Recruiting 300 people for production. No illusions, no shortcuts and no fairy-tale promises from recruitment agencies

I enjoy my job and I want to do it well.

It may sound trite, but that is precisely why I don’t view HR merely as an administrative function, but as a role that has a direct impact on the running of the entire company.

Before I became an HR manager, I thought about what it actually means to be a „good HR manager“ and, amongst other things, I asked myself this simple question:

On what grounds can a company dismiss an HR manager?

Not in theory. In practice. When I look back today on the last few 13 years' experience, I have seen HR managers leave time and again for the same reasons:

1️⃣ Compliance issues. Bribes, bending the rules, grey areas. In my view, it’s simple: I’m not an idiot and I don’t accept bribes. I share gifts from suppliers with my subordinates and colleagues, or put them into company raffles and the like.

2️⃣ A mess with the pay. Errors, inconsistencies, chaos, staff dissatisfaction. Pay is a sensitive issue, and I pay particular attention to it precisely to ensure there are no discrepancies.

3️⃣ Failure to ensure staff retention. And that is the factor that makes the difference most often. Because without people:

Production has stopped
quality is declining
the targets are not being met
the pressure is mounting

And this is exactly where the rubber meets the road.

Why this article was written

This article wasn’t written to lecture anyone. It was written because Recruiting for production isn't just about „finding someone quickly“, but that’s another story to keep the business running in the long term.

These days, when someone says they need to recruit hundreds of people for a manufacturing role in the Czech Republic, most companies react in the same way. They call local recruitment agencies and hope they’ll find „some people“. It looks simple on paper. But the reality of the labour market is completely different.

Unemployment has been very low for a long time. If, in such a situation, you rely solely on local recruitment agencies, you will very often end up with people who have issues with punctuality, stability, work ethic or the quality of their work. And that is precisely the kind of risk that, as a BMW supplier, we simply cannot afford.

Quality, stability and discipline are not just empty words. They are everyday requirements.

Why didn’t we just go through local agencies?

This year, we need to recruit approximately 300 production staff. It was clear from the outset that if we relied solely on the local market and employment agencies, we would jeopardise:

production stability
staff turnover
quality
long-term costs

That is why we decided to take the more challenging route and extend our recruitment efforts abroad. Specifically, we decided to work with partners who specialise in recruiting staff from the Philippines and other countries.

But the key decision was a different one: we’re taking on these employees directly into the core workforce.

This means:

no „borrowed hands“
no hidden mark-ups
lower staff turnover
the employer’s direct liability
the ability to actually monitor people’s satisfaction

Agencies are not automatically a guarantee of quality

It’s fair to say one thing quite openly: not all agencies that bring people in from abroad are automatically fair or of a high standard.

There are many operators in the market who try to sell companies even weak or unsuitable candidates, as long as they get paid. That is why we have gone to great lengths to select suitable partners.

Over the past two years, we have met with more than 30 potential partners and agencies. We assessed them based on:

long-term references
experience
how we work with candidates
transparency
ethical approach

In the end, we chose two, …which have a proven track record, treat people with respect and offer reasonable prices.

But even that wasn't enough for us.

I decided that we wouldn’t be recruiting new staff from our offices in Europe. We sent people to the Philippines Igor Limanov a Michal Bártík – representatives from production and HR, specifically our own staff from NOBO in České Budějovice.

Colleagues Igor and Michal in Manila during the recruitment day

These are the very people who:

They handle recruitment for our production department
will actually be working with these people
will train, supervise and assess them

It’s not a case of HR „picking someone“ and then production having to adapt. Production selects its own staff with the help and support of HR.

First day of interviews: 220 applicants, 78 selected

Based on our requirements, the agencies shortlisted candidates according to:

education
work experience
manual and physical skills

The first day of interviews:

approx. 220 shortlisted candidates
selected 78 candidates, future NOBO employees

Igor and Michal will be in the Philippines for around two weeks, during which time they will gradually select staff for this year’s project launch, who will be coming to České Budějovice throughout the year.

