NEW YORK, Sept. 5, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- A new survey of senior hiring managers and HR professionals identified a growing demand for foreign nationals to fill overseas posts at large and mid-sized, U.S.-based global corporations. Eighty-five percent of the companies interviewed by market research firm Summus, Ltd. reported a preference for hiring foreign nationals over U.S. ex-patriots for management positions at their international operations. Reasons given include foreign nationals' familiarity with their local culture and ways of doing business; the willingness of foreign nationals to remain in these posts over time, in contrast to many American managers' reluctance to take on international assignments; and the growing administrative and compensation costs associated with sending American employees to live and work in other countries.
"The general feeling among the companies surveyed is that they are currently hiring more ex-patriots than they would like to fill management ranks at factories, warehouses, offices and operations outside the U.S.," said Eva Schmatz, President, Summus, Ltd. "They also see a widening gulf between the declining quality of the U.S. education system and the rising educational standards of developing countries -- a perception that will certainly impact hiring decisions both here and abroad."
The study also concluded that the market ups and downs of the last thirty years have created talent gaps in certain key industries, notably energy, in the important demographic of 35 to 50 year-old professionals in the U.S. "This generation gap creates a host of issues, both in creating a unifying corporate culture and in the day-to-day interaction between a graying senior management and a youthful rank-and-file," Schmatz said. "It also implies an imminent wave of young managers, unless these industries recruit leadership from other industries or delay the retirement of current leadership, and opens up more senior positions to foreign nationals with relevant industry experience."
For more information about the survey, please contact Eva Schmatz at eschmatz@summus.net.
About Summus, Limited
Summus, Limited is a specialized market research and consulting firm delivering customer focused positioning, segmentation and organizational alignment. Summus has deep experience working with top-tier companies across many industries to uncover the customer solutions for complex business problems, engage employees for better results and identify influencers in key market segments. See more at www.summus.net or contact eschmatz@summus.net.