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Why 40% of Overseas Assignments Fail and What You Can Do to Prevent It

Four in ten international assignments are judged to be a failure. And yet the number of overseas assignments continues to rise. Global companies are under considerable pressure to determine what makes a successful overseas assignment and to understand why they so often fail.

To minimize the risk of such failure and to ensure the well-being of their employees, organizations must examine the key challenges facing expats deployed overseas, and determine the best way to prepare, support, and manage them during their time abroad.

Challenges of overseas assignments

International companies are realizing that expatriate employees require significant support to complete their assignment successfully.

With 40% of all overseas assignments failing, the cost of failure is high – the average cost of an expat assignment can amount to $311,000 per yea r. It makes financial sense for companies to ensure that they fully prepare and support expatriate employees before, during, and after their overseas assignments.

Global Mobility in the Age of Diversity

Companies sending employees overseas have a moral responsibility and a duty of care to ensure that they understand the legislation and cultural differences in the country assignees are going to.

Some of the most important services that should be available to all expats on overseas international assignments include:

• Pre-assignment health screening to ensure that the employee is fit for the assignment
• Cross-cultural training for the entire family
• Comprehensive travel and medical insurance packages
• Access to Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) throughout the assignment

Why expatriate assignments fail and how to prevent this failure

According to INSEAD business school, the five main reasons for expatriate assignment failure, which they estimate at 40-50% of all overseas deployments are:

1. You chose the wrong person in the first place

Unless there is a previous track record of success, it is very difficult to isolate the qualities that successful expats require.

2. Lack of local support in the host country

The local branch of the company in the host country has a crucial role to play in supporting newly arrived employees.

3. Disconnection from the home country

It is very important for expats to keep in touch with colleagues and work life back home so that they have a more balanced view of their role within the global organization and are better prepared for repatriation once the assignment is over.

Further reading

4. Domestic difficulties

While children and spouses are frequent factors in early repatriation cases, these difficulties are extremely hard to spot because most expats are reluctant to share domestic or social difficulties with the company – the company needs to know that the assignee’s family is coping, and it should explain the need for open communication up-front.

5. Failure to plan

Individuals need time to prepare practically and mentally for an overseas assignment, and an organization needs time to put the right infrastructure in place.

It takes time to choose the right candidate, and to put in place the people required to support them, so effective planning for the overseas international assignment is crucial.

Preparing employees for overseas assignments

Preparation is key to ensuring a successful overseas international assignment and support should be offered throughout the process.

Global Mobility professionals must:

• Select employees carefully Success at home does not necessarily translate into high performance overseas for an employee. It is important to consider soft skills, such as flexibility, self-reliance, tolerance, and the ability to handle change and ambiguity, since these are qualities that point to the likelihood of success in a new environment.
• Prepare for departure This is where companies often fall short – pre-deployment programs such as cross-cultural training and intensive language classes need to be developed and supported financially by the organization.
• Offer ongoing support Proactive, ongoing support versus reactive actions by employers has been found to markedly increase the success rate of expatriate assignments, so this kind of support should be integral to the program.
• Prepare for repatriation This is an often overlooked factor in the success or failure of international assignments — expats need to have sufficient time to prepare for a new environment at home for themselves and their families.

The benefits of overseas assignments

There are numerous benefits for both companies and employees in meeting the challenges of successful overseas international assignments.

Advantages for companies

• Expansion into both new and existing markets: By building out a talented workforce abroad, a company can bolster its global influence and revenue
• Development of top talent: international experience can help train employees for leadership , managerial, and executive roles in the future
• Streamlined operations: if a company is looking to make moves quickly, sending an existing employee abroad can help streamline operations
• New perspectives are gained: having employees working overseas can help funnel new perspectives, ideas, and business practices back to headquarters

Benefits for employees

Likewise, there are significant benefits for employees of working abroad, and expatriates should understand that overseas deployments will often result in benefits not only for the company but for themselves:

• The potential for career progression
• An increased salary or compensation in many cases
• Attractive perks and benefits for the whole family
• The development of professional skills that could lead to future promotion
• Enhanced personal experiences and potential opportunities for travel
• The discovery of new people, traditions, and ways of working
• Familiarization with new languages and cultures

Managing expatriates on overseas assignments

Research shows that services that prepare, support, and show employees that they are valued typically represent just 1% of the total cost of overseas assignments.

