When hiring a foreign national employee, whether they have already been living in the U.S. or still in their home country, you should already know one thing: they are willing to go the extra mile. Last week, in part one of our new series, The Benefits of Hiring Foreign Nationals, we examined how foreign nationals' high levels of commitment can benefit the companies they’re dedicated to. This week, we’re focusing on Independence and Maturity.
Foreign Nationals Are Independent & Mature
Relocating to a different country for work is not easy. Any employee doing so is putting in a lot of extra work in order to be employed with your company. Relocation, adaptation to a new culture, being faraway from family and friends, as well as different laws and customs at the workplace, are just a few challenges that come with living and working in a foreign country.
This willingness to start a new life abroad usually comes with independence and maturity, especially when hiring young employees, such as recent college graduates. Whether they have graduated from a U.S.college or a college abroad, they will be used to “being on their own.” Working independently, taking on responsibilities, and meeting deadlines under minimal supervision, oftentimes, are key strengths of foreign national (FN) employees.
Any FN employee coming to the U.S., no matter on what visa they enter the country, will have to go through a fairly lengthy process of gathering documents, paying multiple fees, obtaining educational evaluations, and preparing and traveling to visa interviews. Even though many companies pay for and organize most of the visa process, moving oneself or entire family abroad is not an easy undertaking. Your company might arrange all the paperwork and legal support, but the majority of the work rests on the shoulders of your FN employee.
Accordingly, being independent in most aspects of life is a character trait that pretty much every FN employee had to learn on their way to employment with your company. Especially in the case of young foreign workers who do not have immediate family in the U.S., these employees are often more independent and mature than their peers, which positively impacts their overall work ethic.
Due to their high levels of independence and distance from home, many FN employees are not as tied to a certain geographic location as U.S. workers. Remaining close to friends, relatives, their hometown or the in-laws are usually not factors to be considered. Particularly, if your company frequently needs employees to travel or relocate, hiring an FN employee can give you an advantage, as they are likely more willing to travel. This does not mean that every foreign worker you hire does not care about their location or amount of travel, but it certainly might be a benefit to keep in mind.
While hiring a foreign national certainly comes with extra costs and administrative processing, there are countless benefits to hiring international workers. No matter their age or educational background, independence and maturity are only two factors within many benefits that could transform your company from ordinary to exceptional.
Next week, in the third and final installment of our The Benefits of Hiring Foreign Nationals series, we’ll focus on Youth as we take a look at how young foreign nationals measure up to young U.S. employees.
Should you have any questions about how this impacts your business or employees, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at support@bridge.legal.
Content in this publication is not intended as legal advice, nor should it be relied on as such. For additional information on the issues discussed, consult a Bridge-affiliated partner attorney or another qualified legal professional.
