Jul22493 27. Jul22493 Specialising in international recruitment and selection, as well as supporting those professionals who choose to live and work in Portugal, RCC Portugal is one of the country’s leading ethical recruitment agencies. At the helm is Rute Silva, who, as of the 1st August this year, has completed 19 years of professional experience in international recruitment. Throughout her journey, her aim (and that of RCC Portugal) has been to connect Portuguese companies with international professionals, creating structured, responsible, transparent recruitment processes. We caught up with Rute for more. The work that Rute Silva and her small team at RCC Portugal do is about much more than simply finding a professional to fill a vacancy. Instead, it seeks to understand the real needs of each company, get to know the skills and professional competencies of each candidate, and ensure that both sides are prepared for a successful professional and cultural integration. What unites the companies that this international recruitment agency in Portugal works with is that they are looking to recruit in a way that is both responsible and sustainable, with Rute and the team supporting them across the entire process, from the country where they are currently residing through to their arrival, integration, and careers starting in Portugal. Behind this entire process are the values of responsibility, ethics, transparency, respect, and humanity. These are not simply words for RCC Portugal, they are the principles that guide the way it works, from making decisions to building relationships. Rute explained: “For us, successful recruitment does not end when the contract is signed or when the professional arrives in Portugal. True success happens when there is a balanced, responsible, and lasting relationship between the individual and the company.” Despite today being the CEO of the leading international recruitment agency Portugal has to offer, an executive job in international recruitment was not something Rute always planned. Her background was actually in accounting and business administration, and her first role in international recruitment was more about supporting the directors and implementing the business strategy than anything related to immigration. Since immigration was something she knew little about, Rute decided to learn, studying extensively and always asking questions. After spending several years expanding her knowledge and working for organisations in the field, she finally decided to start her own company in 2017. This decision was not about making a business, it was about Rute using all she had discovered to create a new, better way of approaching international recruitment. Looking at immigration not simply as a worker filling a position, but rather as a person leaving their country, family, and support network to build a new life, this perspective Rute has shaped the way RCC Portugal has operated over the last nine decades. She is currently drawing from this as the agency enters the next phase of its development: growing with purpose. This aligns with Rute as a leader, who leads with purpose, drawing inspiration from the people around her to create a more human-focused future for the recruitment industry. With several projects in the works allowing RCC Portugal to go beyond traditional recruitment, covering areas including professional development, training, international partnerships, the company is also looking to strengthen its presence on the Portuguese island of Madeira, which hopefully will act as a stepping stone to opportunities in other areas of Europe and beyond. Any growth will be grounded in the high standards and human values that have always defined its international recruitment. As for her own next steps, Rute told us: “After almost two decades in this industry, I feel that I have accumulated a significant amount of knowledge, experience, and lessons that I would like to share. One of my ambitions is to become more involved in speaking, mentoring, training, and thought leadership, particularly around ethical international recruitment, cultural integration, and the human side of professional mobility.” She is writing a book for the same reasons: transforming her experience into something that other people can benefit from. Even as she enters a stage of her career where she is becoming more selective about where she invests her time and energy, Rute remains absolutely dedicated to developing RCC Portugal internationally, doubling down on what makes it great whilst nurturing greater specialisation and impact for the individuals and companies it serves every single day. More on this beacon of ethical recruitment in Portugal can be found at the link below. Company: RCC Portugal Web Address: https://www.rccportugal.com/ International Recruitment CEO of the Year 2026 (Portugal): Rute Silva & Best International Recruitment Agency 2026 – Portugal
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