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Selecting Global Assignees

By Valerie Frazee

Jul. 1, 1998

The success of your entire overseas venture may rest in the hands of one expatriate employee and his or her family. So how do you make sure you send the candidate most likely to live up to the challenge? This was the question on the minds of three readers who recently posted discussion threads on the topic in the Global HR Forum on Workforce Online. Responding to their inquiries, we asked an authority on the subject to share her perspective. Here she outlines a strategic approach to expatriate selection. She includes an overview of how assessment tools can aid the process. Dr. Paula Caligiuri from Rutgers University in Piscataway, New Jersey, researcher on the topic of managing global assignees, says: Selecting global assignees is both a critical and frustrating topic for global HR professionals. Most human resources professionals agree that not all employees sent on global assignments will succeed. Some will flourish, while others, unfortunately, will fail. Seasoned global HR professionals may pride themselves on the fact that they can predict the outcome of an assignment — after just a few interactions with a prospective assignee. They have developed the sixth sense for selecting global assignees. Despite the sixth sense that these HR professionals may have, the unfortunate reality is that most are unable to stop a risky global assignment from moving forward. Frequently, an assignee is chosen within the business unit based only on the person’s technical or managerial skills. HR has little involvement, except to process the appropriate paperwork. This typical scenario is both myopic and deleterious for organizations valuing the strategic management of their human talent worldwide. Appropriately, this scenario is beginning to change in many multinational organizations as global HR is becoming more integrated into the overall global business strategy. In fact, research suggests that your involvement in the global assignment process is related to better bottom line success. As a function, global HR is becoming more involved in the strategy and practice of managing the global assignment process. Many global human resources professionals have started their strategic roles with improvements on the global assignee selection process. The process outlined below is a description of what global HR professionals in these strategic multinational organizations are doing to select their international assignees. The most effective process for selecting global assignees involves four distinct phases:

Phase One: Allow for self-selection. Employees who may be on the track for a future global assignment should begin the decision-making process about a year or more before a position becomes available. (The way companies identify this group will vary.) In this self-selection phase, employees introspectively question whether they are right for a global assignment, if their spouses and children would be interested in relocating internationally, if this is the best time for them professionally, and so on. The greatest criticism of self-selection is that candidates and their spouses will not be honest. I have found this criticism is unfounded given that most people are very honest with themselves — if they know that the information is private and confidential. People would rather learn for themselves that they may not have what it takes for a global assignment, rather than go through formal company-initiated testing — a process they are likely to fake to save themselves the embarrassment of failing the test . Given that the consequences of being unsuccessful on a global assignment are high, people will seek out information that helps them predict the likelihood of their success living in another country. During self-selection, your employees and their families can be honest with themselves without fearing negative repercussions from the organization and without the pressure of having to make a quick decision. Self-selection instruments such as The SAGE (Self-Assessment for Global Endeavors) and The SAGE for Spouses (both by Caligiuri & Associates in Edison, New Jersey) can help employees and their families through the decision-making process. Some organizations, such as Plano, Texas-based EDS, have made a self-selection instrument generally available on their company’s intranet to encourage self-assessment among those who may not have previously considered a global assignment. Other organizations, such as Wilton, Connecticut-based Deloitte and Touche LLP, give the self-selection instrument to targeted employees. Then human resources is available for follow-up discussion meetings after the employees have taken the instrument. In either case, the purpose is for HR to provide information and assist in the decision-making process — without evaluating the candidates’ potential. Phase Two: Create a pool of candidates After the self-selection process, employees should have the option of putting themselves in a candidate pool. You can organize this candidate pool in an electronic database. Each multinational organization may organize the database differently, depending on its staffing needs. Some examples of employee information for the database include: the year the employee is available to go, the languages the employee speaks, the countries the employee prefers and the jobs for which the employee is qualified. HR, in this phase, creates and manages the database. It’s imperative that you include all possible candidates who may be considered for a global assignment in the database. Phase Three: Assess candidates’ technical skills Once the business unit has identified a position, you should scan the database for all possible candidates for a given global assignment. This short list is forwarded to the department requesting the assignment. It’s now the job of the sending manager to assess each candidate on technical and managerial readiness relative to the needs of the assignment. You can offer guidance in phase three to help the sending manager identify the knowledge, skills, abilities and experience needed to perform a given job. In this phase, the job requirements of the global assignment should be the focus. If a global assignment is for director of production in China, for example, assess candidates on their records as production managers, not on their cultural skills or competencies to operate in China. (The exception to this would be if a position had been analyzed for the necessary global competencies. It has been my experience that this is done very rarely. Phase Four: Make a mutual decision. In this final phase, the sending manager has identified one person as an acceptable candidate based on his or her technical or managerial readiness. You know the candidate family is willing to accept the assignment because it has placed itself in the candidate pool. At this point, an assignee has been tentatively “selected.” To offer a realistic preview to these tentative global assignees, organizations have matched repatriate families with the selected families. The purpose is for the repatriate families to share experiences and difficulties. As a caution, the repatriate families doing the previews should be chosen carefully. Find repatriates who had positive experiences but who are also realistic about the challenges of the assignment. If possible, match families with children of similar ages. An honest discussion between repatriates and future assignees gives the assignees more information and an additional opportunity to deselect if they feel that a global assignment is not right for them. Often, these meetings are encouraging and supportive — strengthening a family’s commitment to the assignment. Some organizations, such as Brampton, Ontario-based Northern Telecom, conduct a more thorough assessment of the selected assignee and his or her family, in an attempt to ensure their assignees’ success. Some consulting organizations, such as Thornhill, Ontario-based FGI Global Relocation Services, conduct a pre-departure family assessment. The relocating family and a family counselor determine what, if any, accommodations the family may need to be successful in the host country. Then human resources works through the counselor to provide the family any necessary accommodations detected in the assessment process. This is a very proactive strategy. Post-selection preparation. Many consulting organizations offer thorough cross-cultural preparation to prospective global assignees and their families. These cultural preparation programs, while falling under the heading of training, sometimes uncover specific cultural concerns. From an assessment standpoint, HR can use this knowledge to prevent a potential problem when the family is on assignment. In the extreme cases, a family realizes that its decision to accept the assignment was a mistake. Employees may, even this late into the process, deselect. As with Phase One, I recommend that the decision to refuse an assignment in this phase be made by the assignee and not by the organization. Fortunately, for organizations going through the first three phases, a deselection at this stage is a very infrequent occurrence. In conclusion, there are three themes in this global assignee selection process. The first is to plant the seed as early as possible. You will get the best possible candidates when you cast a large net and engage individuals’ decision-making processes long before a position becomes available. The second theme is to involve the family from the very beginning. A global assignment will disrupt the lives of every family member — and each member will influence the assignment positively or negatively. The third theme is to allow for deselection at every phase. Traditional selection methods simply do not work for global assignments — unless a thorough job analysis is conducted for each assignment. The decision needs to be mutual among the employee, his or her organization, and his or her family. Organizations should convey to their employees that a global assignment is not right for everyone. Global Workforce , July 1998, Vol. 3, No. 4, pp. 28-30.

