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Something that is bugging me about my company - we have a hard time hiring people, because we’re almost but not quite competitive on pay. And we see H1B notices
by taurath 7y ago
Something that is bugging me about my company - we have a hard time hiring people, because we’re almost but not quite competitive on pay. And we see H1B notices go up in the boardroom. I can’t help but think if we were better competitive on pay we would not have a problem hiring - were not doing the most complicated thing in the world.
- novok 7y agoThere is another aspect in how interesting the thing you are doing is, or how much it will improve people's careers to work on the things your company is working on and so on.
- toomuchtodo 7y agoH1Bs have no (EDIT: limited) mobility. They are indentured servants to their sponsor. If you hired citizens, they’d bounce for better pay sooner rather than later. Your company possibly does this because the power imbalance is useful.
- dmode 7y agoThis is categorically incorrect and you should probably spend 5 mins researching before labeling others as indentured servants. H1B holders have 100% mobility, as it takes <15 days to transfer your visa via premium processing.
- toomuchtodo 7y agoOnly to someone else willing to sponsor them, and timelines can be tight. I might have over exaggerated with “no mobility” but it is frequently shown that their employment status is used to control.
- dmode 7y ago100% of SV companies sponsor H1 visas. And there are no tight timelines or anything. Sometimes you can run into an RFE that can delay your approval. But RFEs for software engineering are fairly rare
- toomuchtodo 7y agoIf you cannot find another job, and quit your current job, is your visa terminated and you’re possibly deported if on an H1B? And your employer possibly requires you reimburse them for all sponsorship fees?
- triceratops 7y agoYou get a 1-time 60-day period to find a new job or leave the country.
- deleted 7y ago[deleted]
- belltaco 7y agoThat 60 day grace period can be used only once per 3 years.
- triceratops 7y agoHence the use of the phrase "1-time" in my comment.
- belltaco 7y agoIf you lose your job for any reason, you're accruing unlawful stay from the next day. Obama admin during their lame duck days introduced a one time grace period(within 3 years) of 60 days. If you lose that new job, you're supposed to leave immediately. However, immigration officers usually waive minor periods of unlawful stay before filing for a transfer, how many days is a matter of your luck. >And your employer possibly requires you reimburse them for all sponsorship fees This is pretty illegal and even the shady body shops never do this. Also the law states that that company has to reimburse the employee for the return tickets.
- dmode 7y agoWhat does have got to do with mobility ? In fact, it makes you more mobile. As you need to keep improving your skills and not being beholden to a single employer who can lay you off.
- BurningFrog 7y agoIt's true for any job switch that you have to find a new employer willing to pay for you.
- toomuchtodo 7y agoAs a citizen I’m not getting deported if I can’t find another job in 60 days, and I can walk from my current employer at any time consequence free. Those on a visa are not afforded the same, and that is my point.
- BurningFrog 7y agoNo H1B has ever been deported for not finding a job in 60 days. As long as you don't leave the country and try to re-enter, no one cares.
- greglindahl 7y agoReally? In all my dealings over the years with H1Bs, you're the first person I've ever met who was blase about ignoring immigration law.
- BurningFrog 7y agoI am/was "informed", not "blase"! When I was on H1B and faced that situation, I talked to an immigration attorney who told me how things really work. Caveat: This was 10+ years ago. I doubt it's changed, but talk to a lawyer if you're concerned. A one hour consultation won't break anyone's finances.
- greglindahl 7y agoHave you noticed that immigration laws are more strictly enforced than in the past? As a citizen, I would hesitate to ever encourage any immigrant to violate any law or rule regarding immigration. You never know what might happen in the far future.
- ScottFree 7y agoIt was the case 5 years ago when I was in SV. Source: multiple people I worked with and spoke to in person told me so.
- dmode 7y agoPremium processing is available today as it was 5 years ago. Here's the USCIS link https://www.uscis.gov/forms/how-do-i-use-premium-processing-service https://www.uscis.gov/forms/how-do-i-use-premium-processing-...
- jacquesm 7y agoWe have a similar thing here ('skilled worker visa') and I've seen families kicked out of the country because they couldn't find a new sponsor quick enough.
