The impact of 'inpats.' - Focus on International HR - foreign employees

HR Magazine, April, 1999 by Carla Joinson

Stay on top of legal and cultural considerations when sponsoring foreign nationals.

In an era of low unemployment and merciless jockeying for skilled employees, HR professionals are grabbing at any opportunity they can find to access additional labor pools. For some, the recent increase in the H-1B visa cap has been good news, but it has simultaneously opened other areas of concern, such as legal compliance issues and employee assimilation and adjustment. Fortunately, any company with an "inpat" population can make these hires more successful by identifying typical concerns and addressing them with sensitivity and speed.

Welcome to the United States

Put yourself in your inpat's shoes: You've moved to a foreign country, started a new job and now must pay for medical benefits that were free in your own country. On top of that, you can't understand American slang. How would you want an HR person to assist you and your family?

"You can't assume there won't be problems simply because your employees want to come here and will get paid well," says Peggy Love, president of Full Circle International Relocations Inc. in McLean, Va. "These families want to put a down payment on a house, but the employee can't open a bank account because he doesn't have a Social Security card. Or, they may need to register a child for school but don't understand U.S. immunization requirements."

Several years ago, Fujitsu Network Communications Inc. in Richardson, Texas, began hiring workers from abroad when it became difficult to find technical employees in the United States. "Here, every employee already has cross-cultural training on how to work in a Japanese environment," says Fredda Walters, manager of relocation and temporary services at Fujitsu. "Additionally, inpats can receive language training and cross-cultural training for the U.S., as well as settling-in services.

"The biggest problem people have, though, is assimilating into the non-workplace environment," Walters says. One foreign national employee e-mailed her for help when his spouse needed to get a driver's license.

The procedure for a sponsored employee's spouse is to go to the Social Security office with a passport and visa, get a non-work designated Social Security number, then go to the Department of Motor Vehicles to get a driver's license. Then the spouse must return to the Social Security office to get a tax ID card. "This may involve hours of waiting in line and can be such a frustrating experience," Walters notes. She says the company earned that employee's gratitude by picking up his spouse and accompanying her to the necessary destinations.

Companies also help inpats by making arrangements with banks or credit unions to smooth procedures for establishing bank accounts and credit, as well as by setting up programs with preferred vendors for other employee necessities, such as vehicles. Fujitsu's U.S. cross-cultural training covers such items as medical systems and wills, so that employees can make informed decisions. The company also has an on-site relocation support group, which family members can attend.

One of the myths about inpat assimilation is that it will be a simple process because the United States offers so many choices, says Love. "Actually, that's very stressful," she says. "How does the family decide which medical plan, which brand of soap or which phone company to choose? Later on, when they're comfortable, they're very pleased that they have choices and can make changes; however, it's very difficult at first."

Her advice is to plan well and to try and figure out every component that works into the relocation, including the family's needs. "There can be several groups helping with a move, such as attorneys, accountants, movers, trainers or consultants, and the transferee can get confused," says Love. "From the start, HR should explain to the employee who is doing what and reassure the person that everyone is working on his behalf."

Fitting In

As one might expect, language can be a big problem for workers coming into the United States, says Linda Stokes, president of PRISM International Inc., an assessment, consulting and training firm in Sanford, Fla. "After that, it really is the culture."

American workers often don't realize the strength of the workplace culture because they are accustomed to it. "One barrier to acceptance for international employees is the failure to follow U.S. workplace culture," says Stokes. "For instance, in a brainstorming or solution-oriented meeting, it is our way to jump in, talk and solve the problem. However, folks from other cultures may feel this is a waste of time because we haven't thought it all through and are throwing out various solutions that may not work.

"We then say, 'What's wrong with them? Why don't they speak up?' Then, there's a domino effect: They get invited to meetings less and less."

Interviewing techniques also need to account for cultural differences. "A Vietnamese candidate will say, 'I will do my best,' instead of, 'Of course I can do the job,' the way an American would." Or, the candidate may avoid eye contact. In many cultures, candidates who get a job offer will want to go home and think about it or discuss it with family members for several days - not give an immediate answer, which the interviewer may expect, she adds.