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Global Assignment Best Practice Guide

Anne morris.

• 28 August 2024

IN THIS SECTION

When planning and preparing for a global assignment, there are numerous factors that have the potential to contribute to its overall success, with benefits both for your business and for the assignee. The following guide looks at best practice for employers when deploying personnel overseas, from the employee experience to the flexibility of different types of global assignment.

The employee experience in global assignments

A good employer will recognise that at the heart of its business are its people. As such, ensuring a positive employee experience for overseas assignees can be crucial the success of a global assignment.

As an employer responsible for sending an employee overseas, you will have a legal duty of care, not to mention a moral responsibility and vested financial interest, to ensure the wellbeing of that individual. In particular, when planning a global assignment, caretaking the health and safety of the overseas assignee should be paramount.

Any assessment of travel risks must be tailored to the nature of the work to be undertaken, the attributes of the employee and any factors specific to the host destination. The importance of researching the country and region in which the assignee will be working, and keeping abreast of any imminent changes, cannot be underestimated here.

Even relatively safe destinations can quickly become high-risk regions due to health, safety, security, political or social reasons, not to mention the possibility of natural disasters, so it is important to stay fully informed of changing risks and to be able to relay such information to assignees working remotely.

It is also important to educate each overseas assignee in advance of their global assignment about the location in which they will be working, not least arranging security briefings and training on hostile environment awareness for those travelling to high-risk destinations, as well as educating all assignees on any legal and cultural differences, even for low-risk destinations.

Preparing assignees for cultural integration can often be key to ensuring not only the safety and security of these individuals, but also their overall wellbeing and happiness, on both a professional and personal basis. This could include, for example, the use of pre-deployment programs such as cross-cultural training and intensive language classes. Any training and classes could also be extended to family members accompanying the employee on their global assignment.

You may also want to consider putting in place a benefit and support program, both prior to departure and throughout the lifecycle of the assignment, from deployment through to repatriation.

As such, by creating a safe and supported working environment from the outset, this can significantly alleviate the risk of failure and help to avoid early repatriation, ensuring the global assignment is a success for everyone involved.

Use of technology in global assignments

When conducting business on an international scale, this can give rise to a number of challenges, not least in sourcing suitable data to make informed decisions, both in advance and during the lifecycle of a global assignment. Here, the use of technology can play a crucial role in guiding your global mobility policies and management decision-making.

In particular, where implemented effectively and used correctly, AI, data and predictive analytics tools can prove to be invaluable in gaining insight into operational costs and overall return on investment, as well as employee placement and key performance indicators.

In particular, analytics tools can be used in the following ways:

• Cost analytics – to establish a cost model for your global assignment
• Workforce analytics – to connect the talent in your recruiting database to the skillset needed for your global assignments
• Assignee identification analytics – to focus on the cost drivers of sending the right assignees to the right location
• Employee retention analytics – to predict which overseas assignees are at risk of early repatriation or attrition and which candidates, and/or global assignments, are at a higher risk of failure
• Exposure analysis – to quantify the various levels of exposure to any penalties associated with non-compliance

In fact, with the benefit of these types of analytics tools, together with other forms of technology, global mobility is becoming far easier to achieve in the digital age, and to do so successfully.

