Recruiting for international projects: challenges, achievements and recommendations | PART 1

Choosing professionals who best match a job's requirements is essential for donors and non-profit organizations. COVID-19 has introduced anxiety about job availability in the international development sector, yet for ambitious and talented candidates, these challenges are merely hurdles to overcome. This also applies to the DevelopmentPeople team, who provided us with an opportunity to learn more about their work, struggles, and achievements, as well as offering experts valuable insights on securing a dream job.

Read exclusive perceptions from a DevelopmentPeople recruiter for International Projects.

1. What has been one of the most challenging projects you have been involved in?

One of the most challenging yet fascinating projects I’ve undertaken involved recruiting a candidate for the position of Indigenous People’s Officer at the Forest Stewardship Council. My task was to find an indigenous member from small Caribbean communities, residing in Germany, who was willing to relocate to Panama. The candidate needed to speak Spanish and understand the lifestyle of Caribbean communities. I had the opportunity to interview individuals from very small indigenous communities (National Toshaos Council, Amerindian People Association, etc.), and I even made some friends on Facebook! Remarkably, I succeeded in presenting the client with several strong candidates.

2. List three difficulties you encountered as a recruiter throughout the pandemic.

• Organizations aimed to keep their internal resources, both human and financial, and did not pursue recruitment assistance.

• Framework Contracts (FWC) experienced a slowdown as most positions were home-based with no travel involved.

• Home-based or virtual missions became standard, and even now, during recruitment, individuals are somewhat hesitant about traveling, often requesting to work from home as a condition of employment.

3. Which part of the recruitment process takes the most time in the international development sector?

Two aspects are quite time-consuming and demanding: finding successful experts for FWC contracts involves intense competition. Similarly, once you identify the candidate, gathering work references (a requirement for long-term projects in the EU) is a lengthy process. For instance, I spent a month obtaining 25 certificates from 25 different organizations where the expert had previously worked.

4. What are the three main questions you consider when reviewing a CV?

• Does the CV/candidate align with the role based on their demonstrated experience?

• Do their past positions resemble what I am looking for?

• If chosen, can he/she perform the job with the client I am collaborating with?

5. Which part of the recruitment process do you enjoy or find most engaging?

   
   

I like to look for experts as soon as I have all the required information to identify candidates (such as the Terms of Reference for EU projects and clear guidance from the client for a Talent Shortlist).

6. What factors affect the success of the recruitment process in the development and humanitarian sectors?

The approach varies based on the positions being recruited. For FWC projects, it's crucial to act swiftly due to intense competition, whereas for long-term roles, it's important to focus on quality searches without hurrying.

7. How does the recruitment process vary for short-term, long-term, and permanent positions?

For all, it is important to think about the quality of the delivered results when you get in touch with candidates. For a long-term position, you might have more time to undertake the research, one of the differences is that you can analyse the role you are recruiting for from different angles and focus on all the needs accordingly. This refers to permanent positions as well. For short-term consultancies, being pressed for time and by the competition, you have to target the requirements from the beginning.

8. Which have been the top five development sectors with the most demands during COVID-19?

Health, resilience, rural development, wash and conflict resolution.

9. What distinguishes DevelopmentPeople in the field of international development aid recruitment?

• Precisely focused on the recruitment areas.

• Robust internal expert database and a wide network of professionals on LinkedIn.

• Capable of handling multiple tasks and focuses due to the variety of services offered.

10. What proven tools do you use when looking for experts?

The approach varies based on the role or position being filled. I usually start by screening LinkedIn. Often, I recall similar past roles and can identify a suitable candidate from my connections or recommendations. Also, of course, our internal database (BidNexus.ai) and DevelopmentAid. The last option – for difficult research – I screen Google, websites, etc. that are relevant to my search after exhausting all the other above-mentioned resources.

11. What top three pieces of practical advice would an international recruiter offer to those who are seeking a job?

• Thoroughly tailor your CV and cover letter to align with the job description.

• Revise your LinkedIn profile and any other sites that recruiters use to find candidates.

• If a recruiter requests a brief call or conversation, consider participating as it could ease the way for a formal interview.

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