Employers can’t allow Visa headaches to stall Campus recruitment

At a time when Work Visa headaches are impacting the diversity of campus talent, insight from Alexander Mann Solutions has highlighted that employers need to take action now, or risk dampening hiring targets in the future.

In light of reports from Bloomberg that classrooms are set to become less diverse due to immigration woes and Visa sponsorship concerns, the leading global talent acquisition and management firm has encouraged employers to tackle the issue rather than seek an easier alternative. 

In their whitepaper report, ‘Getting there first – How to win the battle for Campus talent in the US’, Alexander Mann Solutions found an overwhelming agreement that diversity initiatives are crucial for not only campus recruitment, but also business growth, with one contributor – Keri Hale, a Campus Specialist embedded at Rolls Royce – stating:

“We have a target of females making up at least 30% of our global workforce by 2020, and in the US we’re already at 35%. But to keep making progress, we need to constantly show our commitment to diversity and one of the most effective ways of getting that message out to campuses is by showing concrete examples of what people from under-represented groups are achieving in this company.”

Commenting on this issue, Sandrine Miller, Global Head of Campus Recruiting at Alexander Mann Solutions, said:

“There’s no doubt that the Work Visa sponsorship challenges that have emerged recently have already begun to impact the diversity of campus talent. With business schools noting reduced interest from foreign students and recent graduates struggling to get over the first recruitment hurdle if they require a Visa, there’s no doubt that action must be taken: and soon. As one contributor to our white paper highlighted, Campus talent encompasses huge diversity, making them a fantastic pool to tap into when looking to expand the make-up of a business. 

“However, if employers allow this situation to continue on the slippery slope that has already begun, we’ll soon find ourselves faced with an emerging talent pool that fails to reflect the diverse range of professionals so many businesses are seeking. And given that there is already a shortfall of top talent across the US, we simply cannot allow this to happen. What we need to see now are more schools and employers choosing to tackle the administrative headaches of Visa sponsorships to prove to the future generation of our workforce that no matter what barriers are put in front of them, the business world wants to support diverse talent.”