our question about when is the right time to start looking for foreign workers.

– If you want to find a qualified foreign worker, who has international work experience and can meet your needs, you must plan at least six months in advance. Finding a foreign worker just before the start of the season, not to mention during the season, is pure lottery, and the legality of such a process may be questionable. It is a complex process, and the right worker needs to be found, prepared, and brought in. Legal procedures in Croatia take a certain amount of time and cannot be expedited – says Latković.

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Mirko Latković, co-founder and director of the foreign worker recruitment agency Globirò from Split

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Globirò is one of the leading labor recruitment agencies in central Dalmatia, as confirmed by its portfolio of active clients, well-known domestic and foreign employers such as Bluesun Hotels, Iskra Shipyard, Maslina Resort, Alfaplan Construction, Pelagos Net Farm, High Attic, Jadran Tuna, Radisson Blu Resort & Spa Split, PIK d.d. Rijeka, and many others. They are also members of HUP and part of the Community of Employment Agencies at the Croatian Chamber of Commerce, and they have established partnerships with recruitment agencies in the mentioned Asian countries.

They primarily deal with the recruitment of labor from the Republic of the Philippines, the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, and the Republic of Indonesia, and so far, they have brought over 1,500 foreign workers to Croatia and have become familiar with all the specifics of this job through rich experience.

When asked what the process of bringing in foreign labor looks like, Mirko Latković replied that it all starts with an employer in Croatia who has a need for a certain workforce. First, the employer must fill out a form stating the age and gender of foreign workers, occupation and specialty, job description, level of education, required skills, certificates, languages, and level of communication skills, work location, salary, benefits, and the number of foreign workers they wish to employ.

Based on the information from the completed questionnaire, candidates are selected from the databases of their partner agencies, which currently have over 10,000 candidates.

Ten thousand available workers for a few job positions is a very large number; it is necessary to find the ideal candidate…

– Our partner agencies in the home country of the workers help us here. For example, if we are looking for five workers of a certain profile, the agency narrows the selection to 15 candidates who meet the required conditions. Then we start with video interviews that we conduct with employers. After the employer selects candidates, our part of the job begins, which is obtaining all the necessary paperwork, and there is indeed a lot of it – explains Latković.

Every two months on the Croatia – Asia route

If the employer has a request for a larger number of foreign workers, a joint trip is organized to the home country of the candidates, where recruitment is conducted on-site. In collaboration with the home recruitment agencies, training centers are organized where employers and Globirò employees conduct interviews. Candidates then undergo practical skills and abilities assessments. We are talking about occupations such as chefs, bartenders, drivers, welders, plumbers, florists, and other trades.

– On average, we travel to Asia with our clients six times a year, where we recruit labor. This is certainly the best way, which is generally interesting for large employers with a need for a larger number of workers – reveals Latković.

After the employer has selected a worker, a slightly less exotic part follows – obtaining the necessary paperwork, which is essential for the worker to arrive on time at the new workplace, respecting all laws and procedures of Croatia.

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Globirò at one of the meetings in Nepal

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– From the submission of all necessary requests and documents to the issuance of a residence and work permit by the Ministry of the Interior of Croatia, it takes an average of 8 to 12 weeks. The highest number of requests is in the spring months, which is why we always recommend starting the recruitment of workers and submitting requests in the autumn months to make the process faster. After the permits are approved, we start the visa application process, which also takes 8 to 12 weeks. Once everything is finalized, it is our responsibility to organize the arrival of the candidates in Croatia – Latković tells us.

According to Mirko Latković, what distinguishes Globirò from most recruitment agencies is their care for foreign workers, which continues even after the start of the worker’s employment.

Available to foreign workers throughout their stay in Croatia

People come from one part of the world to another in search of work and a brighter future, which means that agencies like Globirò have a great responsibility. To ensure that the adaptation of workers to the new culture, language, and social norms is as quick as possible, Globirò actively acts as support for workers throughout the duration of their employment.

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Pukar Tamang

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– This is evident from the moment a foreign worker steps onto our soil. We organize a welcome for the workers at the airport, introduce them to their workplace and accommodation. We assist in residence registration, familiarize them with occupational safety procedures, and help them open a bank account. Our colleague Pukar Tamang, a native Nepalese and a graduate economist from Tribhuvan University, greatly assists foreign workers in their adaptation.

– All foreign workers we bring have direct contact with us throughout their stay and employment, and we are always available for questions such as finding a doctor, exercising sick leave rights, annual leave, and other everyday situations. Over 90% of the foreign workers we have recruited work for more than a year at the same workplace, and we believe that we are partly responsible for these excellent numbers – concludes Latković.

Successful recruitment of qualified foreign workers requires an agency with credibility

The process of finding a new worker is complex, especially when it comes to foreign workers from Asian countries. For most employers, hiring foreign labor is uncharted territory, but it is a field that many will surely venture into in the coming years.

To make this process as successful as possible, it is important to plan in advance and find a reliable agency for the recruitment of foreign workers.