Why Indian graduates love working for American firms

Why Indian graduates love working for American firms

This 4-part series will provide views on how Indian graduates can better position themselves for interviews and secure employment at a U.S. firm

Mr. Sasha RamaniUpdated: Sunday, October 02, 2022, 02:21 PM IST
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American firms are increasingly hiring in India. India offers a large pool of young, talented, English-speaking employees, and is an increasingly attractive destination for firms seeking to diversify their workforce. More than 1,000 American firms have established operations in India, employing over 1 million Indians nationwide.

This 4-part series will provide views on how Indian graduates can better position themselves for interviews and secure employment at a U.S. firm and will draw on experiences that we’ve had both when recruiting new teammates and helping our students enter the U.S. workforce. This first part of the series will explain why Indians increasingly enjoy working at American firms.

Professional Advancement and Development

American firms embrace an open work culture, where every employee is free to share ideas and feedback with senior management. This is because strict hierarchies can hinder innovation: An organisation that promotes innovation requires open communication, the ability to challenge the existing structure, and the freedom for employees to think outside of the box.

At a less hierarchical Western firm, young, talented, and ambitious employees can quickly be recognized for their performance and advance through the organization. This is achieved by clearly defining key performance indicators (KPI), and empowering teammates to make their own decisions about the best way(s) to achieve their objectives. Employees value an inclusive workplace culture that treats them like individuals and helps them grow professionally.

Women’s Empowerment

Foreign firms are particularly valued by women. Consider South Korea, where in 2010, working women earned only 63% of what men did — partly because they faced social pressure to quit when they had children, which made it hard for women in the country to build their careers. A Harvard Business School report recently noted that foreign and multinational firms were recruiting large numbers of educated Korean women whose talent was overlooked by domestic firms.

American firms are known to work hard at achieving gender parity by actively seeking, considering, and hiring women at all levels of the organisation. American firms also commonly have policies and programs that measure and recommend changes to how they can address challenges and create a more equitable environment for women — including policies around preventing harassment and providing flexible schedules for working mothers.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Finally, foreign multinational firms often lead with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) at the forefront of their recruitment and talent initiatives. International firms focus on ensuring inclusion, appreciation, and acceptance of diverse viewpoints and that employees are valued regardless of race, gender, age, religion, national origin, socioeconomic status, physical ability, and/or sexual orientation.

Inclusion means not just tolerating differences, but celebrating them. Companies that celebrate company-wide cultural holiday parties and celebrate life events such as weddings and babies are well appreciated by their employees. The firm administers a monthly employee survey as a “pulse check” to gauge employee satisfaction, while an Ambassador Team identifies ways to keep team engagement high. The Ambassador Team has helped to drive key policy changes including the firm’s dress code and work-from-home schedule.

There are several reasons why Indians increasingly love working for American firms, but the primary ones are that they provide opportunities for all employees — including women and minorities — to professionally advance their careers. But how can you secure a job with an American employer? In the next part of this series, we’ll discuss how to format your resume for international eyes.

Sasha Ramani

Sasha Ramani is the Head of Corporate Strategy for MPOWER Financing

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