Are international assignees really such a challenge, or are the challenges arising with international assignees more of the company's making? We give you some tips on to improve your organisation's chances of success in managing international employees.

Review your policy at least every two years

Rightly or wrongly, international assignees have gained a reputation as some of the most difficult employees an organisation has to deal with. I have heard people call international assignees “money-grabbers”, “winners” and, for the politically correct, “a challenge”.

In my experience, many of the challenges that arise with international assignees are of the company’s making: a lack of policy, inconsistency, poor communication, and the like. When combined, these make the international assignment programme a difficult and unwieldy beast, riddled with exceptions and open to misunderstanding.

It does not have to be like that. Here are some ideas to help improve your organisation’s chances of success in managing expatriate employees.

Create a policy

When did your organisation last review its international assignment policy? Can you, with hand on heart, say that your international assignment policy is aligned with your HR strategy and the overall business strategy?

If your answer is 'yes', then congratulations! If your answer is no, you are not alone. I recently worked with an organisation that last reviewed its international assignment policy in 1977! Although this is (hopefully) an extreme example, if your policy is more than two years old, then you may need to review it for current relevance.

Companies need a comprehensive policy framework that includes sections tailored to the full range of expatriate situations. The overall framework should distinguish between assignments made primarily for operational reasons and those made primarily to provide career development opportunities. It also should cover both those working solo and those accompanied by family. Too often companies try a one-size-fits-all approach, with only the simplest adjustments.

Importantly, an assignment policy should also be effective. That is, the policy needs to fulfil its basic purpose – to facilitate the movement of employees internationally. It is amazing how often this objective, which should be central, is lost in debate about the detail.

Consistency

Once you have a policy, it is essential to administer it consistently. Exceptions and ‘special cases’ quickly multiply. Once the precedent has been set, it is very difficult to stop the domino effect. An entire international assignment programme can cascade in to chaos if a culture of negotiation, special circumstances, and precedents is allowed to develop.

Don't underestimate the value of the 'humble' telephone

Exceptions should be permitted only with senior-level approval. Consider the ‘no exceptions’ policy currently being implemented by one of the world’s largest household product companies. It requires all exceptions to be agreed in writing by the chief operating officer before they can be implemented. Very few people are willing to push that far for an exception to be agreed.

The smooth operation of an international assignment HR programme depends not only on the consistent application of the policy; it is also dependent on consistency among the various elements of the policy. For example, some policies affirm the importance of smooth repatriation, yet allow employees to take their ‘home leave’ anywhere in the world. This is clearly contradictory. The less time the expatriate spends on going back to his or her home, the more difficult reintegration will be.

Consistency between policies is also vital. I have seen companies with good long-term policies and good short-term policies. However, when the two are put together, there is an incompatibility that means the transition from one to the other creates an administrative nightmare.

Communicate

Communication, or the lack of it in the international assignment programme, is often one of the biggest gripes raised by assignees. In a recent survey, over one-fifth of respondents said that they do not provide any form of formal communication with their expatriates during an assignment. From the comments we received, it is apparent that international assignees value some form of communication with the home country office so that they do not feel ‘forgotten’ or ‘out of sight, out of mind’.

Adopting a comprehensive communication programme with international assignees whilst they are in the host location prevents a feeling of isolation and keeps the assignee abreast with developments. It also counters the ‘rumour mill’, which can be particularly rampant within the international assignee community.

Communication with expatriates is most effective when it is undertaken through a variety of media. Key methods that should be included in the communication armoury include:

• visits to the home country office during home leave and business trips
• regular e-mail and correspondence from the home country office
• newsletters
• posting of current job opportunities in the home country office
• invitations to home country company social events
• buddy/mentoring arrangements

However, do not forget the humble telephone. It is a hugely effective way of communicating and not used nearly as much as it should be.

Manage expectations

Many of the issues that help make an international assignment programme run smoothly are closely related. You could also place managing expectations under communication and repatriation planning. However, this is such an important issue that it is best to address it separately.

International assignees and their families often look at assignments through ‘rose-tinted glasses’. This is particularly the case with new assignees, who are excited by the prospect of living/working in a foreign location. Increased responsibility and autonomy are very attractive and stories of making money and ‘colonial status’ overseas still abound. The reality is often different. The expatriate director of a global retailer recently commented that setting realistic expectations is essential so “that sense of freedom with responsibility does not turn into a feeling of isolation”.

The setting of expectations and their ongoing management needs to pervade the entire international assignment programme to prevent issues from interrupting the smooth running of the programme.

A good way to manage expectations can be a pre-assignment trip to ensure the assignee and family are familiar with the lifestyle in the host location. The role of the family is particularly important here. The single largest factor cited for assignments failing is the inability of the family to settle in the host location. This is perhaps not surprising, given that 40 percent of the participating companies in our survey, the Global Advantage Assignment Policy Forum, either do not provide a pre-assignment visit or do not include spouse or families in such trips. On international deployment myself, I can testify to the importance of this.

Cultural training is also an essential tool in the process of managing expectations. Equipping assignees and their families with fundamental knowledge about a host location prevents many of the problems experienced in the expatriation process and settling-in to the host location. This investment can significantly reduce the time and resources that have to be committed to resolving problems or dealing with failed assignments further along the line.

Hold their hands

Despite setting expectations, expatriates generally need far more hand-holding that you could ever imagine. Many people question why an organisation’s brightest and best are simply unable to grasp the intricacies of the international assignment programme. They say that it is not rocket science, and they are correct. It is not rocket science. However, it is very involved, extremely dependent on the details being right and is ultimately about dealing with people who are in the midst of coping with one of the biggest upheavals of their life. They need support.

Companies that recognise this and supply the appropriate guidance to their international assignees find that their programmes run more smoothly.

Assignee support should not be a blank cheque. Spoon-feeding international assignees creates a culture of dependence and is counter-productive. International assignment programmes that attempt to account for every eventuality quickly become unwieldy and inefficient. They also become exposed to the threat of exceptions undermining consistency. The key is to tread a middle line between over-indulgence and abdication of responsibility to your employees.

As with everything, if a job is worth doing, it is worth doing well. Each of the points outlined above requires an investment of time and resources in the international assignment programme. I believe that it is money well spent, providing an international assignment programme that runs smoothly, minimises management time, and maximises the effectiveness of the assignee in the host location.

November 2005

Based in Belgium, Mike Wincott is the Senior Manager leading Deloitte’s International Human Resources Co-sourcing and Consulting practice in continental Europe.

An expatriate himself, Wincott has first hand experience of being internationally mobile. He has responsibility for key co-sourcing accounts in Belgium and the Netherlands and his role is a significant investment in further developing the European co-sourcing practice. 

Subject: Managing mobility programmes, international assignment policy