International students bring strengths to U.S. employers
Deb Koen (March 11, 2007)
Question: How does an international student, graduating with an MBA this year, get an employer to give serious consideration to their candidacy? Is the process of hiring an international candidate too cumbersome for all but the largest corporations, and what would be the benefit to employers for going this route?
Answer: The benefits of including international students in the hiring pool are real, and if an international candidate meets the established criteria, there is as system in place to guide employers through the process.
Addressing this question and similar inquiries was part of the agenda at the recent International Career Expo at the Simon Graduate School of Business at the University of Rochester. The Simon school teamed with the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University and the School of Management at the University of Buffalo to present information and hiring opportunities for their international MBA students.
According to Harriette Royer, director of consulting and education at Simon's Career Management Center, "Like most business schools, we recognize that our candidates are academically and intellectually outstanding. Unfortunately, international candidates face additional obstacles to employment with U.S. companies. Our response has been to mount an intensive and comprehensive program with our students that stresses the job search process, practice sessions and a relentless emphasis on critical communication skills and cultural understanding. At the same time, we also educate our corporate partners about the unique talents and perspectives that international students represent and present them equitably with domestic candidates."
Margaret Catillaz, law partner specializing in immigration practice at Harter Secrest & Emery LLP, spoke quite specifically to employers about the benefits and the process in her keynote address on international hiring and visa applications. Catillaz outlined the following benefits for employers to consider:
Entrepreneurial spirit. The personal character and spirit that allow an individual to leave home and all that entails to start fresh in a new environment, parallel the desirable characteristics sought for career success. Flexibility, change management, diversity and perseverance are valued by American business. These students represent top talents who have excelled in their own countries and competed for limited slots available to come here.
Language abilities. In a global marketplace, possessing the language skills to communicate across cultures is an asset. Add to that the ability to succeed in a second language in a second culture, as these students have done. This represents the kind of adaptability that employers are seeking in their workforce.
Culture-specific knowledge. Increasingly, U.S. organizations are conducting business, or wanting to conduct business, with countries around the globe. The opportunity to hire professionals, who have not only adapted to the culture in the U.S., but also hold within them an intrinsic understanding of another cultural milieu and potential business partner, is invaluable. Conducting business in another culture—building rapport, negotiating and selling, managing a diverse employee population, marketing to another culture and managing customer relations—is a differentiator.
Demographics. The United States is facing an aging population. Baby boomers are phasing into retirement and will continue to do so into the foreseeable future, with replacement generations representing smaller numbers in comparison. International students graduating from U.S. universities and business schools represent an additional pool of desirable candidates from which to draw.
Competition for talent. The United States is not the only country seeking talent, nor the only country that the talent is seeking. Other countries have become increasingly proactive and generous in their outreach to attract the best and brightest.
After considering the value-add international student candidates represent, companies tend to become more willing to conduct a cost-benefit analysis to determine the potential within their organizations. While larger corporations routinely recruit and hire this population, Catillaz offers this advice for small-to-midsize employers trying to evaluate their hiring practices: "Smaller companies should seek competent counsel to evaluate the immigration options for a foreign candidate and should not assume that the process will be cost prohibitive but should focus on the opportunity presented by a talented candidate."
