Conscious offshore recruitment

Lately, I’ve come across a few situations that honestly made my stomach drop.

New Zealand employers had recruited offshore in good faith, only to later discover that the overseas agent they were using had been charging the candidates for their jobs. That’s not just unethical – it’s directly against New Zealand immigration policy and puts both the employer and the worker at risk.

A significant part of my career has been spent navigating the red tape around exit visas in the Philippines. I’ll be the first to admit it can feel like yet another layer of confusing admin. But having seen both sides, I genuinely believe it’s a protective process that exists for good reason.

Before a Filipino worker is allowed to leave the country, the Philippine government pre-approves the employment. This includes checks to ensure:

• the worker is not paying for the role, and

• they are not being exploited before or while working overseas.

That safeguard matters.

When it comes to Filipino recruitment, we either:

• guide employers with smaller numbers of Filipino staff through the direct hire process, or

• work with high-trust, accredited agencies that are recognised and monitored by the Philippine authorities.

It costs more to do it properly. It takes longer. And yes, there’s paperwork.

But if your business is considering taking recruitment offshore, my advice is simple:
invest the extra time and money to make sure everything is above board.

Protecting migrant workers isn’t just a compliance box to tick – it’s the foundation of ethical, sustainable recruitment. And in the long run, it protects employers too.