Some questions the trailing spouse might pose are hard for HR to answer, but easy for a fellow partner who has already been posted to the same destination. We look at how a simple yet innovative idea has blossomed into an essential global networking tool for partners abroad.

A little innovation goes a long way.

Oh no! Don’t start about spouses issues, again. We know!" complains a Corporate HR manager from a Dutch company in Hilversum. "Yes, we know that you know, but what are you doing about it?" asks intercultural trainer and consultant Hilly van Swol-Ulbrich.

In the past few weeks I have seen three expatriate families fall into deep trouble - acute stress and depression with marriages under duress...not to mention the professional consequences.

The people involved were regular employees on assignment who were not being sent to "hardship" locations, unless you want to define Brussels, Prague or Frankfurt as such.

WHAT HR CAN DO:

Take the lid off

Do not make spouse problems a problem, remove the taboo image. It all starts with that important first gesture to show you care.

Pre-departure and post-arrival

Most companies already include spouses in the pre-departure briefing, but we all know that the real fun starts after arrival. No matter how service oriented HR departments are, they can never ever offer the final touch; the experience of someone who has been there, done It. Offer a local follow up and see whether your provider facilitates 'Spouse's Workshops'.

"We don't have a budget" 

How about self-help? Reserve a meeting room every 14 days at your facilities and, for the cost of the company's canteen-catering, allow the spouses to meet, share information and exchange experiences.

"We don't have that many expat spouses"

Nor do many others: Therefore, rather than each individual corporation struggling to define the right solution or setting up their own network; time, effort and money can be saved by considering a new initiative - a shared network.

A shared network

This simple yet brilliant idea has been developed by Global Connection.

Ex-expat spouse Jacqueline van Haaften, founder and MD of Global Connection says, "When you go to a new country there's a lot that you have to arrange and discover."  

Van Haaftenvan Haaften points out that although a lot of general information is available on the internet; you can find the website of nearly every international school and check things such as school systems, number of students and so forth, you cannot find information such as why the other expat parent sent their kids to this school, and how they look back on that decision. 

"This kind of expert information is available in our network," says van Haaften. "Members can learn from the experiences of others and get advice from people of different nationalities with different view points," she says.

Questions often raised include:

• What is it like to work in this country?
• What solution did you find for not being able to work?
• What is the level of medical support?
• What is the best place for e-learning?
• How do you experience safety?
• How do your children cope with the change?

These questions are hard to for HR answer and easy to answer by a fellow partner says van Haaften.

Global Connection is a worldwide English language network that works both locally and globally and uses the power of the internet to help partners stay connected.

"Since January 2004, 32 multinationals have decided to support Global Connection. They represent 4.500 expat spouses, from 55 different nationalities, in just over 100 countries and many more locations,"says van Haaften. 

In brief, Global Connection provides:

• a first point of contact on the new location for transferring members (over 50 global connection coordinators worldwide) 
• A quarterly magazine
• Electronic newsletters to keep the community informed and updated between the quarterly magazine.
• Special workshops attuned to the needs of the partners, helping them to understand and deal with the new culture they will find themselves living in.

For more information on this initiative visit www.global-connection.info

January 2004 (updated in October 2005)

Hilly van Swol-Ulbrich is the managing partner of CONSULTus Expatriate Briefings & Intercultural Seminars [seminars@consultus.net].