They fled after the very first shelling: MHP discusses hiring foreign workers
16 May 06:15
The Ukrainian agricultural holding MHP began systematically exploring the possibility of recruiting foreign workers as early as 2024, and the first workers arrived in Ukraine at the end of 2025. However, the first pilot project showed that hiring foreigners during the war requires not only paperwork but also significant efforts to help them adapt to Ukrainian realities.
This was reported by Dina Konogray,Director of Human Resources for Production, Logistics, and Procurement at MHP, according to "Komersant Ukrainian" citing Latifundist.com.
MHP began exploring the hiring of foreign workers as early as 2024
According to Dina Konogray, the company began systematically analyzing the issue of hiring foreign workers as early as 2024. The reason was the labor shortage faced by Ukrainian businesses, particularly in the agricultural sector.
MHP notes that at the outset, this area was effectively a “gray zone”: Ukraine lacked clear practices, established procedures, and examples to follow.
“At the outset, it was a ‘gray area’: an unpopular, unregulated topic with no clear best practices in Ukraine. We essentially built the process from scratch—by analyzing the experience of other countries and the practices of our own international assets,” Konogray explained.
The first pilot project proved to be a challenge
The first pilot project to recruit foreign workers proved challenging for the company. Seven foreign workers arrived in Ukraine to work on the production floor.
However, after the first night of shelling, some of the workers left their workplace without warning and stopped responding to communications.
The company was forced to report the situation to the employment center and the migration service. The workers were eventually found, but the work permits were revoked for the entire pilot group.
Why it is difficult for foreigners to adapt to working in Ukraine
At MHP, they acknowledge: the experience of the first pilot project showed that it is not enough to simply hire, process, and bring a foreign worker to Ukraine. A person needs preparation for conditions that have already become part of everyday life for Ukrainians.
This includes:
- air raid alerts;
- nighttime shelling;
- the sounds of explosions;
- power outages;
- living and working in the midst of full-scale war;
- cultural and lifestyle differences.
For people coming from countries where there is no war, such conditions can cause severe psychological stress.
“While air raid sirens, power outages, and life in wartime have become part of everyday life for Ukrainians, for people arriving from other countries, this can be extremely stressful,” noted the HR director.
The company changed its approach to onboarding
After its first unsuccessful experience, MHP revised its approach to working with foreign employees.
Now, orientation sessions are held not only for the new employees themselves but also for the teams they will be working in. This is necessary to avoid misunderstandings related to cultural differences, language barriers, and differing expectations regarding work processes.
The company emphasizes that integrating foreign nationals into the team requires extra attention, especially when working in wartime conditions.
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MHP’s second pilot project proved more successful
MHP is currently implementing a second pilot project with seven foreign employees.
The company notes that this time the model is already showing better results: employee productivity is at the proper level, and discipline is not an issue either.
“And we can already say that this model can work: their productivity is at the proper level, and discipline is as well. But this was only possible because we gained experience and were ready to quickly adjust our approach,” Konogray noted.
Hiring foreigners takes at least six months
MHP notes that even under an optimistic scenario, the process from a business request to the actual arrival of a foreign worker in Ukraine takes about six months.
The process includes:
- processing documents;
- obtaining visas;
- processing transit documents;
- undergoing security checks, including by the SBU;
- logistics coordination;
- coordination between countries;
- preparing for work in Ukraine.
This makes hiring foreigners a long and complicated process that cannot quickly address labor shortages.
Foreign labor is not yet a widespread solution
The Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food believes that hiring foreign workers can currently only be a temporary solution for Ukrainian businesses.
In the near future, it will not be able to serve as a systemic response to the labor shortage in the agricultural sector, as the process is complex, time-consuming, and requires significant organizational preparation.
The company also notes that, together with other businesses, it is already discussing these issues with the government and highlighting the limitations in the public sphere.
Why businesses are looking for workers abroad
Ukrainian businesses are increasingly facing a labor shortage. The reasons are clear: war, mobilization, migration, demographic issues, and changes in the labor market structure.
For large companies, especially in manufacturing, logistics, and the agricultural sector, the labor shortage is becoming one of the key challenges. That is why businesses are beginning to test various models—from retraining Ukrainians to recruiting workers from other countries.
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