It can significantly lessen many of the legal and administrative pressures when managing a mobile workforce, especially when it comes to tax and immigration compliance in a highly regulated environment. Furthermore, technology can also play an important role in enhancing the individual performance of overseas assignees.

When planning and preparing for a global assignment, although the focus will primarily be on selecting the right assignee for the particular assignment and location in question, including their individual qualifications and capabilities, by offering the employee the right tools to do their job to the best of their ability, technology can help to maximise the prospects of a successful outcome.

Indeed, by investing in technology, an employer can not only maximise the productivity of an overseas assignee, but also monitor their progress and even measure assignee experience.

Further, the use of technology through, for example, mobile devices and secured wireless networks, can be extremely effective in maintaining regular communication with overseas assignees, ensuring that they don’t feel disconnected from the company or work colleagues back home. This can be crucial in avoiding early repatriation and the potential failure of the global assignment overall.

Needless to say, however, it is vital that you keep abreast of technological advancements, from connectivity to up-to-date software, to ensure that your overseas assignees can carry out their work cost effectively and efficiently, and that the use of technology is aligned to your organisational objectives and overall mobility goals.

Return on investment in global assignments

For you as the employer, global assignments can equate to profitable expansion into both new and existing markets, significantly boosting the global revenue, as well as the reputation, of your business. Furthermore, by sending existing employees abroad, as opposed to recruiting overseas, this can help to streamline operations and expedite growth.

That said, cost control can play a key role in the commercial viability of a global assignment, not least when factoring in the potentially significant cost of both deployment and repatriation of the overseas assignee.

However, global assignment management is not only about number crunching. It is equally about the potential return on investment in various other ways. In fact, overseas assignments can be an excellent way of developing top talent within your organisation, by offering key individual employees a career pathway to more senior promotion.

In particular, the international experience can help train promising and ambitious individuals for leadership, managerial and executive roles, as well as giving them invaluable insight and new industry knowledge to help develop your business back in the UK.

Further, for the individual employee, on both a professional and personal basis, the benefits of working abroad can be significant, not least in terms of potential career progression, increased salary or compensation, as well as the possibility of an international travel experience for their whole family.

As such, given that the overall success of the global assignment will inevitably include the successful repatriation and retention of your top talent at the end of the assignment, you will need to consider what initiatives to implement to alleviate the risk of losing key employees.

In addition to the promise of career progression and a suitably senior role to come back to, useful initiatives could include the use of competitive relocation and repatriation packages, ensuring that your overseas assignees are happy to repatriate and return home. As previously indicated, this should also include the cost of suitable benefit and support initiatives to ensure the overall wellbeing and happiness of your employees.

Understandably, you may feel cautious about controlling the cost of a global assignment, but this must be balanced against the need to attract and retain talent to ensure the continuity and success of your business in the long-term.

Flexibility in global assignments

When determining the potential success of a global assignment, you will also need to consider the nature and duration of the task to be undertaken and the best way in which this can be achieved, from the use of frequent business travel and short-term assignments to long-term assignments and relocation. There is no one-size-fits-all approach.

Needless to say, each of these different types of global assignment has different benefits and risks, although business travel is likely to prove the most straightforward and cost effective choice in many cases. Here, individual employees can attend conferences and meetings, close a deal, sign new business and network. Indeed, networking can be one of the most lucrative ways to support business growth.

Senior executives and managers can also use extended business trips to undertake various different global assignments, including opening a new office or setting up a new division, without the costs associated with other types of global mobility, and without the same personal and practical challenges of relocating to another country.

In respect of short or long-term assignments, these can be a good way of gaining invaluable insight and industry knowledge to help progress your business back in the UK. The long-term global assignment, in particular, can also be extremely effective in establishing a foothold in strategic and emerging markets. This type of assignment can provide new sales opportunities, new customer bases and significantly increased revenue. It can even enhance your reputation and global influence as a corporate organisation.

However, where you are looking to fill skills gaps or to manage operations overseas, you may want to consider the possibility of permanent relocation, not least because this can often prove to be much more cost effective than the traditional long-term assignment with the associated costs of repatriation. That said, any relocation package will need to include sufficient incentive to attract a suitable candidate to move abroad on a permanent basis.

Key take-aways

The management of global assignments can be one of the hardest areas for employers and HR experts to master, not least when trying to control costs whilst adapting to the shifting demands of the global business environment. As such, there is a very high failure rate for global assignments.

Further, the consequences of an unsuccessful global assignment can be far-reaching for your business, not only in terms of loss of revenue and wasted expenditure, but the potential loss of key personnel and top global talent from within your organisation.