- baby 7y agoOne exaggeration for another. H1B are highly restrictive, but you can change job under an H1B. It’s just more difficult/tedious/dangerous for a number of reasons.
- dmode 7y agoCan you explain the restrictions ? Especially in the context of software engineer and Silicon Valley
- triceratops 7y agoPremium processing has been suspended for significant portions of the past 2 years. It's not all that great anymore.
- geggam 7y agoWhen housing is part of compensation would you still think that ?
- deleted 7y ago[deleted]
- emufeshie 7y agoThis is wrong. I am a consultant for a major consulting firm and I have worked at three different client locations this year. I don't know where this idea of limited mobility comes from. Sure there are some restriction but they aren't as bad you have made them sound like.
- greglindahl 7y agoYou worked for the same company? That's not what OP meant by mobility.
- emufeshie 7y agoThere is no difference between working for one company and providing services to three different clients and working for three different companies. The paperwork is the same. Every time they have to file an amendment. I have changed jobs on this visa as well. It works the same way.
- overcast 7y agoIf you're not doing the most complicated thing in the world, why would they have to be competitive with pay?
- monocasa 7y agoBecause you're not hiring enough people otherwise.
- carlmr 7y agoCompetitive just means it's on a similar level as your competition. If your competition is paying more for this simple work you're not competitive.
- heavyset_go 7y agoBecause they're losing potential hires to better paying competitors, and if they don't hire, they're leaving money on the table.
- hysan 7y agoWell depends on who you are targeting. The messaging from most companies is that they want the best of the best even from those who aren't doing the most complicated things in the world. If you target that population of developers, be prepared to also pay at the same level. Otherwise, lower the bar and be willing to accept that the only people you'll be able to hire and retain are those that aren't at the very top of your candidate list. It's that level of self-reflection and nuance that is often missing from management at these companies.
- CydeWeys 7y agoMy previous company had this triple threat of compensation problems going on: (1) Didn't offer high enough pay, (2) Got burned badly when they did try to offer higher pay to get senior engineers because they weren't good at identifying top talent anyway (I repeatedly complained and tried to fix this but no one cared), and (3) Was not in an amazingly profitable industry anyway, so they were never going to be able to come close to FANG salaries regardless. It was sad to see the slow/inevitable march of good engineer being hired essentially by accident (the hiring process didn't recognize them as such and didn't tend to offer them more) and then leaving to greener pastures when they weren't being rewarded properly. When I left, they offered me a near 50% raise as retention offer (why weren't they paying me that already since I was clearly worth it?!), but despite that being a director title, it still couldn't touch the SWE offer at Google ... so here I am. The biggest overarching problem I would say with most businesses like that is they aren't profitable enough, and engineers can't produce enough value in those companies, to justify really top-tier compensation like what would be necessary to get and retain top talent engineers long-term.
- taurath 7y agoNot really the case at mine. They COULD pay and the amt would be justified.
- djsumdog 7y agoFANG? I am not familiar with this acronym.
- toomuchtodo 7y agoFacebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, Google (FAANG)
- belltaco 7y agoWhy is Microsoft excluded?
- 7y ago
- dx87 7y agoSame thing where I work. The last H1B notice I saw was for a junior web developer. It's pretty simple work, but the pay wasn't any better than what you'd get taking a government job that requires similar experience. The work is remote as well, so there's no excuse for not being able to find a junior web developer in the entire country.
- deleted 7y ago[deleted]
- Madmallard 7y agoDo everything in your power to make the people deciding to skimp out on pay feel like shit for being greedy.
- fivre 7y agoOur H1-B notices are posted behind a large potted plant, well below eye level :) Can't imagine the reason for that.
- DrScump 7y agoThe best, and perhaps the original, use of this concept: in "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy"[0] as Arthur complains about the surprise demolition of his home: "On display? I eventually had to go down to the cellar to find them.” “That’s the display department.” “With a flashlight.” “Ah, well, the lights had probably gone.” “So had the stairs.” “But look, you found the notice, didn’t you?” “Yes,” said Arthur, “yes I did. It was on display in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying ‘Beware of the Leopard!'" [0] https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/40705-but-the-plans-were-on-display-on-display-i-eventually https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/40705-but-the-plans-were-on...
- cylinder 7y agoLCA are publicly available and searchable anyways.