What is the recruitment process and what help can you get?

The next step

You have decided to hire someone, now what? There are many sources to turn to for help. Gateway Umeå is building a knowledge bank with resources to assist you. We are also working on offering events where you can meet specialists in different talent attraction and retention subjects to further strengthen your position. For general information regarding Sweden as a whole, we also recommend visiting Sweden.se where international talent can learn about the requirements of finding a job and migrating to Sweden.

Satisfying criteria and conditions

For the prospective employee to obtain a work permit you, as the employer, must satisfy the following conditions (from Migrationsverket)

• Advertise the position in Sweden (Platsbanken) and within EU/EES and Switzerland for a minimum of ten days

• Offer terms of employment that are at least on par with those set by Swedish collective agreements or which are customary within the occupation or industry

• Offer a salary that is at least on par with those set by Swedish collective agreements or which is customary within the occupation or industry

• Provide health insurance, life insurance, occupational injury insurance and occupational pension insurance from the day when the employee begins to work

• Complete an offer of employment and allow the relevant trade union to provide a statement of opinion regarding the terms of employment.

Becoming a certified employer

One option to make the process faster is to become a “certified company”. If you have recurrent need of hiring people from outside EU, you can become a “certified employer” at Migrationsverket which will put you in a fast track and you will always receive a decision within 20 working days (for both your employee and the family members moving together). This registration as a certified company is for free, but you must fulfill the following criteria:

• All the criteria for receiving work permits

• Be registered as an employer

• Have the finance to be able to hire

• Have recurrent need of hiring people from outside EU

• Be responsible for always handing in complete web applications

• Have met the requirements for work and residence permits if you have previously hired people from outside of the EU.

The important stuff

The most important things to consider are contracts, tax and social security. If you recruit within the EU, it is important to write an employment contract that is valid for more than 366 days. It is the means of entry into the community for global talent.

The recruit can then be officially registered into the Swedish civil system, apply for social security benefits and pay tax in Sweden.

Do bear in mind that the person you recruit is likely to have limited knowledge of Swedish labour law. Your responsibility as an employer is to explain relevant information so it is clear. Other important rules to be aware of are the requirement for the position to be advertised with the Public Employment Service and for pay to be at market rates.

If you recruit from a non-EU country, often referred to as a third country in this context, the recruit must be in his or her home country when the decision for employment is taken.

Need support?

It may sound like a lot to keep track of with many pitfalls on the way. But relax, we’re here to help. We work directly with especially small and medium-sized enterprises to get you ready to hire. You can fill out this short form to notify us of your interest to collaborate with us. You are also welcome to follow us on LinkedIn to see upcoming events that might interest you.