It is, therefore, imperative that you understand and address the following key global assignment success factors:

• Make a full assessment of any travel risks, tailored to the individual assignee, the specific assignment and the host destination in question, keeping abreast of any changes that may impact on this.
• Educate each overseas assignee in advance of their global assignment about the locations in which they will be working, including but not limited to any safety and security issues, as well as any legal and cultural differences.
• Always ensure the overall wellbeing of your overseas assignees at all times, from deployment through to their return home, as such alleviating the risk of early repatriation. This could be through the provision of cross-cultural training, intensive language classes and/or an ongoing benefit and support program.
• Ensure that you adequately incentivise your overseas assignees so as to avoid losing key employees from within your workforce, for example, through attractive relocation and repatriation packages, as well as a suitably senior role to return home to.
• Utilise data and analytics tools to make informed management decisions in respect of global assignments, from cost control to non-compliance.
• Keep abreast of technological advances that may maximise the productivity of an overseas assignee, or otherwise enhance any profitable business growth.
• Consider the flexibility offered by different types of global assignment, from business trips to permanent relocation, not only with regard to the nature and duration of the task to be undertaken, but also with regard to the personal and professional needs of the prospective candidate who may be undertaking this assignment.

Needless to say, this list is not exhaustive, with a plethora of other factors that may come into play when planning and preparing for a global assignment.

Need Assistance?

For advice and guidance on managing  global assignments,  or any aspect of global mobility programme strategy and implementation, contact us .

Global Assignment FAQs

What is the difference between a short-term and long-term global assignment?

A short-term global assignment typically lasts less than 12 months and is often used for specific projects or temporary needs. A long-term assignment, on the other hand, extends beyond 12 months and usually requires more comprehensive planning, including relocation support and long-term career development considerations.

What legal requirements must be met before sending an employee on a global assignment?

Before sending an employee on a global assignment, it’s essential to ensure compliance with immigration laws, including obtaining the necessary work permits and visas. Employers must also consider local labour laws, tax obligations, and any bilateral agreements between the UK and the host country.

How can employers support employees in adapting to a new culture?

Employers can support employees by offering cultural training, providing resources on the host country’s customs and business practices, and facilitating networking opportunities with local colleagues. Offering language training and ensuring access to relocation services also help employees integrate more smoothly.

How should employers handle repatriation at the end of a global assignment?

Repatriation should be planned well in advance, including career planning for the returning employee. Employers should provide support to help employees readjust to life and work in the UK, address any reverse culture shock, and integrate their new skills and experiences into their career progression.

What are the risks of not having a formal global assignment policy?

Without a formal policy, employers risk inconsistencies in how assignments are managed, leading to potential legal issues, increased costs, and employee dissatisfaction. A well-structured policy ensures that all global assignments are handled consistently, legally, and cost-effectively.

Can an employee refuse a global assignment?

An employee can refuse a global assignment, especially if it’s not stipulated in their employment contract. It’s important to discuss the assignment’s benefits and any concerns the employee might have. Employers should approach such situations with flexibility and understanding, considering alternative options.

What is the role of a relocation service in global assignments?

Relocation services assist with the logistical aspects of moving, such as finding accommodation, setting up utilities, and sometimes helping with schooling for employees’ children. These services ensure a smoother transition for employees, reducing the stress associated with relocation and allowing them to focus on their work.

How can employers measure the success of a global assignment?

Success can be measured by evaluating the achievement of the assignment’s objectives, employee satisfaction, the integration of new skills and experiences into the employee’s role, and the overall return on investment for the company. Regular performance reviews and post-assignment debriefings are key to this evaluation.

What should be included in a global assignment policy?

A global assignment policy should cover all aspects of the assignment process, including selection criteria, legal compliance, compensation and benefits, relocation support, performance expectations, and repatriation plans. The policy should be clear, comprehensive, and communicated to all relevant stakeholders.

Founder and Managing Director Anne Morris is a fully qualified solicitor and trusted adviser to large corporates through to SMEs, providing strategic immigration and global mobility advice to support employers with UK operations to meet their workforce needs through corporate immigration.

She is a recognised by Legal 500 and Chambers as a legal expert and delivers Board-level advice on business migration and compliance risk management as well as overseeing the firm’s development of new client propositions and delivery of cost and time efficient processing of applications.

Anne is an active public speaker, immigration commentator , and immigration policy contributor and regularly hosts training sessions for employers and HR professionals

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As employer solutions lawyers, DavidsonMorris offers a complete and cost-effective capability to meet employers’ needs across UK immigration and employment law, HR and global mobility .

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Read more about DavidsonMorris here . 

Legal Disclaimer

The matters contained in this article are intended to be for general information purposes only. This article does not constitute legal advice, nor is it a complete or authoritative statement of the law, and should not be treated as such. Whilst every effort is made to ensure that the information is correct at the time of writing, no warranty, express or implied, is given as to its accuracy and no liability is accepted for any error or omission. Before acting on any of the information contained herein, expert legal advice should be sought.

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How to Assess an International Assignment Candidate

Corporate Relocation , Employee Relocation , expatriates , International Relocation , Relocation Policy

What makes the “ideal expatriate”? Companies that deploy employees abroad are keenly interested in the answer to this question. According to Worldwide ERC, a traditional, long-term international assignment can cost a company $1m or more. In the worst-case scenario, if the expatriate or family are unhappy in the host location and the assignment fails, the company could potentially lose not only this substantial investment but also a valued employee—and usually to a competitor.

According to ECA International, in 2016, up to 7.2% of international assignments were terminated before the actual anticipated or scheduled completion date. The cost of terminating the assignment and repatriating the employee and family are only the beginning. The company faces another talent search to re-fill the role, loss of productivity while the role is vacant and the costs of a new assignment for a replacement employee. Intangible, less easily measured costs include the negative impact on the international assignment candidate’s morale and that of his team and sometimes damage to the company’s reputation in the host location.