The following tips apply to all global organizations managing expatriates on overseas international assignments:

• Ensure that your employees are medically fit
• Make sure that any drugs that the employee/family needs are legal
• Give cultural training to employees and their families prior to travel
• Offer intensive language courses for the whole family
• Sign up for an expatriate Employee Assistance Program
• Provide international medical insurance

Be prepared

When it comes to overseas assignments it is really a case of – fail to prepare: prepare to fail. Global mobility professionals must examine the challenges facing the modern assignee and determine the best practices to support and manage them throughout their assignment.

As International Management Consultant Audrey Rowley puts it:

“Successful overseas assignments depend on the individual and the support they receive. After the initial honeymoon period, it is common for employees to feel isolated because of the cultural and language barriers and the separation from friends and family. Having a benefit and support program that starts [at home] and continues throughout the assignment can alleviate the risk of failure, provide employees with support to address any issues, and ensure the assignment is a success for the company and the employee.”

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5 Tips for Managing Successful Overseas Assignments

Sending talented employees overseas can be a promising way to leverage the benefits of a global economy..

5 July 2016

But expatriate assignments can be extremely expensive: up to three times the cost of a person’s typical annual salary, according to some statistics. And despite the investment, many organizations lack the know-how for optimizing the potential benefits, leaving them disappointed with the results. The unfortunate reality is that even companies providing well-crafted relocation packages (including the all-important cultural training) may not have the talent management mechanisms in place to truly leverage the valuable skills expatriate employees gain during their assignments.

We spoke with seven different executives and consultants with deep experience managing the expat process, asking what they’ve learned over the years about how to maximize the value of these critical assignments. We discovered five tips for increasing the return on investment of your overseas assignments.

Have a compelling purpose — and the right person.

Before you send anyone abroad, it’s critical to make a business case for the assignment, just like you would for any other important investment or decision. There should be a clear organizational need and a compelling reason that this need can’t be met through a local hire. Everyone we spoke with also emphasized the importance of selecting the right people, for the right reasons. This involves three things: choosing a person who is open-minded and committed enough to adapt to the local culture, thinking about the specific skills that this person will develop as a result of the assignment, and identifying how these new skills will ultimately benefit the organization.

In some companies, for example, international experience is a “If you can’t think of meaningful ways that the assignment will help both the person and the business move forward, you should probably rethink the assignment.”

requirement for moving into leadership positions. In others, there may be a particular need at an overseas office that only a person with a specific skill set can meet. If you can’t think of meaningful ways that the assignment will help both the person and the business move forward, you should probably rethink the assignment.

Assign top-notch home and host sponsors.

As assignees delve into their new roles overseas and companies plug the holes left behind by absent employees, it’s easy for companies to lose touch with people they send abroad. Just as with remote or virtual employees, expats find that keeping up with their email isn’t necessarily the same as having their finger on the pulse of the office, which can be a constant reminder of how different and faraway their former life really is. To prevent your worker from feeling adrift, provide sponsors to oversee the assignee’s experience on both ends — one at the home base and another at the destination. These individuals are the point people and mentors for ensuring the fit from the company perspective, the fit from the assignee’s perspective, and for comanaging the process throughout. In short, they are the people that the assignee can turn to whenever problems emerge.

The most successful sponsors are typically people who have been abroad themselves and are empathetic and understanding about the experience — not only with regard to what an assignment entails and what can be gained but also with how challenging it can be to go overseas and return. They should also have enough experience in the organization that they can help mentor the assignee on how to maneuver around potential obstacles and make the most of the assignment.

Stay in frequent contact throughout the assignment.

