Eight countries, one standard: documented qualifications, readiness for shift work and a stay measured in years rather than months. We run the whole thing – from selection in the home country, through relocation, to airport pickup and the first day on the shop floor.
Asia is now the largest talent pool for Bulgarian industry. It is not only about availability – it is about predictability: the candidate flies in for a specific contract, with documents valid for several years and genuine readiness for shift work.
For several years the Bulgarian labour market has not closed the gap in manufacturing, logistics and food processing. Eastern directions answer short-term needs, but when you plan staffing for two or three years it is Asia that provides stability – the worker arrives on a specific multi-year contract, not as part of a few-month earning trip.
The second argument is work culture. In the Philippines, Nepal, Bangladesh and Vietnam factory work is a normal, respected occupation, and shift work and overtime are not treated as anything extraordinary. Candidates arrive with a clear financial goal and a multi-year plan, which is why first-year turnover is visibly lower than on geographically closer directions.
The third reason is qualifications. The Philippines has the extensive TESDA system, India ITI and NCVT, Nepal CTEVT, and Vietnam training centres attached to industrial plants. That means diplomas and licences you can verify on paper, and for technical roles we can add an optional practical test and a work video as a paid add-on.
The price for these advantages is time and coordination – recruitment abroad simply takes longer than sourcing locally. That is why we run it in parallel for the whole group and schedule batches backwards from the shift start date.
Each direction has a different occupational profile, lead time and paperwork. For high volumes we run two or three countries in parallel so the project does not depend on a single consulate.
Manila, Philippines
Delhi, Punjab, Kerala
Kathmandu, Nepal
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Colombo – SLBFE
Hanoi – DOLAB
Jakarta, Indonesia
Tashkent – Central Asia route
The biggest misunderstandings do not come from a lack of willingness but from differences in how people communicate. Below are four things that in practice shape the group's first month.
The relationship with a supervisor is formal and based on respect. Instructions are carried out without debate, and openly questioning the team leader in front of the group is culturally almost unthinkable.
For the employer: Do not read the absence of questions as full understanding. Ask the worker to repeat the task instead of asking "is that clear?".
Direct criticism in front of the team is experienced as humiliation. A refusal rarely sounds like "no" – more often like "I'll try", or silence.
For the employer: Give corrections individually and specifically. Give praise publicly – it lifts the whole group.
Shift work, weekends and overtime are treated as an opportunity, not a burden. The goal is financial: supporting family at home and a concrete multi-year plan.
For the employer: A predictable roster and payment on the exact date matter more than a one-off bonus – they build loyalty.
A group may include Muslims, Hindus, Catholics and Buddhists. Pork, beef and Ramadan are the most common touchpoints with work organisation and housing.
For the employer: A kitchen in the accommodation, flexible breaks in Ramadan and housing compatriots together resolves most tensions.
A worker from Asia does not come "for a while". They come with a multi-year plan and a family counting on it. Employers who understand that have the lowest turnover in our entire portfolio.
Every candidate profile includes scans of vocational documents, an employment history at named plants, an English assessment and – for technical roles on client request – a recording of an optional practical test.
TESDA (Philippines), ITI and NCVT (India), CTEVT (Nepal), BTEB (Bangladesh), industrial centres in Vietnam. We verify authenticity and scope, and order sworn translations where needed.
On client request, welders can produce weld samples with visual assessment, operators demonstrate machine work, and drivers document route history. The recording reaches the profile before your team's interview. This is a paid add-on, not a standard step.
We rate English on a conversational scale and record readiness for three-shift systems, weekends and conditions such as cold stores or production halls.
EN ISO 9606-1 exams, UDT licences for forklifts and cranes, driving licence exchange and code 95 for drivers – all run in parallel with recruitment so nobody waits idle.
Sectors we staff with candidates from Asia
We build the timeline backwards from the date you need people on shift. Documents run in parallel for the whole group rather than candidate by candidate.
We agree duties, required licences, shift system, pay and housing standard, then recommend a country and a realistic date.
We sign the agreement and launch sourcing with vetted partners in the home country.
We present a shortlist with documents, language rating and – on request – an optional practical test. You run interviews together with our coordinator.
Document assembly, medical checks and travel arrangements for the whole group at once.
Tickets, airport pickup, transfer to housing, starter pack and help with local registration, a personal number and a bank account.
Safety training, bilingual workstation instructions, a buddy in the team and reviews at 30 and 90 days.
Beyond finding the right people, the practical side of the process matters just as much. We run it from the first candidate profile to the worker's ongoing support on site.
A single hire or a full group of 50+ people – sourcing, screening and shortlisting run to the same standard regardless of scale.
For technical and supervisory roles we run a targeted search with skills verification, references and – on request – a paid practical test.
Pay and working conditions offered to workers from Asia must be no worse than for Bulgarian employees in a comparable role – a standard built into every contract we help arrange.
Flights, airport pickup, housing that meets sanitary requirements and help with local registration, a personal number and a bank account.
See the full scope of our services: one-time recruitment, specialist search, mass recruitment and relocation & accommodation. Use our cost calculator for an indicative budget.
Every group is met at the airport by a coordinator who speaks the workers' language. Below are frames from arrivals, interviews and first days in Bulgaria.
Arrival photosA group of workers from Asia after arriving in Sofia
A group of Asian workers arriving at Sofia Chopin Airport
Candidates from Asia before departure for Bulgaria, once travel documents are complete
Whether the group stays is decided in the first month – not by the hourly rate. Below is what genuinely reduces turnover in our projects.
We reply within 48 hours with a recommended country, a batch schedule and a full per-worker cost calculation – no obligation.
