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Hiring Foreign Nationals: For Youth

Bridge Team Member

Welcome to the final installment in our Benefits of Hiring Foreign Nationals series. In recent weeks, we've examined how foreign nationals are independent and mature, and how their high levels of commitment can benefit the companies they’re dedicated to. This week, we’re focusing on Youth.

Foreign Nationals Are Young

According to a study by the Center for ImmigrationStudies (CIS), 69.7 percent of all H-1B petitions filed in 2011 were filed for workers between 25 and 34 years of age. Since many U.S. employers actively recruit recent university graduates, this relatively low age bracket is no surprise. It is also not surprising that age is a crucial factor when considering hiring a foreign national employee.

Hiring a young workforce has many benefits. They bring enthusiasm, a sense of adventure, and innovation. Even though they may require more training than more experienced employees, there rarely are any habits that have to be unlearned before making room for company specific procedures and practices.

These benefits are no different when hiring young foreign nationals. In addition to enthusiasm and innovation, these employees bring many other benefits, such as the knowledge of a different culture and, often times, at least one other language. Depending on the country of origin, many young foreign nationals will have been raised bilingual, being exposed to many different cultures and customs before they left their home country to study or work abroad.

While there are many benefits to hiring young employees, there certainly are many aspects that employers consider negatives when it comes to the recruitment of a young workforce. Immaturity, lack of experience, or inability to commit to a career within the company are just a few disadvantages that employers identify. Many employers criticize that recent college grads take their first job as a stepping stone, already knowing that they will only stay with a company for the amount of time it takes to get some experience and move on to something better.

But hold on. In part one of this series, which focused on the commitment levels of foreign nationals, we discussed how most foreign national employees are likely to stay with your company for a long period since their visa status is dependent on their employment. As such, they have a solid interest in making your company a rewarding workplace and are less likely to view employment with your company as a temporary arrangement.

Additionally, as discussed in part two of this series, which focused on independence and maturity, we looked at how living and working in a foreign country with a limited support system results in strong work ethic.Taking into account all the benefits of hiring foreign nationals, your company might get all the benefits of a young employee, with fewer flaws, if you add a foreign national to your team.

All things considered, this series in no way suggests that all foreign nationals, no matter their age, nationality, or educational background, will be perfect employees. Nor does it imply that the majority of U.S. workers would not make valuable additions to your company.Rather, it aims to remind you that when recruiting for a position within your company, hiring a foreign national is not just additional work, fees, and responsibility.

Hiring a foreign national can give a company a big advantage over other companies on the market.

 

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.

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