If there was one tip that everyone we spoke with agreed on, it was the critical importance of open, frequent communication throughout the assignment. While the assignee needs to be proactive in reaching out to his or her home sponsor, the home sponsor should keep soon-to-be-returning employees top of mind, identifying how the company can leverage what they are learning and how the employee can take the next steps in their own development at the company as a result of their overseas experience. This communication should follow a highly structured process. For example, one company we spoke with builds in monthly check-ins. The assignee can update the host, home sponsors, and other relevant stakeholders not only on how the assignment is proceeding but also on any important knowledge they have acquired that may be of immediate use to the organization, such as information about how a marketing campaign could be more effective in the assignment country.

Make a plan for reintegration.

Communication should also include a conversation six months before the end of the assignment to discuss the reintegration process. This is a time for the employee to outline the top skills, qualifications, and insights achieved during the assignment and express how he or she would like to incorporate them at the home office (or in some cases on the next assignment). In exchange, the sponsors should elaborate on how they envision the employee leveraging the experience, being frank about what kinds of opportunities might be in the pipeline. There may not be an ideal position for them back in the firm that leverages their talent and fits the needs of the company. But, according to our experts, that’s precisely the reason for the constant communication throughout and toward the end of the assignment. Anticipate these contingencies so that both the organization and the employee have realistic expectations and a plan moving forward.

Once next steps have been established, build in time when the employee comes home to reintegrate. They will still likely need transition time to relearn the old corporate culture and process their experience. This may be as little as a few days or even a week or more. While the timeline may vary, it’s critical to build in a structured transition process with a mixture of check-ins and downtime so reacclimation is a seamless reentry rather than a crash landing.

Develop ways to share knowledge from the assignee’s experience.

Finally, for companies to get the most out of expat assignments, the organization must be proactive in helping employees catalog and disseminate what they have learned. There are a number of ways to go about this. One organization we spoke to asks assignees to blog about their experiences — both during and after the assignment. These posts are shared via internal social media and commented on by others throughout the company. Others make use of metadata on employee profiles to highlight the skills acquired during the assignment; this not only enhances returning expats’ credibility but also enables anyone else in the organization to find them when searching for their specific expertise. Companies can also host special sessions or brown bag lunches on managing global work and intercultural communication, including returning expats alongside outside guest speakers and panel discussions.

However it’s done, the key is to find ways for people to share what they’ve experienced and learned so they can process the experience, reinforce the importance of these global assignments within the organization, and, most importantly, transfer the valuable knowledge they’ve acquired back into the company.

Andy Molinsky is a Professor of International Management and Organizational

Behavior at the Brandeis International Business School. He is the author of Global Dexterity (HBR Press, 2013) and the forthcoming book Reach: A New Strategy to Help You Step Outside Your Comfort Zone, Rise to the Challenge, and Build Confidence (Penguin, 2017). Follow Andy on twitter at @andymolinsky .

Melissa Hahn helps people navigate cultural differences in relocation, education, and family life. She is the author of the intercultural children’s book Luminarias Light the Way (2014). Follow her on Twitter @SonoranHanbok .

For additional information on cross-cultural management:

How to Manage the Cost of Expatriate Assignments: http://ww2.cfo.com/global-business/2015/06/manage-cost-expatriate-assignments/

Survey: Companies Fail to Train Managers for Overseas Assignments: https://www.shrm.org/hrdisciplines/global/articles/pages/fail-train-managers-overseas-assignments.aspx

Article published in the Harvard Business Review: https://hbr.org/2016/03/5-tips-for-managing-successful-overseas-assignments

Bristol Global Mobility: www.bristolglobal.com or [email protected]

Stay in touch with Bristol

An Introduction to Legal Project Management

Why law firms are finally investing in legal technology, preparing employees for overseas assignments, as the covid pandemic restrictions have been eased around the world, firms are once again looking at posting employees to overseas assignments but to make sure your firm (and your employees) make the most of the experience, they need to be prepared..

