Program Playbook: FN Employee Experience

I love seeing HR immigration and GM leaders get creative with incorporating feedback from their foreign national (FN) employees into their program to improve their population's overall experience with the sponsorship process. Last month, I encountered one of the most innovative examples of this in my 10+ year career while presenting for an RFP for a large multinational tech company.

The GM lead included an FN employee who had been through the sponsorship process on the call. This employee asked several smart, pointed questions that brought a fresh perspective to the discussion. While not all programs can follow this blueprint exact blueprint for a variety of reasons, the experience did get my wheels turning.

So in this week's episode of my podcast, I talk through how HR immigration and GM teams can find creative ways to improve the sponsorship experience of their FN employees while keeping key business objectives and cost containment front-of-mind.

Watch or listen on Spotify or YouTube, or check out this quick 5-minute read where I recap the key takeaways from the episode!

?? Common Cost Containment Measures Impacting FN Employee Experience

• Reassessing Premium Processing for Extensions: Many companies are finding that they can save costs by reducing or eliminating premium processing for extensions unless there is a business need for the foreign national to travel. This is because premium processing, while faster, comes with significantly higher fees that may not always be justified.
• Considering Cutting Dependent Filing Fees: Companies are also considering rolling back the support for dependent filing fees, meaning they would only support the primary employee's petition and not those of their spouse or children. Given the substantial increase in filing fees, this adjustment can alleviate financial pressure on the company’s immigration budget without drastically affecting the primary employee’s immigration status.

? Creative Solutions to Enhance FN Employee Experience, Balancing Cost Containment

• National Interest Waiver (NIW) Support: NIW can often be processed more quickly than the traditional PERM route, especially since it can be premium processed. The process also does not require a recruitment fee, potentially making it less expensive than the PERM process. If the NIW application is unsuccessful, companies can pass the legal fees to the foreign national before starting the PERM process. This approach not only saves money but also speeds up the green card process, which is a significant employee satisfaction factor.
• Multiple Green Card Pathways: For FN employees that qualify, companies can support an EB-1 filing by covering the legal preparation costs while passing the actual filing fees to the employee. This route is often quicker than the EB-2 or EB-3 categories, providing a faster path to a green card. Offering multiple pathways to a green card shows the company’s commitment to its employees' long-term goals. This support can make employees feel more valued and motivated, even if the company is not covering all associated costs.

?? Incorporating More Employee Feedback

• Initiate Internal Surveys: Collecting feedback through internal surveys allows companies to understand the experiences and needs of their foreign national employees better. This can include feedback on their interactions with immigration vendors and the internal processes they go through.
• Use Feedback to Improve the Program: By addressing the common pain points highlighted in the surveys, companies can make informed adjustments to their global mobility programs. This continuous improvement helps in aligning the program with employee expectations and enhances overall satisfaction. For example, some companies have found success in creating feedback forums where foreign nationals can share their experiences and suggestions directly.

?? Real-World Example

As I mentioned at the top, I just participated in an RFP presentation where the company brought a foreign national employee into the presentation to ask questions to new potential vendors. This employee provided a unique perspective, highlighting concerns and needs that immigration specialists might overlook. To me, this approach demonstrated the company’s commitment to involving their FN employees in the decision-making process and ensuring their voices are heard.

?? My Parting Thoughts

Enhancing employee experience doesn’t have to break your budget. Clear communication, strategic planning, and creative solutions can significantly improve the global mobility program’s effectiveness. I'd love to hear any of your stories on how you've improved FN employee experience in this new era of cost containment, so please shoot me a DM or email me at [email protected] and let's connect!

Catch you all next week!