As interest in the domestic Indian labour market continues to strengthen, companies are also keen to relocate talent abroad. What should HR consider when expatriating a family out of India?

Family ties are strong in India.

A number of international employment firms have recently followed multinationals into India. The move to establish a presence on the subcontinent by firms such as Monster.com and Kelly Services is an indication that the exchange of talent will continue. Adecco, the world's largest staffing company, for example, purchased 67 percent of India's PeopleOne last autumn.

"We expect India to be one of our fastest growing markets and our international clients to benefit from our enlarged network," said Jérôme Caille, chief executive officer for Adecco Group, in a statement released after the acquisition was announced.

Experts say several factors account for the interest in relocating Indian talent. The heightened presence of European and US-based firms in India has meant an increased understanding of western work cultures and expectations.

India also produces approximately as many as 200,000 technical graduates a year, the highest number of English-speaking graduates in the world, said Umesh Ramakrishnan, vice chairman of global search firm Christian & Timbers.

"Between the fresh graduates and the experienced work force, the trend is certainly very strong," he said.

The call for top executives from India is only just beginning, said Dinesh Mirchandani, president of Boyden Global Executive Search in India.

"The trend of tapping India's managerial potential at the high level is about to happen," said Mirchandani, who is based in Mumbai.

Demand for this talent may be, at least in part, due to the high success rate Indians have abroad. Mirchandani attributes this to India's complex, chaotic environment. He points to the high rate of poverty and the tough competition for seats at university as two of the many factors that contribute to developing individuals who are resourceful and clever.

"Today they call it out of the box thinking," he said.  "We live in a country with 14 languages and 500 dialects. We've grown up understanding and managing diversity."

Indian's abroad have a high success rate.

But, like all expatriates, leaving home for an assignment abroad is still filled with plenty of challenges, both for the assignee and their family. Offering resources for newly minted expats to get connected to the local community is often on an HR manager's check list. Mirchandani, who lived in the United States for a number of years, said it would be especially helpful if families from India were given other Indian contacts in the area.

HR should also spend time on the cultural differences between the home and host country, particularly for those who have never left India, said Shayonti Misri, an Indian expatriate who has lived in Russia and Hungary and is now based in the Netherlands. Making sure that the families are adjusting is, naturally, just as important as the assignee is settling in to the new job.

"If husbands are coming home listening to the bickering of the wives, I don't think it's a very good situation," said Misri.

 Perhaps the largest soft issue facing a successful relocation out of India is understanding the strong family fabric. In India, it is common for aging parents to continue living with their adult children and grandchildren. For those who are forced to choose between looking after their parents and accepting an assignment, the potential expat could well defer to family considerations.

"There are some who say I turned down that foreign move because I couldn't leave my parents behind," said Mirchandani, adding that HR may want to consider offering a separate allowance to bring along parents. 

Ramakrishnan agreed, saying that for those who do go abroad, the transition can be especially difficult if the expat is worried about their parents back home.

"HR would do well for themselves to be sensitive to these issues," he said.

But the biggest challenge facing HR in deciding to expatriate an Indian national, said Ramakrishnan, is looking at whether the new job is client-facing. If it is, HR should make sure the candidate has compatible experience. Although the Indian work culture is becoming increasingly westernized, expectations remain different and an individual without such experience may be un-prepared for the position.

With India set to continue to expand its role in the international marketplace, HR can also expect to expatriate more Indian nationals.

"I see the market exploding," said Ramakrishnan. "I see the trend for companies in Europe and North America to hire Indian executives and technical talent increasing exponentially over the next 24 months."

Jennifer Hamm is a freelance journalist based in the Netherlands. She frequently writes about living and working abroad and can be contacted through her website at www.JenniferHamm.com.

Subject: Relocating