Looking beyond the costs: simple maths

You can also take a very pragmatic view of recruitment – through the prism of money.

An employee from the Philippines on the permanent staff

one-off cost approx. CZK 50,000 (flight ticket, administration) – this naturally depends on the partner, the number of people being recruited, their qualifications, the cost of the flight ticket, etc.
at least 6 months of employment with my first employer (as required by law)
with a fair approach, the possibility of long-term employment lasting several years

Agency worker

standard agency commission 30–40 % on top of the gross salary
based on gross pay 35,000 CZK approx. CZK 12,000 a month
In six months’ time, the company will pay for the agency worker CZK 60,000 in addition, against permanent staff

Namely:

no guarantee of stability
with high staff turnover
with the need to constantly replace staff

From a long-term perspective, third-country nationals cheaper, more stable and easier to control an option, even if it means a greater impact on cash flow in the short term.

The myth of agency workers’ flexibility

I often hear that agency staff are needed to ensure production flexibility. A common argument is that a company should keep 10–15 agency staff on hand, whom it can let go „at a moment’s notice“.

But that’s not how it works.

The typical „work Monday to Thursday, have Friday off“ model:

No reputable agency will accept this in the long term
The employee wants to work five days a week
the agency will make up for the shortfall in some other way – through a higher margin or by taking on a different risk

The only real advantage for agency staff is the option to terminate a temporary assignment at short notice. However, with unemployment below 3 %, only a very small percentage of people will be willing to work under such conditions. And they are usually not the sort of people you want in stable production.

What does „flexibility“ look like in the real world of manufacturing?

I’ve seen this happen time and again. I don’t want to name a specific factory, but the story is a universal one and will be familiar to many people in HR who have ever worked in a manufacturing plant.

That cycle goes round and round.

1️⃣ „We’re short-staffed; we need people right away“

There is a shortage of staff in production. Clear instructions have been issued:

„HR, get on with your job.“
„Give the agencies a ring.“
„It was too late yesterday; we need 10 people tomorrow.“

No discussion, no context, no perspective.

2️⃣ I'm calling everyone

I'm phoning round:

standard agencies,
less standard agencies,
even the very „creative“ ones.

Yes, even the sort where the owner arrives in a luxury car, a man in pointed shoes gets out, and three agency staff are pulled out of the boot. At that moment, we all know that this is not the path to stability, but the pressure to produce is enormous.

3️⃣ People are being recruited one by one and trained every day

With great effort, we manage to find 10 people. They are unable to start on the same day, so:

We provide practical training for new staff daily,
the champions are frustrated,
the quality of training is declining,
Tension is mounting on all sides.

4️⃣ After a week, half will remain

After the first week:

at most 50 % people remain
The rest simply vanish – without explanation, without accountability, without any follow-up.

5️⃣ It all comes to an end on Thursday

The decision will be announced on Thursday:

„Production will decline.“
„Cancel the temporary secondment of agency staff for next week.“

Once again, no long-term perspective. Just a reaction to the latest figures.

6️⃣ On Mondays, everything is different

On Monday morning, I arrive at work and hear:

„The plan has changed.“
„We’ll need 10 people for the production line again next week.“

And the whole cycle starts all over again.

Why this model doesn’t work in the long run

Yes, I can motivate agencies. Yes, I can find people. But:

This wheel can be made once
perhaps twice
at most three times

However, if it happens every 1–2 months:

agencies will lose public trust
they will stop keeping people „on hold“
they will start sending them elsewhere, where there is stability

And at that point, neither the greatest pressure nor any „magic“ will help.

This story is exactly why today:

I tend to minimise the use of agency staff
I'm putting pressure on permanent staff
I’m thinking about recruitment in the long term, not on a day-to-day basis

Not because it’s easier. But because it’s cheaper, more stable and more sustainable.

Last but not least, it helps me sleep better.

And Igor and Michal can also enjoy these leisure activities:

David Havelec

HR Manager in Nobo Automotive Czech Republic

16 January 2026