Part of being proactive in the American workforce is to learn negotiation skills. In the workplace, you’ll have several opportunities to negotiate, both with your supervisors and colleagues.

The goal of negotiation is to reach an agreement where both parties are content with the final decision. With that in mind, you can go into conversations about holidays, pay, scheduling, etc. with an open mind and be flexible in your discussion.

Like many new employees, international students often feel like they are not in a place to negotiate, not only because of their experience or they’re new to a company, but also because of their unique requirement for US work visa sponsorships.

In this blog, we’ll go over how you can discuss the possibility of a work visa sponsorship with your potential employer and how to develop negotiation skills in the workplace overall.

1.  Negotiate for US work visa sponsorships

International students have a very unique need when it comes to the interview process for a job.

Unlike U.S citizens, to work legally in the U.S., international students need to find an employer who is willing to become a work visa sponsor (or better yet a green card sponsor eventually). This process involves the international student negotiating with the potential employer for sponsoring them for a work visa.

There are industries in the U.S that have a strong workforce of foreign workers (e.g., tech or consulting firms). These companies usually have an established process for visa or green card sponsorships and it should be pretty straightforward to mention this during the interview process.

However, for industries that don't usually have a strong presence of foreign workers, it can be challenging for international students to work this out with their potential employers. Students can feel very vulnerable in this situation and feel they are not as desirable as candidates who don't require visa sponsorships.

I usually recommend that students focus on demonstrating their skills and work capabilities first in the interview process.

Once students feel they’ve done this part, it would then make sense to mention their need for a work visa sponsorship.

You can say, “As you know, I came to the U.S as an international student. In order to work in the U.S., I would need to find an employer who can sponsor me work visa. I would like to know what’s been the experience of the company with hiring workers in this situation?”

Avoid asking  “yes” or “no” questions. Allow the employer to think about their own experience related to offering work visa sponsorships before giving you an answer.

Be prepared that the person who interviews you might not be familiar with this. It might help if you are working with an immigration attorney and can reassure your potential employer that your attorney can provide details of what’s needed in the work visa application process.

2. Build rapport

Before you attempt any negotiation in a new work setting, it’s important to make sure you’ve built rapport with the person. This may include your colleagues, supervisors, and your boss.

A good way to build rapport would be through self-introductions, small talk, or a few short chats. (Go to my blog about relationship building in the workplace for more ideas.)

By spending just a few minutes getting to know each other, you’ll have a better chance in reaching an agreement with the person surrounding your work.

For example, if you often need to negotiate over emails with a colleague, arrange a call/meeting with the person and introduce yourself first. During the call/meeting, share your background, your position at the company, and let them know you look forward to working with them.

Your colleague will appreciate your introduction and reciprocate when you email them for something because they feel like you know each other on a deeper level.  

3. Practice active listening skills

Part of being a good negotiator is to practice active listening skills. This involves not just listening to what the other person is saying to you but observing their body language, tone of voice, and facial expressions.

For example, if you’re in a meeting where the other person is speaking quickly, listen to what they say and take notes.

When it’s your turn to speak, you may say, “I like your idea about XXX and how it brings value to what we try to achieve here. We can also consider from other perspectives. For example, how about YYY…?”

Repeat something they said during the negotiation process and talk about the strengths of their points if you want the person to feel their perspective is considered. In this way, they’ll be more willing to listen to what you have to say.

Human beings mirror each other in communication. Try to speak in a calm and well-paced tone if you want them to slow down and engage with you more thoughtfully.

4. Ask good questions

By asking good questions, you show that you’re interested and want to work things out with the person.

By not asking any questions during a meeting where negotiation takes place, you will look out of place when you finally speak up and it will look like you’re interrupting.

When engaging with a negotiator such as your boss, avoid asking “yes or no” questions. Instead, ask questions that give them a chance to reply with a more detailed answer such as, “What do you think about that idea?” Once they reply with their answer, you can elaborate on your ideas and what you think would work best.

For example, during a meeting when you’re trying to determine what date a product should be launched, one person says, “I want to launch this product as soon as possible. By waiting a few weeks or one month for launching it, we can lose sales.” When it’s your turn to speak, you can say, “What about launching it right before the holiday season? This is the time when everyone is looking to buy gifts. Sales will be up because people are spending more and we could get more sales compared to launching it in a few weeks. What do you think about that idea?”

Always ask thought-provoking questions during a negotiation because it allows both parties to think of creative ways to agree.

5. Keep the company’s goals in mind

Finally and most importantly, it’s always necessary to keep the overarching goals of the company in mind during negotiations, whether it’s about a work project or your personal plan to take time off. By aligning your interests with the company’s goals and missions, you’ll leave an impression that you care about what the company is trying to achieve and will likely have a better chance to receive a positive response from the person you’re communicating with.

For example, if you’re planning to take a 1-week vacation, before you start planning the details, ask your supervisor and say, “I’m planning to take some time off next month, but I want to run it by you and make sure it would not interfere with things we’re working on.“

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I hope you learned a lot from Part 3 of my Workplace Success Series. Your first job or internship in America is an exciting time filled with challenges. But when you learn how to negotiate with other colleagues and your supervisors, you will start to feel like you’re being heard and respected. It’ll improve your confidence and you’ll be able to navigate through your job experiences and shape your career for the future.

If you’re an international student who’s looking for help navigating the workforce in the U.S, you’ve come to the right place.

Schedule a free 30-minute call with me and together we will discuss strategies to support you right now and determine if we are a good fit to work together.

Questions for you:

• Have you ever struggled to negotiate what you want with your colleagues or supervisors? If so, what may have contributed to it?

• What are some steps you can take to practice negotiation in the real world? 

About The Author

Many years ago I came to the U.S. from Taiwan and studied in a field that rarely accepted “fresh off the boat” international students from non-English speaking countries. I’m Dr. Vivi Hua, Psy.D. and I help international students navigate the cross-cultural aspects of their experience in the U.S., so they can succeed academically and socially and build a life and career that they desire!