Brain Waste

Last month Diversity Executive magazine reported on a recent study regarding the job experiences of immigrants to the US. The researchers found that 1 out of 5 immigrants with a college degree is underemployed, based on their past experience and education and their current working situation. The study by the Migration Policy Institute "found that one in five immigrants — instead of working as scientists, engineers, doctors, lawyers — find themselves working as taxi drivers, maids, construction workers and jobs that require no education," which is a waste of a large pool of talent. The authors found two reasons -- language barriers and a lack of professional networks -- that bore the bulk of the blame.

In creative fields you should consider reaching out to this talent and taking advantage of it. For one thing, foreign Creatives offer a different cultural perspective, which often leads to different ways of thinking and an improvement on your firms's creative and problem-solving skills. It isn't just a matter of using them to reach foreign audiences or clients...I've found, in a course I'm currently teaching in Singapore, that even when they're looking at issues involving the US, simply having that different perspective allows them to see opportunities and challenges that those raised in a Western culture might not. Secondly, immigrants come from a variety of educational systems that emphasize different approaches to problems and ways of thinking, which can complement your American-schooled employees. Finally, while good Creatives tend to be highly motivated about working in their field, many immigrants bring an extra motivation...they've gotten here, they've got a shot at doing what they've wanted to do, so they're going to work hard to take advantage of it. My friends who have come to the US from other countries find that, in many cases, this is the first chance they've had to pursue what they want to do and succeed on their own merits, and they're going to take advantage of that opportunity.

If you're not actively recruiting overseas, but instead are considering those who've already come to the US and are now searching for jobs, you're going to want to do some outreach. Don't wait for them to come to you, because as the report's authors pointed out, they often will have trouble finding you. Instead, go looking for them! Place recruiting ads in foreign language magazines. Use the professional networks that DO exist, limited though they may be sometimes, to try to reach out to talented immigrants. Use the social-networking sites like Facebook and MySpace, and remember, there are versions in languages other than English. If you have foreign language speaking employees already, have them help you out, but if that fails, go outside the firm and get someone to read through profiles, blogs, and other online resources for finding folks whose talents meet your needs.

As an employer, you can't afford to have your workforce go unfilled, but you also can't take people on just to fill spaces...you need the best. Sometimes, those best may be hard to find, but in the end, it's worth the effort to put together the sharpest team you can. Talented, motivated people are going to waste professionally, and that doesn't help anyone.


Get the complete study here.