Fair recruitment of third-country nationals: The role of PES

A new Thematic Paper has been published by the European Network of Public Employment Services (PES Network) examining how Public Employment Services can promote and implement fair recruitment of third-country nationals.

The paper ‘Fair recruitment of third-country nationals: the role of PES’ draws on discussions from the Thematic Review Workshop hosted by the Slovenian PES in Ljubljana on 17 and 18 June 2025, which brought together representatives from 14 PES, the International Labour Organization and the PES Network Secretariat. 

‘Fair recruitment’ can generally be understood as recruitment carried out within the law, in line with international standards.

With labour shortages growing across Europe and many employers turning to third-country nationals to fill vacancies, PES can support recruitment that is transparent, rights-based and beneficial for both workers and employers.

The workshop highlighted that third-country nationals often face vulnerabilities due to language barriers, lack of information on their rights and dependency on the employer for residence and work permit. These factors underline the importance of trustworthy intermediaries in recruitment. 

Although PES involvement in international recruitment varies across Member States, PES play an important role in preventing unfair recruitment and abusive working conditions. Participants shared practical examples of how PES can help to prevent unfair practices via the provision of reliable and transparent information on job opportunities, the recruitment process and living and working conditions. PES can further their collaboration with private employment agencies (PrES) to set good practice standards and offer legally compliant recruitment services. Furthermore, collaboration with the third sector is particularly important for integration services. 

Examples of PES services for employers and third-country nationals include:

• Pre-departure orientation, including information and support, encouraging third-country nationals to use PES services.
• PES support employers via digital solutions for transparent matching and pre-selection of candidates and support in the review and validation of employment contracts.
• Some PES encourage circular migration with an emphasis on upskilling to prevent so-called ‘brain drain’ when selecting countries for specific recruitment programmes. 

Further information

Read the full thematic paper here. 

The PES Network Knowledge Centre and PES Practice database also have a wide range of information and inspiring practices on the organization and services of Public Employment Services across Europe.  

The PES Network has recently released a PESPod podcast exploring how PES can promote fair and ethical recruitment of workers from outside the European Union. Click here to listen to the episode. 

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Don’t miss the PESPod podcast, featuring guests from across the Network exploring the latest issues, topics and perspectives being talked about by Public Employment Services across Europe. Listen to the latest episode here. 

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