What are the main problems expatriates have during their foreign assignments?

As we move out of pandemic restrictions in most parts of the world, the working world remains impacted. Most office-based businesses are offering employees the . It remains to be seen what this will mean for expats as they return to delayed assignments, but it is likely they will still face many of the challenges of their pre-pandemic predecessors. 

If you business is investing in an expat, there are several ways HR or global mobility teams can help prevent expatriate failure including:

1. Send the right people

Just because an employee has the hard skills needed to excel at a role at home, it does not mean they are the right person to send to do that role abroad. It is essential you are involved from the very beginning of the process and interview potential expatriates to identify those with skills like:

• Cultural flexibility: a love of travel may not be an indicator of cultural flexibility if the candidate spent all their time with people from their own country and ate familiar foods most nights. Look for those who love to learn about and interact with people from different cultures.
• Enthusiastic communication: was there someone in your office who tried their halting Spanish with a client or wanted to learn some Mandarin from suppliers visiting from China? They may be the right person for an international role as they may be more willing to pick up the local language and adapt their communication style to local norms.
• Cosmopolitan outlook: when interviewing potential candidates look for examples of understanding other cultures, whether that is a diverse social network, learning other languages or adapting to another culture while studying or travelling abroad.

2. Expat training

Providing holistic pre-assignment training improves expatriate success by helping the individual (and their family) feel more prepared for potential stressors that lie ahead. For an assignment lasting a year or more, you should work to design a training programme that lasts for more than a month and takes an immersive approach. This programme should include extensive language training, information on , support for families and cultural training to help them adapt to ‘how things are done’ in their new home. If possible, a visit to their new location would also be ideal.

3. Expat support

HR support should not end once the expat is in situ. A lack of local support can be a contributory factor to overall expatriate failure so building a support plan once they arrive at their new destination is key. Elements to include are:

4. Local support: pair the new arrival with a fellow expat or local colleague who can offer them advice on getting set-up in their new country. Things like having cable installed or finding a family doctor can be confusing and very frustrating when you don’t understand the process.

5. Updates on home country: keep your expats up to date with what is happening in their home office with fortnightly calls or emails from a nominated contact. This helps the person remain in the loop with what is going on in the office but also prepares them for their return home as their assignment comes to an end.

6. Satisfaction surveys: have employees working abroad complete short satisfaction surveys at regular intervals to identify problems before they become serious. Use the feedback provided to optimise pre-assignment training for future expats.

7. Plan for repatriation: the companies with the most successful expats took repatriating the employee at the end of their assignment seriously. Unfortunately, many businesses do not take such care. Former expatriates are expected to return to their home office as if they had never left despite the fact colleagues and company objectives may have changed in the time they were away.

Providing your expatriates with the healthcare they may need while they are working abroad is key to their physical and mental health and wellbeing. We offer a wide range of and would be happy to answer any questions you have.

Four in ten international assignments are judged to be a failure. And yet the number of overseas assignments continues to rise. Global companies are under considerable pressure to determine what makes a successful overseas assignment and to understand why they so often fail.

To minimize the risk of such failure and to ensure the well-being of their employees, organizations must examine the key challenges facing expats deployed overseas, and determine the best way to prepare, support, and manage them during their time abroad.

Challenges of overseas assignments

International companies are realizing that expatriate employees require significant support to complete their assignment successfully.

With 40% of all overseas assignments failing, the cost of failure is high – the average cost of an expat assignment can amount to $311,000 per year.
It makes financial sense for companies to ensure that they fully prepare and support expatriate employees before, during, and after their overseas assignments.

Global Mobility in the Age of Diversity

The Role Global Mobility Can Play in Delivering a Diverse Workforce

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Companies sending employees overseas have a moral responsibility and a duty of care to ensure that they understand the legislation and cultural differences in the country assignees are going to.

Some of the most important services that should be available to all expats on overseas international assignments include:

• Pre-assignment health screening to ensure that the employee is fit for the assignment
• Cross-cultural training for the entire family
• Comprehensive travel and medical insurance packages
• Access to Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) throughout the assignment

Why expatriate assignments fail and how to prevent this failure

According to INSEAD business school, the five main reasons for expatriate assignment failure, which they estimate at 40-50% of all overseas deployments are:

1. You chose the wrong person in the first place

Unless there is a previous track record of success, it is very difficult to isolate the qualities that successful expats require.

