New mobility managers are often confused about the structure of the transfer process. We look at where HR's responsibility begins and ends through examining a typical workflow.

At the very core, a mobility manager's job focuses on moving employees. "Generally, the primary goal is to minimise disruption to the transferring employee and their family," says Jennifer Igval, director of consulting services for Cendant Mobility, a leading provider of global support services for corporate, government, military, and membership organisations.

Although transferring employees may sound relatively straightforward, Igval tells Expatica the process involves a balancing act. The emphasis is on quality service, while controlling cost, she explains.

The approach to the transfer also depends on the size of the organisation

There are various approaches to the transfer process, which will depend largely on the nature of the move. For example, a one-way transfer is relatively clear cut. On the other hand, a temporary assignment actually involves two moves: one to a host location and another back to the home location.

In addition, approach to the transfer process may vary depending on industry and driver. The driver is the objective of the move, Igval explains. For example, if the objective is to transfer skills, a move will involve sending someone who can initially provide that skill and then transfer the expertise to local talent.

Expatriate assignments generally fall into one of three categories:

• short term assignments that are less than 12 months;
• long term assignments that range from one to five years; or
• 'permanent' placements that last five years or longer.

For executives, the most common type of expat assignment is long term, Igval says.

At the onset

Usually, a candidate is identified in advance for a long-term assignment. Selection is frequently driven by technical need or skills gap.

After selection takes place, the company should spend some time making sure the employee and partner are set up to succeed, Igval says.

With this in mind, she tells Expatica that best practices companies arrange for the family to take a trip to the host location. Once there, they can identify housing, schools, and look at the community.

Meanwhile, very much at the front end, work permits and visas can begin to be arranged.

In addition, companies typically arrange for a tax consultation. The employee will usually meet with an outside tax provider before deciding whether to accept a long-term assignment. The tax implications can be very important, both to the employee and the company, Igval explains.

After the employee decides

Once an employee accepts an assignment, the company then arranges for cross-cultural training, as well as language training, if necessary, for the employee and the family.

"The family's ability to assimilate is as, if not more, important," says Igval. It's often the spouse that has to interact with local utility companies and others, she explains.

Siobhan Cummins, managing director, Europe, for ORC Worldwide, a leading HR and compensation consulting firm, emphasises the role family plays. "The most important thing is that international mobility involves more than just the employee—the assignee, spouse, and children will all go on the assignment too," Cummins says.

The timing of training is also important. Ideally, language training should be offered prior to departure, according to Igval. She finds that cross-cultural training, on the other hand, is sometimes offered at the home location and other times in the host country.

The transfer

The actual transfer focuses largely on the practical aspects of life. The mobility manager will either help the employee retain his or her home or facilitate its sale.

Similarly, automobiles must be considered. These are usually sold, Igval says.

Arrangements must also be made for shipping or storing household goods.

Travel arrangements for the employee and family members are also necessary.

With regard to housing in the host country—and upon return to the home country as well, temporary living arrangements are often required, Igval tells Expatica. It frequently works out that long-term housing isn't available or household goods aren't ready, she explains. Therefore, temporary housing for 30 to 45 days is the norm.

Ongoing support

Employees also require support on an ongoing basis.

'Settling-in assistance' is provided by a number of companies. Cendant Mobility considers this type of assistance a best practices approach. Early on in the relocation, the mobility manager will arrange for the employee and partner to meet with a destination services provider that can help them become familiar with the host country and culture.

Later on, the mobility manager arranges for trips back to the home country, typically one or two per year. Arrangements are also made for non-accompanying dependent children (such as college students) to visit the host country.

In addition, the mobility manager is often involved in various compensation aspects of the relocation, delivering ongoing allowances and premiums for the duration of the assignment.

The other end

Because the focus is generally on an outbound employee, an often overlooked role of the mobility manager is repatriation.

"Many companies spend a lot of time planning the front end of an assignment but do little about repatriation," Cummins says. "The assignee and his or her family need just as much help with coming home as they did at the start of the assignment."

Successful repatriation requires tracking the employee for the duration of the assignment and planning for what the employee will do when he or she returns, Igval tells Expatica. Future career plans should be discussed pre-assignment, she says.

