There are clear benefits to visiting the country where a development project is being planned — a notion that recruiters and human resources experts share. Here are five tips to make the most of your time in the field.

1. 5 To get the
most out of
a recruiting
field trip
tips

2. Given the current trend of including a maximum
of just one or two expats on a proposal, local
recruitment and best practices to find the best
local staff remain hot topics within HR circles
and beyond. There are clear benefits to visiting
the country where a development project is
being planned — a notion that recruiters and
human resources experts share. Here are five
tips to make the most of your time in the field.

3. PLAN AHEAD
Making the most of your time in the
field means leveraging existing
connections and setting up as many
meetings as possible in advance. If
possible, place advertisements in the
area you’re traveling prior to your
arrival in order to review CVs and be
able to spend as much of your time on
the ground meeting and vetting
candidates in person.
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4. DESIGNATE a
recruiter
Although someone on a capture team
is usually assigned to lead the field
recruitment, mistakes can happen if
that person is not properly trained or
focused on staffing. It doesn’t have to
be a recruiter, but someone assigned
only to recruitment should be part of a
capture team or a live proposal
development team.
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5. Adapt
recruitment
methods
People are better connected than ever
before, but candidates in rural Nigeria
might be looking for jobs in different
places than job seekers in Malawi.
Recruiting methods always depend on
where you are and getting a sense of
what resource is going to be seen by
your preferred audience. The
successful method might be an online
jobs board, a billboard or a radio spot.
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6. Make use of
networking
A recruiter may visit other aid projects
in the region to solicit staff referrals or
— if a project is about to end —
consider some of the experts for
upcoming assignments. It’s also
possible to travel to different
communities to meet with technical
organizations that do the type of work
you’re looking for, and they can refer
you to others.
4

7. Take
advantage
of in-person
meetings
The trend for international development
organizations to “go local” increases
career opportunities for qualified local
residents, but it also intensifies the
competition for talent. An in-person
visit from a recruiter can help seal the
deal if a candidate ends up with
multiple offers.
5

8. Psst,
here!
Finding the right global development
candidates can be tough. Get more tips on
recruiting here.