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Ethical recruitment guidance

The hidden costs of labor migration

In high-risk migration corridors throughout global supply chains, a dangerous practice persists:

Inflated and exploitative costs charged by recruitment intermediaries

Pressure to borrow money to finance their recruitment

Debt bondage the most prevalent form of forced labor in supply chains

Vulnerability to other forms of exploitation and abuse

Ethical recruitment that addresses labor migration risks effectively

Our ethical recruitment approach yields tangible impact across supply chains—strengthening brands, empowering suppliers, and protecting workers.

For brands and buyers

Mitigate legal risks under forced labor import bans and human rights due diligence laws
Protect brand reputation and strengthen supplier relationships
Build visibility into previously opaque recruitment systems
Demonstrate leadership on a key human rights challenge

For suppliers and employers

Reduce worker turnover and improve productivity
Align with international standards and attract buyers who prioritize ethical sourcing practices.
Develop more stable and sustainable labor practices
Avoid business disruptions from labor rights violations

For workers and communities

Verité training session with female workers in an informal setting

Eliminate debt bondage and vulnerability to exploitation
Enable fair access to global employment opportunities
Protect earnings from predatory recruitment practices

NIKE uses the CUMULUS Forced Labor Screen™ to help identify risks related to the recruitment of foreign migrant workers by NIKE suppliers, including a feature for verification of recruitment fee payment and reimbursement.

NIKE Impact Report

Our strategic approach

We partner with brands, retailers, and employers of migrant workers to incorporate ethical recruitment as part of a comprehensive human rights due diligence system.

Embedding employer pay models in management systems

We help organizations integrate ethical recruitment into their core operations, policies, and supplier requirements, ensuring sustainable implementation at scale.

Recruitment cost mapping

We help companies identify all legitimate costs throughout the recruitment journey, creating transparency and enabling accurate budgeting for ethical recruitment.

Detection, remedy, and repayment

When fee charging is discovered, we provide expert guidance on calculating appropriate compensation and implementing remediation programs that restore workers' rights.

Featured project

Recruitment cost calculator

Verité’s Recruitment Cost Calculator provides up-to-date recruitment fee data, enabling companies to factor ethical hiring costs into contracts and eliminate worker-paid recruitment fees.

Explore this initiative