Dive Brief:
- When talented employees receive assignments abroad, the outcomes can benefit both employee and employer, but the latter often is in the dark when it comes to optimizing the benefits, according to the Harvard Business Review.
- HBR reports that expat assignments can cost as much as three times the level of an employee's typical annual salary, so getting the most from the situation is critical.
- But even savvy employers offering good relocation packages sometimes ignore ways to leverage the valuable skills expatriate employees gain during their assignments. HBR offers five ways to fix that: Having a compelling purpose (and the right person); assigning host and home sponsors; staying in frequent contact; planning for reintegration, and finding ways to share the employee's experience.
Dive Insight
HBR asked seven experienced executives and consultants for their view on how to best manage the expat assignment/experience. Creating a compelling purpose and choosing the right person for the challenge is perhaps the most important factor.
Another key strategy involves "open, frequent communication" for the entire assignment, ensuring that it is open both ways — between both the expat employee and the home sponsor. Employers must identify how they can take advantage of what the expat is learning, and how both employee and employer can benefit from the experience after it ends.
When the assignment is over, employers need to help employees compile and share what they have learned. It can be done in several ways, HBR notes, including a blog (during and after the assignment) or special talks/brown bag lunches on managing global work and intercultural communication, with successful expats contributing to the discussion.