Unfortunately, often an expat is out of sight and out of mind.

"It's really a shame," Igval says. "Given the cost of an assignment, it's critical that the company maximise the return on investment by thinking ahead, and maximise the employee's new found skills."

Today's business climate

Igval tells Expatica there's definitely an increase in mobility globally as more companies set up operations in new countries.

Yet, despite the increase in activity, she points out that in some ways managing mobility today is less complicated than it once was. "It's easier in some respects because there are more service companies out there with global reach. Several years ago, companies were likely to try to handle it on their own. Now the mobility manager does not have to gain expertise for each country," Igval explains.

Employees also help facilitate the process. As employees have become more savvy, developing an awareness about the international experience, they are often more motivated by opportunity and less by compensation, Igval says. This means more people are open to moves, which helps the mobility manager.

Igval says employee interest and willingness to accept assignments can be attributed in part to the fact that more information is available through the internet and through specialists.

By the same token, there is also more information at the ready for a mobility manager. It's easy for a mobility manager to quickly become familiar with a country like India, Igval points out.

The flip side, however, is that as globalisation has increased, things have become more complex. As companies enter new growth areas, like India, China, or Eastern Europe, they are dealing with the complexities associated with those locations. Real estate markets, for example, may be volatile in some areas. Likewise, security concerns are an issue in certain parts of the world.

Societal issues also create complexities. Igval points out that today there are more dual income families globally. This factor shouldn't be overlooked, she says, citing how one partner's career and potential loss of income may be a relocation issue.

Mobility and the organisation

A mobility manager's approach to the transfer process is likely to depend on any number of factors, including size of the organisation.

In smaller companies, the role is likely to involve dealing with several outside service providers. It's not uncommon, for example, to outsource the logistics, training, and compensation pieces.

Even in large organisations, outsourcing is common.

This is partly because expatriate employees are a relatively small population in comparison to the total workforce. Indeed, a recent study from Cendant Mobility indicates that nearly half of global mobility practitioners report 50 or less assignees.

Nevertheless, activity surrounding expats can take up an inordinate amount of time, Igval points out. "It can range from everything involved in day-to-day assistance to more strategic managing of outsourced relationships with different providers," she says.

"One of the problems for mobility managers is that there is so much to keep up with, especially if they are sending people from different home countries to multiple host locations," Cummins says. Her advice is to consult the experts and pay for good advice and information.

"What might seem costly is really quite small in comparison to the full cost of an assignment," Cummins says. "If an assignment fails, the true cost to a company can be significant."

Mobility is about moving people

Although ongoing attention must be given to workflow and cost, it's important not to forget that the assignees themselves should be the main focus of the process.

"The most important thing to keep in mind (and I'm saying this from the perspective of a professional as well as being an expat myself) is that the process of expatriation is a confusing one, and the assignees need clarity around all aspects of the transfer," says John Pfeiffer, managing director of AIRINC Europe, a human resources consulting firm dedicated to global mobility.

"The most valuable thing an expatriate can have is a clear explanation of what assistance he or she can expect from the company, who is responsible for doing what, and a reassurance that the package is competitive in the marketplace."

Like Pfeiffer, Cummins points out that assignees and their families need clarity. There is a level of complexity that the uninitiated will not always appreciate, she tells Expatica. "There is everything to consider from making a will, to sorting out Granny and the pet rabbit," Cummins says.

What's more, companies sometimes forget that employees' personal and professional issues continue to arise.

"In my experience, mobility managers tend to overlook the fact that the assignee's need for information is ongoing during the assignment. Too often, we use the pre-assignment briefing as our one opportunity with the assignee to impart all the information we know they will need throughout the course of their assignment," says Pfeiffer.

The best strategy for imparting information Pfeiffer believes, "would be a time-lined workflow which drips the right information at the right time, rather than drops all information at one time."

December 2005

Paula Santonocito is a freelance writer specialising in workforce management issues. She is the author of more than 500 articles on a wide range of topics.

Subject: Mobility management, the fundamentals of mobility management.