Case studies in the international recruitment of nurses : promising practices in recruitment among agencies in the United Kingdom, India, and the Philippines

Abstract

This report is a product of the ILO’s Decent Work Across Borders project: A Pilot project for Migrant Health Professionals and Skilled Workers, funded by the European Union. Although the number of ethical recruitment agencies is increasing, many migrants continue to be exposed to the risk of being lured into exploitative employment by unscrupulous brokers, agencies and employers. Noting that a segment of the recruitment industry has been active in promoting fair and ethical recruitment standards, this publication raises the visibility of promising or good practices, emanating from this particular group of agencies. Promising and good practices, and even best practices, can evolve to become even better as organizations keep learning, introducing changes and improving on a continuous basis. Such practices are not always replicable in all contexts, but they may trigger, in the audience they intend to reach, the capacity to question one’s own practices in the hope of identifying possible improvements. Promising or good practices also often act as a source of inspiration and insight for others in the field. The authors have documented seven case studies of good practices from the United Kingdom, India, and the Philippines with the goal of sharing these widely and encouraging the recruitment industry to adopt a continuous improvement processing leading towards the promotion of safe and decent work for migrant workers in the health sector.