Assignments most often fail not because the assignee cannot do the job but rather due to personal and family adjustment issues. Most companies do a fine job of identifying candidates with the necessary technical knowledge and experience to fill a position abroad. Moreover, many gather and maintain preliminary data on their employees’ interest in a potential international assignment, previous international experience, foreign language skills and the like. Unfortunately, at many companies, this is as far as the assessment process goes. Too often, immediate business needs short-circuit the candidate assessment process and the company hastily sends the most technically capable employee abroad—without a proper consideration of whether he is likely to succeed in the host country.

Evaluating an international assignment candidate requires consideration of personal matters that would normally remain…personal. The timing must be right for the potential assignee as well as the company. Is the candidate’s marriage shaky? Is he or she responsible for aging parents or a sick family member? Are the children at a critical time in their schooling? If the answer to any of these questions is “yes”, then it behooves the candidate to remove himself or herself from the current selection process and wait for another opportunity when the timing is better.

Personality traits are also key in determining the fit of an international assignment candidate . There are many assessment tools available to determine if a candidate has the personal qualities that correlate with success in a different environment and culture. According to Grovewell, LLC, these qualities include:

• Positive self-image
• Interest in local culture
• Tolerance for ambiguity
• Flexibility
• Sociability
• Open-mindedness

If an assignee does not possess all or most of these traits, research shows that the likelihood of a failed assignment increases substantially.

A solid selection process requires self-reflection, honesty and self-awareness from the candidate. Realize, though, that the candidate is also placing a great deal of trust in you, the employer. He is counting on you to be completely up front on the nature of the role, the company’s culture in the host location (which might be quite different from the home company culture), the business environment in the host country, and the culture, political and safety/security issues in the new location.

A pre-decision trip to the potential host country for the candidate, spouse/partner, and in many cases, any other family members currently residing with the employee, is essential. This trip allows the employee and family to assess the lifestyle they would be assuming and gives the employee the chance to meet with the staff at the host location. Management in the host location can also share their impressions of the candidate with home country management.

Unfortunately, there is never a guarantee that a candidate chosen for an international assignment will be successful. There can be unforeseen circumstances that could cause an abrupt end and a return home for an expatriate. By establishing a thoughtful candidate assessment process, though, companies can reduce the chance of failed assignments and maximize the return on their investment. Many assessment tools are available, and your relocation management company can arrange for third-party candidate assessment services as well.

Want to know more about International Relocation Policy Best Practices?

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5 Small Things That Can Make or Break Global Assignment Success

This piece was originally posted on the InterNations Business Solutions blog . 

From an employee engagement and talent retention perspective, the majority of hiring executives — up to 97% — understand the immense value of relocation programs, but feel they need a better way to manage these programs (Wakefield, 2018) . With approximately 40% of all international assignments ending in failure (Right Management, 2012), we couldn’t agree more, especially given the forecast for a 50% growth in the number of international assignments by the year 2020 (PwC, 2019).

As an organization with 30 years of experience in supporting global relocation success strategies , we have come to learn those seemingly small things are actually rather big things when it comes to the success or failure of an employee moving abroad.

Although candidates generally request support through financial means — such as cash allowances and housing assistance (Wakefield, 2018), we urge hiring executives, relocation directors, and mobility professionals alike to pay closer attention and give greater assistance to expats in the following areas:

1. Family Support

Over the last ten years family has consistently shown to be the number one reason why international assignments fail or succeed (EY, 2018; CERC, 2017; BGRS, 2016). More specifically, EY lists a partner or spouse “not being happy” with relocation as the top reason for assignment failure. “Children issues” comes in as the fourth most common reason for failure (EY, 2018).

On the one hand, it appears that organizations are recognizing the importance of offering family support. Out of nearly 3,500 respondents, 90% said their companies offered relocation support to partners (EY, 2018). On the other hand, “relocation support” can be a very broad term.

According to EY, the most common form of “partner support benefits” is language training. While language training can be helpful, it does not address the collective stress of cultural adjustment that a family goes through when relocating abroad.

Tip for Success: Look at your service providers first to ensure you have vendors that offer family integration and support (for both spouses and children). Their cultural adjustment to the host country is just as important as the employee’s — if the family is OK, the assignee can better focus on their job. Also, make sure your providers can offer support in a manner that meets relocated families on their terms and schedule. Are they flexible in how they deliver their services? Families need time to be together during this stressful period. This is what will help foreign assignments succeed.

2. Assignment Selection

According to BGRS (2016), poor candidate selection is the second-most common reason why global assignments fail. Not coincidentally, BGRS also reports that approximately 80% of companies don’t formally assess the adaptability of international assignment candidates, and only 29% of companies use some type of self-assessment tool. For some assignments, a particular skill set or urgent business need is required, and for others, the move may be for high potential leadership development. Regardless of the reason, most clients don’t have a long time horizon to identify possible employees as candidates for a move. Even for those firms that do have time to field a pool of candidates, budgets often don’t allow for candidate assessment services in addition to pre-departure cultural training.

