Why Some U.S. Companies Don't Want to Hire International MBAs, and Others Do

In a Wall Street Journal/Harris Interactive survey of U.S. corporate recruiters who recruit MBAs, completed in March 2005, 38 percent said they would hire qualified foreign nationals who needed visa sponsorship, a third said they would not hire such students, and 29 percent said they weren't sure whether they would hire students who needed sponsorship.

These figures may be discouraging, but they can also be helpful to understand why some U.S. employers are unwilling or unsure whether to hire foreign candidates who require visa sponsorship. Anticipating employers' objections is necessary to address their misgivings.

In addition to their concerns about the visa sponsorship process itself, recruiters may harbor a number of other reservations about hiring non-U.S. citizens. Below are some of the most common concerns among employers-and our tips for dealing with them.

Employers may worry that the visa sponsorship process will take too much time or money. If you've done your homework, you'll be able to let the employer know exactly how much effort and money will be required to complete the visa sponsorship process, eliminating some of the fear of the unknown associated with hiring you. Your willingness to research, understand, and explain your visa options should also reassure potential employers that you're prepared to make the process as easy as possible. It may also convince them that you're likely to apply the same tenacity to resolving problems at work. Some schools have career advisers who will walk prospective employers through the visa process and even provide immigration attorneys to help them.

Employers may anticipate that international employees will bring unforeseen problems to the workplace. This can be especially true of companies that have never hired a non-U.S. citizen or sponsored an employee's visa before. Some employers may have little experience with non-U.S. workers. They may prefer not to work with you because they're unfamiliar with your culture. Will you have beliefs that are too different from their own? Will you have customs that make them uncomfortable? Your job is to reassure the employer that you understand and accept the US way of doing business, and that you will not disrupt the workplace because of your background in any way.

Employers may believe that it's easier to hire a U.S. citizen. The best way to counteract this notion is to convince employers why they must hire you rather than anyone else, U.S. citizen or otherwise. Knowing what an employer will have to do to sponsor your visa and bring you on board will help you convince recruiters their efforts will be worthwhile.

Some employers may harbor animosity toward non-U.S. citizens in U.S. jobs.  At some point during your job search, you may encounter an employer that believes non-U.S. citizens shouldn't be able to take jobs away from U.S. citizens. Your best response is to emphasize your unique qualifications for the target position. Still, if you encounter this sentiment in a potential employer, you may want to consider whether you want to work there. Employers may fear that foreign candidates won't have the interpersonal skills to succeed in a U.S. work environment.

Because the U.S. corporate culture differs from that of many other countries-some cultures prize non-confrontational behavior in the workplace-employers may worry that international employees lack needed assertiveness or directness. You can address these concerns by noting in your interviews that you are conversant with U.S. ways of conducting business. You might cite examples of when you have been assertive or direct in a businesslike setting. Because the U.S. corporate culture differs from that of many other countries, employers may worry that international employees lack assertiveness or directness.