When you hire a worker from Nepal, India, Egypt or Ghana, the interview has a double purpose. On the one hand, you check whether the person knows how to do the job. On the other hand, you check whether they are ready to move to another country for a long period, and to stay. A candidate who is professionally strong but has the wrong expectations about Romania may leave after a few months, and recruitment starts from scratch.
Below you will find the questions we recommend, grouped by what you want to find out, plus a few rules that make the interview clearer for both sides.
How to organize the interview
- Use simple language. Short sentences, no idioms. If the interview is in English, keep in mind that for most candidates it is not their native language.
- Work with an interpreter when needed. Especially for unskilled roles, an interpreter shows you the person's real motivation, not just their level of English.
- Present the position in full. Tasks, schedule, shifts, salary, housing, transport, city. The candidate needs to make an informed decision.
- Ask them to confirm their understanding. Instead of "Do you understand?", ask "What would a working day look like for you here?".
Questions about work experience
- What have you worked on over the last three years? Describe a typical working day.
- What machinery, tools or materials have you worked with?
- Have you worked in shifts or at night? For how long?
- What safety rules did you follow at your previous workplace?
- What part of the job did you find the hardest and how did you handle it?
For trades such as welding, bricklaying or cooking, verbal answers are not enough. A short practical test shows in a few minutes what a CV cannot.
Questions about experience abroad
A candidate who has already worked in another country knows what it means to be far from home and to adapt to new rules. Ask:
- Have you lived or worked outside your country before? Where and for how long?
- What was your relationship with your colleagues and managers there like?
- What was difficult in the first months and how did you cope?
- Why did that contract end?
- What did you learn from that experience?
The answers show you the person's attitude toward working abroad. Do not look for perfect stories, but for honest and concrete answers.
Questions about motivation and Romania
- Why do you want to work in Romania?
- How long do you plan to stay?
- What do you know about Romania and where did you get this information?
- Have you talked to anyone who has already worked here?
- Do you know people who live in Romania?
- What would make you stay longer than you planned? And what would make you leave earlier?
A serious candidate has gathered information from several sources and has realistic expectations about pay, climate and the cost of living. If you notice unrealistic expectations, correct them right at the interview. It is better to lose a candidate now than an employee three months from now.
Questions about practical conditions
- Do you agree with the schedule and shifts described?
- Do you have any questions about housing or transport?
- What do you expect from us in the first weeks?
- Is there anything we should know so we can support you, for example regarding food?
What not to ask
The interview should stick to what matters for the job. Avoid questions about religion, ethnicity, marital status, family plans or pregnancy. Besides being discriminatory, they tell you nothing about how well the person will work. If a practical aspect matters for organizing the work, such as meals in the canteen, phrase the question openly, as an offer of support.
How to recognize the right candidate
- They answer concretely about their experience and can give examples.
- They have a clear plan for the period they will work in Romania.
- They ask their own questions about the position, housing and conditions.
- They passed the practical test, where one was required.
After the interview
Write down the answers right away, using the same criteria for all candidates: experience, practical test result, motivation, expectations, communication. This way you compare people fairly, not based on a passing impression. Communicate your decision quickly and clearly, including to rejected candidates. And send the selected candidates a written description of the position and conditions as soon as possible, so there are no differences between what was said at the interview and what they find on arrival.
How we work
We organize the interviews in the country of origin, and you can take part in them. We verify the stated experience, run practical tests for the roles that require them and present only the candidates who have passed these stages. This way, your time goes into the final decisions, not the initial screening. We recruit for construction, manufacturing, hospitality (HoReCa), logistics and agriculture, from 9 countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America.
Do you have questions about a specific position or the required documents? Call us at 0786 799 099 or request a quote and we will prepare the first interview together.