Furthermore, data shows that it is rare for a first-choice candidate to accept a relocation offer — and this trend is on the rise (BGRS, 2016). Tying into the need for greater family support, 32% of leaders said they had turned down a foreign assignment out of consideration for their families, and 28% said they did so to “protect their marriages” (HBR, 2014).

In order to access and select the very best candidates for relocation programs, time and planning is key. Companies need a process for employees to self-identify early on that they are interested in a global assignment, which can help expand the already identified pool of employees coming from the business line or talent development. With a broader pool to choose from, there is less stress on choosing a first-choice.

Tip for Success: Nearly three-quarters of companies don’t maintain a candidate pool for global assignments, and 33% don’t have a process for employees to designate themselves as willing to go on a foreign assignment (BGRS, 2016). During new hire orientation, build in a way for employees to “raise their hand” if they are interested in a global move — this can be via interviews or via self-selection tools. When key employees are identified for a move, companies should invest in a developmental candidate assessment process that can identify professional or personal issues that need to be resolved before an assignment begins. Companies that follow such a process will field and deploy many better-prepared employees for assignment, leading to higher success rates.

3. Cultural Understanding

Approximately 44% of companies offer cross-cultural training as a core policy benefit (KPMG, 2018) — which means the majority of organizations are not offering their assignees coaching or training to set them up for business success. As a result, it is no surprise the inability to “adapt to the host location” is the third most common reason for global assignment failure (BGRS, 2016).

Interestingly, “job expectations not met” is the fourth most common reason for assignment failure, according to BGRS. The ability to perform a job role or function successfully in a foreign location is directly connected to understanding and making adaptations for the culture (Aperian Global, 2016). Cultural competence and agility do lead to assignment success on multiple levels. Most companies do not see the value of work style adjustment when considering the ROI for “cultural training.” Many think such training covers basic protocol issues that are common for a tourist vacation.

A foreign assignee recently shared their surprise at the impact cultural work style training had on their global assignment: “I was amazed at how much I had not considered in working with colleagues who are of a different culture. I realized I can’t run meetings or give feedback to people the way I was used to in my home country. In fact, what worked great for me back home in terms of my work style, but will be counterproductive in working with my host country colleagues. I now know how to make simple adjustments to the way I go about my work — and I see it paying off.”

Tip for Success: Although the large majority of mobility heads are under pressure to reduce overall mobility costs, cross-cultural training is one thing that should not be cut from your core policy. Many assignments cost five times or more than the employee’s salary, so a failed assignment is very expensive. Limit that financial risk by providing helpful integration support, which with more options today than ever, is affordable. One-size-fits-all-policies will often lead to overspending for under-utilized and ineffective training. Find providers that can offer the widest range of flexible solutions to assignees on their schedule (pre-departure, post-arrival, virtual coaching, online self-guided, etc). These same providers should be able to offer you subscription-based pricing that ensures the training used is what is paid for.

4. Decreasing Stressors

Beyond an employee uprooting their life and family, there can be many other stressors that come into play during relocation. Expectations and goals are often not clear to foreign assignees, which can quickly mount to stress and confusion. According to KMPG (2018), 19% of companies do not have a process for setting assignment goals.

Twenty-five percent of assignees follow the host country goal-setting process, which could be a significant challenge and stressor for candidates if language and culture barriers have not been addressed through adequate training.

Tip for Success: Mobility department and talent development heads should ask this simple question: “If I were to agree to go on a global assignment, what would I expect? Career advancement, new skills that will serve me later, higher pay?” These and similar types of questions are always top of mind to a prospective assignee, so it is critical to document what the reasons for the move are (business need or professional development), while at the same time documenting the agreed-upon expectations by the employee and manager. Without that, there will be ambiguity and possibly resentment when the employee learns the expectations were not honored.

5. Adjustment within the Social Context

Interestingly, technology has not changed the international assignment failure rate (TLNT, 2017). One might suppose that with webcam video to connect with friends and family back home and social platforms to help expats meet up, that failure rates would have decreased. But the data would suggest that failure rates are a very human issue more related to the ability or inability to integrate and adjust to a new culture.

”Employers underestimate the need for social integration and the fact that it is part of their responsibility to make sure their expat employees manage to feel at home and welcome abroad,” Theresa Häfner, Head of Business Solutions at InterNations, recently said.

Tip for Success: Companies should leverage technology that can help foreign assignees connect and relate, while simultaneously encouraging cultural coaching that focuses on adapting to their new home. Settling in requires personal work, much of it centered around self-awareness of one’s style in relation to the host country. Once the strategies are presented on how to adapt and adjust to host country norms of business, then the networking and social acclimatization will only strengthen their ability to settle in and succeed while on assignment.

Whether it is these five issues or others, there is no simple way to ensure success every time for every assignee. Personal lives are as complex as the business — but these strategies can help.

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Managing the Entire Global Assignment Cycle: Establishing Best Practices

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Most people are so hardheaded that they need a real smack on the head before they are

willing or able to rearrange their mental maps of the world. Executives do not generally

receive in-depth international management training in master of business administration

(MBA) programs, in in-house executive education programs, or from their work

experience (Porter & McKibbin, 1988). Less than a quarter of the CEOs in America have

gone on an international assignment (Carpenter, Sanders, & Gregersen, 2001; Gregersen

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Best Practices for Selecting International Assignees (Part 1)

This is the first of two installments on the subject of assignee selection.

