Assessing Foreign Candidates Before They Arrive: Video Interviews and Trade Tests

Why hiring "from the CV" does not work

Hiring a foreign worker is a long and expensive process: work permit, D visa, flights, housing, onboarding. If, after arrival, it turns out that the "experienced welder" has never done the required type of welding and the "forklift driver" has only seen the machine in photos, the money is already spent and the position is still open. We broke down those costs in how much it costs to hire a worker from India.

CVs from India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka or Central Asia are often written from templates, and job titles and qualifications do not map neatly onto Ukrainian ones. So you need to test skills, not wording.

Step 1. A clear job profile

Before searching for candidates, write down what the person must be able to do in their first week:

• specific operations (for example, "boning a beef carcass", "MIG/MAG welding in the flat position", "operating a reach truck at heights up to 9 m");
• the equipment and materials they will work with;
• physical demands, roster and conditions (cold, heights, night shifts);
• the minimum language level needed for safety on site.

Without such a profile, any test becomes a formality.

Step 2. Video interview

The first live conversation should happen over video — before any paperwork starts. What to look for:

• Specifics. Ask the candidate to describe a normal working day, the equipment and the volumes. Someone with real experience answers with details, not generic phrases.
• Language. Can the candidate follow simple instructions in English or another shared language? Safety on site depends on it.
• Expectations. Discuss pay, housing, roster and contract length. Mismatched expectations are the most common reason people quit in the first months.
• Motivation and family. Does the person plan to stay for a long time, and are they ready for Ukraine's climate and day-to-day life?

Step 3. A practical trade test in the candidate's country

For manual trades, the most reliable method is a practical trade test, run at a training centre or a workplace in the candidate's country:

• a welder makes a weld to a given drawing;
• a forklift driver completes a route with a load;
• a seamstress sews a garment to a sample;
• a meat boner works with real product.

Record the test on video — that way the employer sees the result first-hand rather than relying only on an intermediary's verdict.

Step 4. Document checks

• Education and qualification documents. Certificates, vocational diplomas, references from previous employers. Some professions may require the document to be recognised in Ukraine — see diploma recognition.
• Work history. Contacts of previous employers for references, where possible.
• Exit documents. The passport and its validity, plus the home country's rules for leaving to work abroad, which differ by country (see which countries to hire foreign workers from).

Step 5. Decision and feedback

Score candidates on the same scale: skills, language, experience, fit of expectations. Record the results in writing — it helps you compare groups and see which candidate sources perform best. Let unsuccessful candidates know the outcome: an employer's reputation in the home country affects future intakes.

Common mistakes

• skipping the practical test "because it's urgent";
• trusting photos of certificates without checking them;
• not discussing living and working conditions before departure;
• testing only skills, not teamwork and willingness to follow safety rules.

A separate risk is intermediaries who take money from candidates and promise "guaranteed jobs". We explain how to spot them in our article on recruitment scam warning signs.

How ASHA Ukraine organises it

We organise selection in the candidates' home countries: video interviews, practical trade tests recorded on video for the employer, document checks and a clear explanation of working conditions in Ukraine before departure. From there we can run the whole cycle — from paperwork to onboarding — as turnkey foreign staff hiring, or remain the employer of record under foreign staff outsourcing. Selection criteria are agreed with you before the search starts.

Sources: based on international recruitment practice; work permit requirements — Law of Ukraine on Employment of the Population, Articles 42-1 and 42-2. Checked as of 23.10.2026.