Recruiting in Spain
Context
In 2023, Spain was the 4th most attractive country in the European Union for foreign investment.
Its dynamic economy and strategic geographic location are attracting a growing number of companies looking to penetrate its market. As a member of the European Union, the Schengen area and close to North Africa, Spain is a land of opportunity for foreign companies.
To expand in Spain, it’s imperative to recruit local employees. However, the recruitment process can quickly become time-consuming if you are unfamiliar with local practices and Spanish labor law. Here are a few tips on how to optimize the process of recruiting an employee in Spain.
Post a job ad
In Spain, several job platforms are available. You'll find internationally renowned platforms such as LinkedIn, Indeed and Monster, as well as local recruitment platforms like Tecnoempleo and Trabajando.
To reach as many potential candidates as possible, it's a good idea to write your ad in Spanish and English.
Expect to receive many responses, as Spain has a high unemployment rate (11.76% at the end of 2023). Reading and selecting the best applications takes time.
Examine applications
After an initial selection, an interview with the candidates you wish to recruit is essential. It is recommended to conduct interviews in person rather than by telephone or videoconference. The Spanish have a culture of verbal agreement. Before hiring a Spaniard, discuss the details of the contract orally with the candidate.
Reference checks
Background checks on the candidates you are considering are highly recommended. However, the recruiter must obtain the candidate's consent before embarking on such research. To avoid any ambiguity, it is preferable to obtain written rather than verbal authorization.
The recruiter must be transparent about the purpose of the check and the information sought. It is illegal to collect information unrelated to the position (such as ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, etc.).
Common background searches in Spain include criminal records, past employment, diplomas, references and, increasingly, social networks.
Spanish labor law
During the recruitment process, bear in mind that Spanish labor law Spanish labor law is very comprehensive and protects employees in a variety of ways. Here are a few points we feel it’s important to share with you with you:
The employment contract
In Spain, there are three main types of contract: open-ended, temporary and short-term.
For open-ended contracts, you can include a trial period of up to 6 months.
The minimum wage is €1,260 per month. Working hours are limited to 40 hours a week, but most Spanish companies agree on 37-38 hour weeks. By law, overtime cannot exceed 80 hours a year, but unfortunately this law is rarely respected.
An employee may only be dismissed in accordance with the terms of the contract or the law. Otherwise, the employer is obliged to pay compensation to the employee. For example, in the event of unfair dismissal, the employer will have to pay the employee between 20 and 33 days’ salary for each year of employment. Similarly, if notice is not given, the employer must pay the employee one month’s salary.
Employer social security contributions
The cost of labor in Spain is high compared with the European average, thanks to the country’s comprehensive social security system.
The employer must pay charges corresponding to approximately 36-38% of the employee’s salary. They break down as follows:
- 31-33% social security (capped at €4495.50)
- around 6.7% unemployment insurance
- 0.1-7.1% accident or health insurance
- Approximately 2.8% pension contribution
For example, if the employer pays a salary of €2,600, the employee will receive €2,000 gross, and €1,600 net.
Vacations
The Spanish calendar includes 10 national holidays. There is one peculiarity that we know little about in France: the public holidays specific to certain autonomous regions. Here are a few examples:
- Madrid: May 2 (Comunidad de Madrid), March 15 (San Isidro)
- Bilbao: July 25 (Santiago, patron saint of Bilbao)
- Barcelona: San Juan (June 24), Diada (September 11), Merced (September 24) and San Esteban (December 26)
- Seville: February 28 (Constitution of Andalusia), May 30 (San Fernando), Corpus Christi (Feast of God, may vary), October 12 (Hispanic Festival).
Before starting the recruitment phase, it’s a good idea to find out about the public holidays specific to the autonomous community in which you intend to place the employee.
As far as paid vacations are concerned, employees are entitled to 22 days a year.
Sick leave
In Spain, workers are covered by the national health insurance scheme. Sick leave extends over 20 days a year, with the first three days paid by the employer at the employee’s salary, and the following days covered by social security. In addition, maternity and paternity leave lasts 16 weeks, during which time full pay is paid.
Salveo expertise: your best asset for recruiting in Spain
Spanish legislation is very dense, making the recruitment process in Spain long and complex. An on-site presence is highly recommended to optimize your time and recruit the right profiles. Salveo offers you the services of its Spanish subsidiary.
Who we are
Salveo, a subsidiary of the Adit group, specializes in business development and offers a complete range of international services: operational services, recruitment and headhunting.
With a subsidiary in Spain, Salveo has genuine expertise in the Spanish job market. With its wealth of experience, our subsidiary is the ideal partner for companies wishing to recruit locally, easily overcoming obstacles linked to a lack of information.
Salveo looks not only at the profiles available on the job market, but also at those already in place, to find the employees best suited to the development of the client company in India.
Recruitment in Spain by Salveo
For each customer, we develop a tailor-made recruitment strategy based on our discussions and experience in the field. We help you build an attractive offer for both the recruit and the recruiter.
Salveo’s recruitment services include operational and administrative support for the recruitment process. Calling on you not only allows you to concentrate on your core mission, but also to shorten lead times thanks to an optimal recruitment strategy.
In addition to recruitment, we offer several complementary services in Spain, such as freelance administration. Rather than going through the time-consuming process of setting up a subsidiary, Salveo is able to support your employees, while providing on-site HR and operational solutions such as salary management, expense management, vehicle management, …
Our experts put all Salveo’s human and operational resources at your disposal to support your international development.
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