Communication, cash, and caring are top of most expats' lists, reports Robin Pascoe.

This is not a joke: some expats just want to know what the initials HR denote.

Not everyone involved in an expatriate assignment speaks the language of a corporation, so as an international HR specialist, the first question to consider asking of a relocating employee or family (especially on a first time posting) is this: do you know what I do?

Posing that question at the beginning of the relationship between company and expat will not only help sort out some of the basics, it's an excellent starting point for HR people to explain what they can or cannot do for an employee and/or a family during a relocation.

At the same time, an expat employee or family member (if they are invited into the discussions) can provide HR with an overview of his or her own expectations during the assignment.

What are those expectations?

Generally speaking, expats want everything and usually want it done by yesterday.

Employees wants to know that their career will keep on ticking while away on assignment and that they won't vanish into the corporate abyss upon repatriation.

Accompanying spouses wants to know all the logistics of the move and if the possibility of working while overseas will be viable. The children, meanwhile, usually just want to know why their parents are ruining their lives by moving.

From HR's standpoint, the support required for an expat varies depending on their adaptability and needs, according to Johanna Glennie, international assignments manager for UK food retailer Tesco. But she outlines some key areas.

"The key support areas for an expat are typically managing the whole process of expatriation and repatriation, being a consistent contact and source of information for them in their home country, and keeping them on people's agendas."

Glennie believes the most fundamental area of support comes in the final six months of expats' assignments, when they are working on finding their next role.

"This is where the role of HR support as a facilitator of the repatriation process is most critical," she says.

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