Op-Ed: What Silicon Valley must sacrifice to curb China’s exploitation of U.S. tech talent
In the era of globalization, technology is the lifeblood of most industries. And as the industry continues to shift from being an activity and supply chain to being a mindset and a culture, the demand for local talent becomes more important.
And while many are aware of the challenge of getting talent in this competitive marketplace, few understand the deeper cultural reasons behind the problem. It’s not uncommon to be called before a visa gate with a request to explain what you do in exchange for a coveted job offer.
Yet, even when companies work hard to identify and attract qualified candidates, it doesn’t always work. After all, the country where you were born might just as likely be the country where you want to work next. It might take a while before you find your next gig; it might even be in a different country entirely.
“For every candidate they bring in, there’s a candidate who doesn’t show, so the problem is not restricted to India or China,” Michael Mina, the founder of the New York-based Mina.ai, told the International Business Times.
“If an engineer is willing to work in India and willing to put up with a different culture, he’ll work in India for six years,” Mina said. “It’s just that the environment is not favorable enough to have a longer lasting impact.”
What happens when you’re not allowed to work in a country where you have a family or a wife/husband? What happens when a company, country or even region forces you to work in a country where it just doesn’t have a ‘right’ to you?
“In 2018, the top 5 tech companies only represent 33% of the tech talent in the U.S.,” Mina said. “What