A recent question, “Please share ideas on best practices for hiring candidates for an immediate international assignment” triggers a few thoughts.

First and foremost, the organization must definitively establish that it is not possible to recruit local nationals in the location where the job is based. Hence sending a foreigner as an International Assignee is both necessary and can be sufficiently justified to obtain assignment country work and residency permits. If so, then…

Recruitment must focus first on the technical skills, experience and educational requirements for the position. Other than clearly noting the work location and anticipated duration of assignment in recruitment communications, do not begin with the fact that an international assignment is involved – that comes later during the process of screening candidates. Recruitment should be based on the best methods necessary for finding prospects with the required background and job capabilities. If the candidate is not technically qualified for the position, all else is moot.

Once technically qualified candidates who are willing to consider the assignment have been identified, then the additional factors driven by the fact that the job involves an international deployment must be addressed. It’s well known and documented that beyond technical qualifications and willingness to go, there are a number of additional factors that are critical to assignment success.

Proven practices include:

Use an assessment and selection team . Include line executives responsible for the function in which the position is situated, staff that have depth of knowledge of doing business and living in the country where the position is to be based, HR staff including internal Talent Management, HR business partners at home and host, and International HR. Potentially, outside consultants with depth of expertise in global assignments, assignee selection and country-specific expertise can add a lot of value. Manage the team so they can perform their respective roles well and are empowered to collaborate.

Seek candidates that have a demonstrable record of successfully completing similar international assignments. Put a strong preference on success in the target country, secondary preference in culturally similar countries, third preference for other locations. We should emphasize the concept of demonstrated SUCCESS. There are many former assignees that were not successful but can tell good stories about having been assigned abroad. If they didn’t succeed in the past, how can we be assured that they’d be successful given a “second chance”? Sometimes, individuals who did very well studying abroad, working in the Peace Corps, or other similar endeavors in the target country can be good prospects even if they didn’t work in roles similar to the assignment job. The key is finding individuals who understand cultural differences in a practical way and know how to get things done in the assignment location.

Put strong preference on those who are fluent in the assignment location language. Don’t give credence to the old saw, “Well, they all speak English in the office.”. The reality is that they speak the local language with one another and do so all the time outside the office. Your assignee will command much greater respect and be much more effective if he/she can communicate in the local language.

Use validated intercultural adaptability and intercultural competence assessment tools. Assessment tools can be quite valuable in helping “weed out” those who really aren’t suited for the assignment. We don’t recommend using such tools as a sole basis for  “go / no go” decisions but they do add a great deal to the discussion and to the prospective assignee’s decision process. They also provide excellent input for developing intercultural training programs for the selected assignees.

Be sure to utilize someone who is certified to use the tools and has demonstrated competence in administering them. Many instruments are available and they range from quite good and very useful to, well, just the opposite! One must conduct due diligence to be sure they’re using reliable instruments and a competent assessor.

Include the accompanying spouse/partner in the assessment process. Their ability to adapt and flourish in the assignment location is critical to the success of the assignment.

Consider the candidate’s post-repatriation career prospects. By definition, an international assignment is temporary.  Will the candidate play a role and have qualifications that could provide long-term contributions (aka, ROI) to the organization after the assignment? If so, they should be evaluated on the basis of how they can best be utilized by the broader organization after the assignment with those having greatest potential for long-term contributions given preference.

Include the candidate’s spouse/partner in the process. Even if the spouse/partner will not accompany the employee on the assignment he she plays a critical role in whether or not the assignment will be successful.  Without spouse/partner support, the assignment is doomed to failure. Assignments of all types put tremendous stress upon families. If their issues are not properly addressed, the assignment may well fail. It’s imperative to deal with family issues to the extent possible.

By applying the steps discussed above, and those we’ll discuss in our next post, organizations can optimize their selection of assignees that are likely to achieve the company’s objectives and maximize the return on the significant investment associated with international assignments.

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Career Development International

ISSN : 1362-0436

Article publication date: 1 April 2001

As organizations globalize their operations, there is a heightened need to identify and select qualified managers for overseas assignments. The increased complexity of these foreign assignments necessitates a recalibration of the traditional selection procedures and processes used in the past. In particular, there is some evidence that expatriation becomes strategic as organizations increasingly grow and compete globally. Therefore, the critical issues, which arise as expatriates’ assignments evolve into a global assignment scope, must be viewed in a systematic manner. This paper develops a unique theory‐based expatriation selection process based upon a systemic assessment of potential expatriate candidates’ multiple IQs, learning styles, thinking styles, and the nature of the expatriate assignment. In addition, a practical step‐by‐step managerial process is developed that can be used in the selection of expatriate managers for global assignments.

• Expatriates
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Harvey, M. and Novicevic, M.M. (2001), "Selecting expatriates for increasingly complex global assignments", Career Development International , Vol. 6 No. 2, pp. 69-87. https://doi.org/10.1108/13620430110383357

Copyright © 2001, MCB UP Limited

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Global Assignment

This article covers meaning, importance, steps & example of Global Assignment from HRM perspective.