Overseas assignments are a great way of ensuring continuity of quality, expanding your brand reach, promoting diversity and inclusion , streamlining processes and facilitating cohesion within an international organisation but if your employee is under-prepared for the cultural, language and work-based differences, they will struggle to feel comfortable within their new setting which can lead to reduced productivity and accomplishment.

There are numerous positive steps which can be taken (most of them before your employee has even put a foot on the plane) which we’ve outlined below, to make sure your employee achieves their objectives within the assignment.

Expatriate Preparation and Training

Being fully prepared for the changes they are about to face, is the most essential factor in a successful overseas assignment.

At Creative Word Training , we understand the potential problems caused by overseas postings; the sense of isolation due to separation from family and friends, the difficulties in settling in because of different workplace values and cultures, the issues with adapting to alternative communication styles, and how these problems affect the success of a posting.

In response to this, we’ve created specialized cultural awareness courses designed to prepare expats for the changes they will face in their overseas assignments and to ensure they are familiar with the new society and culture, understand what is expected of them, and know how to make a good impression with key stakeholders, colleagues and clients.

The following information has been gleaned from our years of experience and should ease the transition for any employee taking on an overseas assignment.

1. Pre- Assignment Cultural Awareness Training

Country specific training is a must.

Training should be handled by a professional, experienced training provider who has close links with the specific country and culture.

Training should include the following:

• Key facets of culture and society

• How culture shapes collective identity

• Key factors in business culture

• Communication styles

• Insights to good citizenship

• Local expectations for behaviour within business and personal circles

• Knowledge of the country

The better the quality of training, the more employees will benefit from the insights.

Offer cultural awareness training to the employee and their extended family who plan to travel with them as they too will feel the strain within a new culture.

2. Language Training

For some overseas assignments, where the official language is the same or your native language is fairly dominant, this may not be essential, but speaking at least at modicum of the language often gives a greater sense of belonging and leads to easier acceptance by local people.

Consider offering training to the whole family (if required) as this can help with accelerating learning and gives everyone a head start.

If you have bi-lingual employees, consider pairing people to improve learning.

Basic language skills play a major role in adjusting to new settings and expats find it especially beneficial within a workplace.

3. Immigration and Travel Support

Sending an employee overseas to live and work comes with a whole list of regulations, legal obligations and special procedures.

Immigration requirements can take time to finalize, so make sure visas, work permits and residency applications are completed well ahead of time.

Check both the native and host country guidelines to ensure everything is covered.

Since the covid pandemic, updates regarding vaccination and travel requirements change frequently, so it is worth monitoring this for changes prior to departure.

4. Home and Work Support

Employees relocating abroad will need to be able to manage their work and personal lives just as they would at home.

This means they’ll need access to their finances, schooling, health care, accommodation, and so on.

The following points should be discussed and supported in anticipation of the move:

• Bank accounts

• Accommodation

• Identity cards

• Health care provision

• Transport

• Logistics of moving

• Local area knowledge

5. In-Country Support

Once your employee is on the ground, support should continue with regular check-ins and frequent communication from both the home and host office.

Ensure everything is going as planned for the expat, their family, and the host office.

It helps everyone if they know where they stand, so make sure there are well-defined expectations, potential areas of tension are monitored, and there are opportunities for feedback and discussion for all parties.

For more information about how the Creative Word Training team can help prepare your employees for an overseas assignment, please contact us .

If you would like to find out more about the types of cultural awareness training we offer, you can check out our dedicated course page here .

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Don’t let living overseas keep you from maximizing your financial plan and ensure your family is protected.

• Could local laws alter your investment plan?
• Will your move change your financial position?
• Will living abroad allow you to effectively plan for your child’s college education?
• You will not be able to find a local carrier for life insurance and will need to return to the U.S. for medical and policy documentation.
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• You may be eligible for a pension in your new “host” country and need to make investment decisions.

Schedule your free “Health Check”

Our specialist financial advisers understand what to expect when you go overseas and can help you effectively build and manage your plan while living far away from home.

