Spain's economy is thriving and Spanish players have swiftly entered the global marketplace. We look at what you can expect when recruiting staff from this dynamic European economy.

Madrid, Spain's financial hub, is increasing in importance.

When Spain entered the European Community in January 1986 its economy was boosted. This enabled the country to improve the infrastructure and to conform to the EU guidelines.

The result was an increased GDP growth, a reduction of the public 'debt to GDP' ratio, a drop in unemployment from 23 percent to 15 percent in three years, and a lowering of inflation to under three percent.

However, Spain still faces some challenges – including reducing the public sector deficit, further decreasing unemployment, reforming labour laws and investment regulations, further lowering inflation, and raising per capita GDP – but the country is moving surely up the ranks in Europe's economic 'hit parade'.

The Spanish graduate marketplace

With a history of high unemployment, the current Spanish market still isn't an easy one, but it does offer opportunities; and, in particular, you should be able to find good candidates for starting positions.

According to the Spanish government, the sectors that have the largest growth perspectives are energy, biotechnology, information technology, telecommunications and the environmental sector. Spain's financial hub, Madrid, is also increasing in importance.

Due to several factors – political influences during the era of dictator Francisco Franco, which resulted in Spain becoming rather inward-looking, significant migration in the 1970s and high unemployment in the 1990s – qualified managers in Spain have been thin on the ground. But following Spain's rapid economic modernisation, this trend is slowly but surely phasing out.

The organisational culture

The organisational culture used to be very hierarchical and bureaucratic, but it is changing due to the influence of American management theories, a growing number of young managers educated abroad and changes in Spanish society itself.

However, some things still haven't changed, for instance detailed job descriptions are rarely used, and assessment of staff is uncommon.

Personal contacts are seen as the most effective route into a job.

Decisions are still taken at senior management level, often by the senior executive alone. To ask subordinates for their opinion about certain actions is seen as a weakness and will bring more uncertainty than enthusiasm in your team. Likewise, a 'compliant' employee is more appreciated than somebody who would like to instigate change.

Although times are changing, at work people still prefer to have roles clearly differentiated, such as who the decision-maker and who the boss is. Another important aspect to take into account is Spain's lack of trust in planning, "because no one can predict the future".

Spanish applications

When recruiting in a foreign market, it is important to understand how local recruitment habits work. In Spain, for instance, personal contacts are seen as the most effective route into a job.

The Internet is increasingly becoming an important job-hunting tool, and Spanish employers usually have very attractive job sites.

The 'money question' is never tackled in the first job interview, and several interviews, up to seven, are not unusual.

Passport or ID numbers are included in CVs under the heading 'personal details'. All former employers are listed, including tasks performed and responsibilities held. Spanish employers will expect to see translated certified qualifications and copies of diplomas. However, they hardly ever request references and testimonials from former employers.

June 2006

Author Nannette Ripmeester is the managing director and founder of Expertise in Labour Mobility (www.labourmobility.com), and a knowledge broker on issues related to mobility on the international labour market.

If you would like to find out more about recruiting in Spain, Expertise in Labour Mobility has published a guide called Looking for work in Spain (ISBN 90-5896-
020-X).

This article was first published by the British Association of Graduate Recruiters in their magazine Graduate Recruiter.

Subject: HR and recruitment in Spain, Employing staff in Spain