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US tech firms are known for their competitive hiring practices. But how do they actually find and attract the best employees?
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The Problem
The problem is that the US tech firms get most of their employees from other countries. The reason is that there are not enough qualified workers in the US. The solution is to train more Americans in technical fields.
The skills gap in the US
The skills gap is the difference between the skills required for a particular job and the actual skills held by the current workforce. It’s a problem that has been plaguing US businesses for years, and it’s only getting worse.
There are a number of factors that have contributed to the skills gap. One is the increasing demand for tech jobs. Between 2010 and 2020, the number of jobs in computer and information technology is expected to grow by 22%, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. But there simply aren’t enough qualified workers to fill these positions. In 2013, there were more than 600,000 computer science job openings but only 42,969 computer science graduates to fill them.
The skills gap is also being exacerbated by an aging workforce. As baby boomers retire, they are taking their valuable experience and knowledge with them. This leaves a significant knowledge void that needs to be filled by younger workers.
businesses need to do more to attract and retain top talent. They need to offer competitive salaries and benefits, as well as provide opportunities for professional development and career advancement. They also need to make sure that they are recruiting from a diverse pool of candidates so that they can find the best talent available.
The difficulty in attracting top talent
While the economy is improving and unemployment is falling, many U.S. tech companies are still having a hard time attracting top talent. The problem is that the talent pool in the united states is smaller than in other countries, and the competition for top talent is fierce.
There are a number of reasons for this. First, the U.S. education system is not as strong as it should be, and many of the best students choose to go to school elsewhere. Second, the H-1B visa program, which allows foreign workers to come to the United States to work in certain occupations, has been capped at 85,000 per year since 2004. This means that there are simply not enough visas available to meet the demand from companies who want to hire foreign workers.
And finally, many of the best and brightest students from other countries are simply not interested in coming to the United States to work. They see America as a country that is hostile to immigrants, and they prefer to work in countries where they feel welcome and appreciated.
So what can U.S. tech companies do to attract top talent? They need to start by making themselves more attractive to foreign workers. This means making it easier for them to get visas, offering more competitive salaries and benefits, and creating an environment that is welcoming and inclusive. Only then will they be able to compete with the rest of the world for the best and brightest employees.
The Solution
poaching. In the U.S., “poaching” tech talent from other companies has become the primary means by which firms acquire the workers they need. The practice has been decried by some as unfair and unproductive, but it persists because it’s often the most effective way to get the people you need.
The H-1B visa
The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in occupations that require the theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge in a field of human endeavor, such as in computer science, engineering, or mathematics.
Under the current program, 66,000 visas are awarded each year by lottery, with 20,000 of those visas set aside for people with advanced degrees from US institutions. The Trump administration has proposed doing away with the advanced degree exemption.
US tech firms have long relied on the H-1B program to hire workers from abroad. For example, more than two-fifths of Facebook’s US workforce is made up of H-1B visa holders, as are half of all Google employees who work in the country on engineering and technology jobs. According to LinkedIn data, nearly one in three workers at Microsoft are foreign-born.
The L-1 visa
The L-1 visa is a visa that allows U.S. tech firms to get highly skilled employees from other countries. The L-1 visa is given to employees who have worked for a foreign company for at least one year and who have been transferred to a U.S. affiliate of that company. The L-1 visa is valid for up to three years, and can be renewed for two additional years.
The green card
LinkedIn Founder Reid Hoffman once said, “The best way to win is to hire great people, and then get out of their way.” But in order to hire great people, you need to be able to attract them—and that’s where the green card comes in.
The green card is a work permit that allows foreign citizens to live and work in the United States indefinitely. For tech firms, it’s an essential tool for recruiting top talent from around the globe. In fact, more than half of all tech workers in the United States are foreign-born.
But getting a green card can be a long and complicated process. It usually starts with a job offer from a US employer, who then has to file a petition with the US government on behalf of the foreign worker. If the petition is approved, the worker can then apply for a green card.
There are several different types of green cards, each with its own requirements. The most common type is the EB-2 visa, which is reserved for workers with “exceptional ability” or advanced degrees. But even if you don’t qualify for an EB-2 visa, there are other options—such as the EB-1 visa for “extraordinary ability” or the National Interest Waiver for jobs that are in the national interest of the United States.
The process can take months or even years, but it’s worth it for tech firms who want to attract the best and brightest from around the world.
The Results
While the median salary for tech workers in the US is $87,000, there are a wide range of salaries among different roles, with the highest-paid being software engineers, followed by product managers. The lowest-paid workers in tech are administrative and customer support roles, which have a median salary of $50,000.
The increase in the number of H-1B visa holders
The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to temporarily employ foreign workers in specialty occupations. These are occupations that require theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge in fields such as science, engineering or computer programming.
According to the US Department of Labor, the increase in the number of H-1B visa holders has led to more than $1 billion in wages for American workers. In addition, data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that the use of H-1B visas has resulted in an additional $35 billion in economic activity for the US economy.
There are a number of reasons why US tech firms use H-1B visas to get employees. Firstly, it allows them to hire highly skilled workers from other countries who may not be able to get a work visa for the United States. Secondly, it allows these firms to save on labor costs as they can pay these workers less than they would American workers with similar skillsets.
Despite these benefits, there has been some criticism of the H-1B visa program. Some argue that it takes jobs away from American workers and drives down wages. There have also been allegations of abuse, with some companies using the program to import cheap labor from other countries.
The increase in the number of L-1 visa holders
The United States has seen a significant increase in the number of L-1 visa holders in recent years. L-1 visas are intended for individuals who have been employed by a foreign company for at least one year and who are being transferred to a US subsidiary or affiliate. The visa allows the holder to live and work in the United States for up to three years, with the possibility of extension.
There are a number of reasons why US tech firms have been increasingly employing foreign workers with L-1 visas. One reason is that these workers often have specialized skills and knowledge that are in high demand. Additionally, they can be hired at lower salaries than US workers with comparable skillsets.
Despite the benefits that US tech firms receive from hiring L-1 visa holders, there has been some backlash from the US government and from American workers who believe that these visas are being used to displace American workers. In response to this criticism, some tech firms have pledged to increase their hiring of US workers.
The increase in the number of green card holders
The percentage of highly skilled foreign-born workers in the United States has more than tripled since 1995, according to a new analysis of Census data by the National Foundation for American Policy, a research group.
In 1995, 7 percent of workers with a bachelor’s degree or higher were born abroad. By 2016, that share had grown to 21 percent. NFAP did not include data on whether the workers were in the country legally.
There are now more than 5 million foreign-born workers with a bachelor’s degree or higher working in the United States, up from 1.5 million in 1995. The vast majority are employed in science, technology, engineering or math occupations. And they are concentrated in a few states and cities.