We built our reputation on the expertise of our network of specialist advisers, who have been deployed worldwide in order to provide one-on-one, in-person service and gain local expertise on the financial regulations and cultures in their base country so they can deliver you both international and U.S. financial products and services that meet your unique needs.

Whether you need access to experts who can help you manage your money, grow your wealth, understand the  FACTA regulations in your destination country, save for your child’s education, or navigate your insurance options, we can give you the guidance you need. Our specialist advisers are are commitment to your satisfaction and total transparency so you can feel confident you’ve chosen the right adviser to manage your financial future.

Schedule your free “Health Check” today to ensure your financial planning is in place before you leave on your assignment.

Every American needs to be aware of the implications of their overseas assignment – how foreign banks will only be able to provide limited services, potentially reduced investment opportunities, and life insurance implications. Schedule your free “Health Check” today to ensure your financial planning is in place before you leave on your assignment.

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  The top 6 reasons to take that overseas assignment

Many of us dream of living abroad for at least some time during our life. and for very good reason. there are many benefits, both personal and professional, to embarking on an international assignment. , 1. explore the world .

If you have the travel bug, there’s nothing more satisfying than working abroad. Not only do you get to experience your new country at a much deeper level, you get paid to do it.

Living in a foreign country is completely different to a holiday. You’ll actually get to experience your adopted country in the long-term, picking up local knowledge along the way such as who sells the best coffee, what tourist traps to avoid and how to get the most out of your new city. As well as exploring your host country, you’ll also get the chance to travel to neighbouring countries on your time-off. 

2. Brush up on your language skills

3. enhance your career & boost your cv.

Having an international assignment on your CV could boost your future employability. The training and work experience you gain at an overseas company will expand your horizons and range of expertise.

In a globalised, well-connected world, employers increasingly value candidates with international work experience, and it’s often seen as a prerequisite for most senior positions at major international companies. Many professionals who undertake expat assignments find that they experience faster career progression as a result. 

4. Experience a new culture

5. earn better pay and benefits .

Many expats receive salaries that are considerably higher than those of their counterparts back home, and in some countries expats also benefit from favourable tax regimes.

In addition, expats normally also receive a considerable amount of expatriate benefits. An additional allowance is usually provided to help with relocating and settling into a new country and often includes accommodation, work permits, medical cover and other perks.

6. Expand your global network

Working abroad is a great way to expand your personal and professional network,   giving you the opportunity to build relationships with people in your field on an international level.  Developing an international social network can be useful both during your stay and when you're back in your home country.

Luckily, maintaining the network you build abroad is now easier than ever before. Social media, LinkedIn, and apps like WhatsApp, can all help you to stay connected with your circle of friends from all over the world.

If you are considering an assignment overseas, don’t forget to look after your health and wellbeing with international health insurance  which will allow you to access quality healthcare while working abroad. 

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Overseas Assignments? How Expatriate Assignments Have Changed For Good

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Forget about expatriates!

OK, now that I have your attention, let me give you a few reasons why I say this.

The use of expats on traditional assignments of 3-5 years started becoming popular in the 1940’s and ‘50s. They were used as top managers of manufacturing plants overseas for U.S. multinationals.

Although one of the stated objectives of assignments was for expat managers to find a local replacement, this in fact didn’t usually happen. More often than not, there was a steady rotation of expat managers in and out of these plants.

Yes,  the game has changed

One local national administrative assistant to the expatriate General Manager at a manufacturing plant was asked how many managers she had had since joining the company. This company had existed in the country for 20 years and was by all accounts considered to be a mature operation.

She laughed and said, “In my 15 years with the company, I have had six managers — all from the United States.” This is a prime example of an operation that had matured but continued to have expatriate rotations.

Not to denigrate manufacturing, but management of a plant is relatively easy and very similar to managing a plant in the U.S. Sure a few cultural issues have to be addressed, but the expat usually has local managers reporting to him/her to assist with cultural transitions. And to make it easier, most expatriate’s interactions are internal within the company. He/she does not have to interact with the local population much unless in social situations.

Now given globalization, however, the game has changed.

