David M. Barlaam, Tom Tomasula

Global Cleveland recognizes the critical economic and cultural contributions of immigrants and works hard to make newly arrived Cleveland area residents feel welcome in our communities. Currently, the organization is developing initiatives that will target retaining international students by connecting them to local employers. Our Talent Coordinators will provide resources for employers on hiring foreign-born talent, assistance to international jobseekers and training on cross-cultural issues that both employers and international applicants may experience during the hiring process.

 This month, we are exploring the international applicant hiring practices of The Lubrizol Corporation. Lubrizol is a technology-driven company that is proud of its global presence in the specialty chemical market. The corporation is headquartered in Wickliffe, Ohio, but has manufacturing facilities in 17 countries and sales and technical around the world, such as in the United Kingdom, China, Germany, Singapore, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, and India.

“Lubrizol has found that international applicants are well-suited for research and development opportunities, and often have the particular skill set we seek,” says Tom Tomasula, Lubrizol Global Human Resource Partner, “The diversity of our employees has allowed us to gain insight into markets and cultures all over the world.” Tomasula is also taking a leading role in Global Cleveland by chairing its Attraction Council.

Lubrizol partners with area universities to recruit highly skilled talent, and often works directly with engineering programs at schools like Case Western Reserve University. According to Tomasula, Lubrizol strives to employ strong talent that will have a positive impact, regardless of nationality. David Barlaam, Human Resource Director for Global Talent Acquisition and Domestic Relocation says, “Lubrizol is always evaluating top talent to add to our growing global organization. We recruit comprehensively locally, domestically and internationally for a wide range of technical, commercial and functional roles. Please find our current opportunities at www.lubrizol.jobs.”

In addition to sponsoring the visa process for international applicants, the corporation offers expatriate assignments, which allows international employees the opportunity to work in the United States and send US-based employees abroad.

David M. Barlaam, Human Resources Director, The Lubrizol Corporation 

Tom Tomasula, Jr. Human Resources, The Lubrizol Corporation