2. Lack of local support in the host country

The local branch of the company in the host country has a crucial role to play in supporting newly arrived employees.

3. Disconnection from the home country

It is very important for expats to keep in touch with colleagues and work life back home so that they have a more balanced view of their role within the global organization and are better prepared for repatriation once the assignment is over.

Further reading

Assignment Failure: What Is Behind It and How to Fix It

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Why Mental Health Should Form Part of Your Duty of Care Policy

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Out of Sight Out of Mind: Why are Expats Forgotten?

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4. Domestic difficulties

While children and spouses are frequent factors in early repatriation cases, these difficulties are extremely hard to spot because most expats are reluctant to share domestic or social difficulties with the company – the company needs to know that the assignee’s family is coping, and it should explain the need for open communication up-front.

5. Failure to plan

Individuals need time to prepare practically and mentally for an overseas assignment, and an organization needs time to put the right infrastructure in place.

It takes time to choose the right candidate, and to put in place the people required to support them, so effective planning for the overseas international assignment is crucial.

Preparing employees for overseas assignments

Preparation is key to ensuring a successful overseas international assignment and support should be offered throughout the process.

Global Mobility professionals must:

• Select employees carefully
  Success at home does not necessarily translate into high performance overseas for an employee. It is important to consider soft skills, such as flexibility, self-reliance, tolerance, and the ability to handle change and ambiguity, since these are qualities that point to the likelihood of success in a new environment.
• Prepare for departure
  This is where companies often fall short – pre-deployment programs such as cross-cultural training and intensive language classes need to be developed and supported financially by the organization.
• Offer ongoing support
  Proactive, ongoing support versus reactive actions by employers has been found to markedly increase the success rate of expatriate assignments, so this kind of support should be integral to the program.
• Prepare for repatriation
  This is an often overlooked factor in the success or failure of international assignments — expats need to have sufficient time to prepare for a new environment at home for themselves and their families.

The benefits of overseas assignments

There are numerous benefits for both companies and employees in meeting the challenges of successful overseas international assignments.

Advantages for companies

• Expansion into both new and existing markets: By building out a talented workforce abroad, a company can bolster its global influence and revenue
• Development of top talent: international experience can help train employees for leadership, managerial, and executive roles in the future
• Streamlined operations: if a company is looking to make moves quickly, sending an existing employee abroad can help streamline operations
• New perspectives are gained: having employees working overseas can help funnel new perspectives, ideas, and business practices back to headquarters

Global Mobility in the Age of Diversity

The Role Global Mobility Can Play in Delivering a Diverse Workforce

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Benefits for employees

Likewise, there are significant benefits for employees of working abroad, and expatriates should understand that overseas deployments will often result in benefits not only for the company but for themselves:

• The potential for career progression
• An increased salary or compensation in many cases
• Attractive perks and benefits for the whole family
• The development of professional skills that could lead to future promotion
• Enhanced personal experiences and potential opportunities for travel
• The discovery of new people, traditions, and ways of working
• Familiarization with new languages and cultures

Managing expatriates on overseas assignments

Research shows that services that prepare, support, and show employees that they are valued typically represent just 1% of the total cost of overseas assignments.

The following tips apply to all global organizations managing expatriates on overseas international assignments:

• Ensure that your employees are medically fit
• Make sure that any drugs that the employee/family needs are legal
• Give cultural training to employees and their families prior to travel
• Offer intensive language courses for the whole family
• Sign up for an expatriate Employee Assistance Program
• Provide international medical insurance

Be prepared

When it comes to overseas assignments it is really a case of – fail to prepare: prepare to fail. Global mobility professionals must examine the challenges facing the modern assignee and determine the best practices to support and manage them throughout their assignment.

As International Management Consultant Audrey Rowley puts it:

“Successful overseas assignments depend on the individual and the support they receive. After the initial honeymoon period, it is common for employees to feel isolated because of the cultural and language barriers and the separation from friends and family. Having a benefit and support program that starts [at home] and continues throughout the assignment can alleviate the risk of failure, provide employees with support to address any issues, and ensure the assignment is a success for the company and the employee.”

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