New “hot’” markets

Companies have sales, marketing, customer service and design engineering operations overseas. And running these operations is much more difficult than running a plant. In addition, the majority of interaction here is external, with locals, which is more difficult for expatriates in unfamiliar business situations.

The emerging markets are the focus of U.S. companies now as a large revenue source. In many global companies they make up 50 percent of their revenues. Because of this, business models have changed to accommodate differences in these markets.

In high-growth markets — such as China, India and parts of Latin America — U.S. companies are now looking at locals to fill most jobs . It is important to note that while China and India are the “hot” markets now for U.S. companies’ revenues, the wave of “hot” emerging markets will gradually shift to include other regions such as Africa, South America and the Middle East.

New talent needs

So why are companies hiring locals to run operations in these countries instead of sending expats? According to a survey by Pricewaterhouse Coopers , 70 percent of companies over the next three (3)  years plan to hire local talent versus 19 percent planning to use expatriate to fill talent needs.

Companies must have a deep understanding of how to market and sell in each market/country. They also need local engineers to find ways of customizing products to meet different market tastes. They must deliver localized products at the right price and with the right branding/marketing/sales strategies to customer markets all over the world. And to do that they need local nationals with “street savvy”.

Therefore, there is beginning to be a significant drop-off in the number of long-term expatriate assignments. In addition to the lack of “street savvy” in emerging markets, the cost of expats is prohibitive, there is a lack of long-term commitment to the host country and the continual revolving door of expats leads to a perceived lack of advancement by locals.

Globalization has shaken up U.S. executives’ thinking. They realize that their employees worldwide need to develop a more global mindset. They must think beyond the next few years and make investments in people by giving them international experience. Some of these employees will be the future C-suite of tomorrow.

Alternatives to expat assignments

As a result, new alternatives to the traditional expat assignment are being tested. Some of these new alternatives include:

• Commuter assignments — These assignments allow talent from nearby countries to commute from the home location to the host location. They spend Monday-Friday at the host location and weekends in their home location. Commuters are often viewed as talent on a business trip and paid in expense reimbursements or per diem . This is cheaper than having to provide cost-of-living differentials or other such benefits that would be paid for on a traditional long-term assignment.
• Project and/or developmental assignments  — These assignments are viewed as a career rite of passage for younger professionals, either at the initiative of the employer eager to develop the global savvy and sophistication of its future leadership or in response to the increasingly international aspirations of young professionals (Gen Y/Millennial and younger) around the globe.
• Global virtual teams — Team members from different parts of the world work virtually to tackle and resolve company-wide issues. There is synergy with a global team that can’t be found when multiple teams try to solve the same problem while working in silo fashion from various business units. In addition it has been found that team members with diverse cultural backgrounds develop more innovative recommendations than traditional homogenous teams (from the same culture).

These are just a few alternatives. No one method is better than others, but each has a specific reason for use.

Companies need to rethink global talent requirements. By offering a more flexible strategy, companies can select the best alternative for each situation. By doing so, companies will be more successful doing business in emerging markets.

Welcome to the “new normal” of global talent management.

Travel & Expat Lifestyle Magazine

Using Overseas Assignments to Keep Employees

According to many international companies, moving staff around the world, or allowing staff to volunteer for overseas assignments is an excellent way to keep the talent in the company. Employees feel valued and trusted when moved overseas because they see themselves as the company’s representative when abroad.

An overseas assignment is seen as a privilege and a perk. Nine out of 10 expats surveyed by the BBC recently said they felt ‘healthier and happier about life’ and six out of 10 said they enjoyed their expat lifestyle so much they didn’t plan on returning.

And yet, around 15% of repatriated employees resign within 12 months of completing their posting. This is a large number and a concern for companies who use overseas assignments as a way of keeping their employees happy. It is important for these companies to look at the possible reasons why such a large percentage of employees resign:

•    Repatriation problems •    Self-discovery while away—resulting in change of life-plan •    Perceived lack of opportunities to move overseas again with that company •    Fear of being sent again •    Marital problems while away resulting in drastic measures on return

Below are some suggestions the company may employ in order to continue to use overseas assignments to keep talent, without suffering the possible detrimental effects of repatriation:

1.  Better preparation for the whole cycle. Cover all aspects of the expat experience before the move, from culture shock to repatriation. This includes the finer details such as how many boxes they’re allowed to bring, what to do about schools, how do they apply for a trailing spouse work visa and driving laws.

