Last Updated on February 23, 2023
Turn talent mobility into a driver of corporate growth for your organization with these practices
Talent acquisition teams are all too familiar with the ongoing U.S. labor shortage. As highly skilled talent grows harder to find, recruiters are making immigration a part of their larger talent acquisition strategy to fill roles faster and more effectively. All of this has resulted in a fierce war for foreign talent, but by creating a sophisticated immigration program, organizations can set themselves apart from the competition.
Consider these four building blocks for your immigration program to help win over foreign candidates
Strategic Planning
In order to set an immigration program up for success, it’s critical to align key stakeholders at the organization. Leadership and human resources should understand the larger goals behind an immigration program and how to measure its success through talent acquisition KPIs such as acceptance rates, time-to-hire and retention.
On a more granular level, HR professionals tasked with immigration should have a clear understanding of the employment-based visa options available (there are over 20!) and work with an immigration attorney to determine which ones are best for their hiring needs.
Green Cards & Other Immigration Perks
When it comes to recruiting, green card sponsorship is one of the most crucial immigration-related benefits to consider. Many foreign nationals who relocate to the U.S. on temporary visas hope to stay in the country long-term, and actively seek out employers willing to sponsor them for green cards. There are costs and resources associated with the sponsorship process, but providing employees with a permanent path to residency can be a powerful incentive. In fact, 66% of employers surveyed in our latest Immigration Trends Report said that they sponsor employees for green cards.
Other perks for foreign nationals commonly offered by employers include relocation assistance, travel reimbursement, temporary housing and cultural training. Regardless of the benefits you choose to provide for sponsored talent, it’s important to convey them to job candidates during the recruiting process.
Learn more about building an immigration program by downloading our webinar slide deck.
Technology
The immigration process involves a variety of paperwork, forms and documentation. For organizations that sponsors a large number of foreign nationals for employment, all of those cases can become difficult to keep track of. Utilizing a robust technology platform can help store documents securely, save time completing forms and track deadlines to make sure nothing slips between the cracks.
In addition to streamlining internal processes, technology can also help provide transparency to foreign nationals, giving them real-time updates on the status of their visa petition and allowing them to communicate directly with the HR team.
Employee Experience
Employee experience should be top of mind for every HR team, but a positive hiring process can play a huge role for foreign nationals deciding between competing offers. Commit to providing a stress-free experience for job candidates by sending timely updates on their candidacy as well as their immigration case, and make information about your company’s culture, values and benefits easy to find.
The talent acquisition process shouldn’t end on the employee’s start date either: help assure employees that they made the right decision with a smooth onboarding process that exposes them to the corporate culture and equips them with resources to succeed in a new country and work environment. Doing so can foster trust in those critical first few months and help your organization retain talent in the long-term.
Learn even more about attracting and retaining foreign talent by checking out the Envoy Resources Center. For more information on how Envoy is helping companies streamline the immigration process for their sponsored talent, get in touch with us today.
Envoy is pleased to provide you this information, which was prepared in collaboration with Amber Davis, who is a Senior Associate at Global Immigration Associates, P.C. (www.giafirm.com), Envoy's affiliated law firm.
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 an Envoy-retained attorney or another qualified professional.
