SS&G Financial Services’ search for accountants in South Africa may be unusual for its industry, but high-tech and IT companies have been recruiting in countries including India, Taiwan and China since the computer revolution began.
On his recent recruiting trip to South Africa, SS&G equity partner and South African native Gary Isakov saw many tech companies vying for workers.
“There’s a lot of recruiters out there, some for accounting firms, but mostly for IT companies,” says Isakov. “When I was there, there were many advertisements for technology companies looking for people to come over to the United States and England. They’ve been recruiting there for a long time.”
Don Stallard, CEO of The Reserves Network, a Cleveland-based executive and professional recruiting firm, says his company has been able to fill slots through domestic searches, but has been approached by companies to look overseas.
“I think the technical is a heck of a lot easier to recruit for because there’s not a lot of additional training when it comes to technical principles,” Stallard says. “Fortunately, we haven’t had to gear up to recruit on an international basis and worry about the immigration laws and works visas and all those good things you have to do to get people here.”
That said, here are some tips to consider before looking for workers outside the States.
Find a source for prevailing wage
Federal law requires employers to pay immigrant workers the same wage they would pay an American citizen for the same job. It’s important to find a good source that will deliver you a valid prevailing wage for that particular job, says Barton A. Bixenstine, a labor attorney at Ulmer & Berne in Cleveland who specializes in employment immigration law.
Bixenstine usually recommends to his clients that they ask a reputable private human resources firm for a prevailing wage quote rather than ask the Ohio Bureau of Employment Services.
“The down side of that is that once the state gives you that wage, you’re stuck with it,” he says. “If you want to challenge that, you have to go through a lengthy appeals process. Not a good idea if you’re in a hurry.”
Get a head start
Why wait until you have a job to fill before you start your labor search? If you know the position will be available in six months or less, start the paperwork for the work visa now, Bixenstine says.
“You can go get a certification even for a position you’re contemplating.”
School records count
Diplomas, college transcripts and other school records are required to obtain a work visa in the United States. Unfortunately, if the potential employee got his or her education overseas, those records may take the most time, Bixenstine says.
If the records are in a foreign language, make sure you find a service to translate them and certify that the country’s education system meets American requirements. Says Bixenstine, “You can throw in years of experience as a substitute for years in college, too.”
Create clear job expectations
Just because you spent a lot of time and money bringing someone into the country doesn’t mean the employee can’t be fired.
Make sure your prospective employee knows what the job requirements are and that he or she can be terminated if those requirements are not fulfilled, Bixenstine says.