This also includes helping the future expat develop a familiarity with the host culture. If this seems like a lot of extra work for the HR department of the company, an excellent solution is to outsource this work to an organisation that specialises in this area. A well-respected company with vastly detailed databases that helps multi-national organisations to this end is Passport Career .

2.  Encourage self-awareness in the employee. Do they really feel right for this role? Are their families right for this role? Do they have the support of their families?

3.  Improve contact while the employee is overseas. If the HR department maintains close contact with expats while overseas, they can better monitor the needs, wishes and mood of the expat.

With a designated HR representative in the host country support with simple questions as well as major issues is more readily available, preventing problems from escalating. Shared experiences and learning from others’ stories can be a useful tool for the expat. Help the employee find networks of other expats.

4.  Provide support for the trailing spouse and children. One of the biggest reasons why an overseas assignment fails for married employees is unhappiness of the trailing spouse and/or children. Providing information about networks, schools, work and volunteer opportunities, recommended shops and parks, and anything that will ease their transition can only help the family feel more comfortable in the new culture, which supports the success of the employee on assignment.

Many trailing spouses are now men, which potentially brings a different set of needs than the female trailing spouse.

5.  Contracts for employees at home vs those who are expats. Expats are in less familiar environments and have a tendency to prefer the security of more contract information and details in writing. Consider having separate contract packs for the two types of employees.

Also, include information regarding repatriation if the employee quits, is made redundant or is fired while on their overseas assignment.

6.  Prevention of burnout. Burnout is most likely to occur (but not exclusively) to single employees. They have fewer restrictions on their out-of-work hours and are more likely to work much longer hours. This creates loneliness, boredom, stress, and anxiety.

Include health club membership in their contract (and a gym in the workplace if possible), positively encourage holidays, and arrange for networking or training events in locations away from their base will all help with reducing the all-work-and-no-play syndrome which invariably results in less efficient work and potentially loss of the employee.

7.  Marital Problems Lonely spouses and stressed spouses dealing with culture shock and childcare, and unhappy children are a real threat to the efficiency of an expat employee.

A buddy system with established expats or an HR contact in the host country will help monitor the situation and suggest solutions. Access to counsellors or life coaches, and contract add-ons such as family membership to a gym or a paid holiday home each year for the whole family helps improve quality of life.

8.  Substance abuse One of the biggest threats to expats and their families is substance abuse. Depressed, lonely or stressed expats may turn to alcohol or drugs to numb these feelings. This of course can lead to all kinds of problems so prevention is key. With careful preparation and continual involvement much of this can be prevented. Offering support programmes to help people affected is of great benefit to the expats as well as the company.

One thought on “ Using Overseas Assignments to Keep Employees ”

This is useful information … i am an expat living with my family in asia for the past 4 years and the only reason i am succesful is because i am living with my family else it would have been lonely. There is a languge problem in asia as most asians cannot speak english and are not comfortable with foregineres however there are exceptions. Feeling homesick is a constant threat which leads to repatriation as i have on many occasions thought of returning home but since the lifestyle as an expat is good i have chosen to ignore that feeling. I only wish that my company would pay 100% of my childs education as international schools are very expensive abroad.

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Overseas Assignment Inventory Certification

The ability to adapt to other cultures is critical to the success of international assignments. Sirva can assist you in assessing this critical skill. The Overseas Assignment Inventory (OAI) is Sirva’s proprietary, web-based assessment tool that is designed to assess cultural adaptability for employees and spouses going on expatriate assignments.

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• Understand the development of the OAI, the underlying research and the profile of the culturally adaptable individual
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International Assignments in a Changing World

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