What is Global Assignment?

Global assignments are business projects which are allotted to some employees outside the home country. Global assignments are employers assigning their employees on projects which are globally implemented. Global assignments are mostly taken place in multinational companies and may involve employees to relocate from their current country to a different country where the assignment is assigned.

Since globalization has taken place rapidly and the world has become more connected, it has become a very common phenomenon. Many countries face skill shortage or require an expert for a particular assignment so they would hire the person with the requisite skills or knowledge from other countries and pay the person a hefty compensation as demanded by the person.

Steps in Managing Global Assignment

Some steps in managing global assignments & international projects are:

1. Evaluating objectives of the international project

2. Identifying team members & giving pre-requisite training

3. Pre-departure preparation of activities & work to be done

4. On job activities on global assignment at international location

5. Project completion

6. Evaluation & reassignment if required

Importance of Global Assignment

Global assignments as identified by experts in international human resource management are of three types

1. Technical assignments: Employees may be assigned global assignments if they have the technical skills that are required by the MNC for a particular assignment and the MNC is not able to find anyone as capable as that person internally and in that particular country, if a person is located within the MNC in another country then that person is sent on a technical assignment.

2. Developmental assignments: Developmental assignments are typically used to develop a project or concept that is new to a different location or develop skills in a different location which is not implemented in that location, it is also used by institutes to bring in faculties from different parts of the globe to give the students an exposure to different perspectives and cultures and their thoughts on the scenario of the subject.

3. Strategic Assignments are global assignments in which a key partner is sent to launch a product in a key location, develop the market or get necessary changes in the business strategy or even sign Memorandum of Understandings and Joint Venture deals.

Advantages of Global Assignments

Some advantages of global assignments are

1. Skills and knowledge which are not available in a country can be brought from other countries.

2. MNC’s are able to get their projects done more effectively and not having the problem of talent not being available.

3. Employees may be motivated to join an MNC which assigns global assignments to its employees regularly.

Example of Global Assignment

Here is an example of global assignment for a hypothetical organization Company A. Company A could not find a person who could communicate in French, German and Hindi in their main headquarters in USA as they felt that there would be a gap in understanding if the language is translated to English, and then to either of these languages. So, since they did not find the any person who had proficiency in these three languages in their headquarters and started finding for a person with the language skills throughout all their office. Company A found a person in their international office in India with the knowledge in these three languages. So, they assigned her the project under a global assignment and she was asked to relocate to the main headquarters located in the United States for the duration of the project.

Hence, this concludes the definition of Global Assignment along with its overview.

This article has been researched & authored by the Business Concepts Team which comprises of MBA students, management professionals, and industry experts. It has been reviewed & published by the MBA Skool Team . The content on MBA Skool has been created for educational & academic purpose only.

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Global Assignments Enhance Employee Development

For the first time in years, building international management experience has appeared as one of the top two reasons for sending employees on international assignments, Brookfield Global Relocation Services (GRS) discovered, based on responses from global mobility professionals representing 143 companies worldwide. Brookfield GRS provides employee relocation, assignment management and mobility-consulting services for multinational organizations.

This finding is borne out in the experience of Joy Hill, global mobility manager at Brown-Forman, the spirits company that produces Jack Daniels and many other well-known brands. Developing high-potential employees and meeting business needs are the top two reasons employees at Brown-Forman are sent on international assignments, she said.

Brookfield’s 2015 Global Mobility Trends Survey report found that the need to move talent internationally is not diminishing (88 percent of respondents expect their expatriate population to either increase or stay the same this year) and that dealing with cost pressures, compliance mandates, measuring return on investment (ROI) and assignees’ spousal needs have become top priorities.

“All of the data suggests that talent will be in short supply in the next five to 10 years and that the mobility of the talent that is available will be important in order to address the talent shortage,” said Gill Aldred, director of consulting services at Brookfield GRS. “Mobility has a role by partnering with talent management in a formal way so that the identification and preparation of good candidates for international assignments is approached with more structure and is supported by the resources it needs to be effective.”

Seventy-seven percent of respondents believe that having international assignment experience has real value. Respondents reported that international assignees are promoted faster (43 percent), achieve higher performance ratings (19 percent) and receive more frequent compensation increases (17 percent) than those without such experience.

Hill found these metrics to ring true at Brown-Forman. “Given that most of our expats are high potentials, I would agree, but I believe it comes down to the organization’s objectives for the expat assignment,” she said. For example, those sent on assignment to fill an immediate business need may not necessarily be in line for a faster promotion or increased compensation, as that action can be viewed as a normal course of business, she added.

International assignments also represent value to the organization, Aldred said. “There are clear advantages to assignees, and by extension to the company, in completing a successful international assignment. Companies can target retention efforts towards those who have gained valuable international experience, which supports a company’s overall strategy to retain high-performing and highly invested-in employees.”

Organizations can also brand themselves as employers of choice for Millennials who actively seek international opportunities, Aldred said.

More Work to Do

While the value of international experience is recognized, only half (49 percent) of mobility practitioners indicated they have an active link to talent management in their organization, and a majority of respondents said they lack talent-based tools related to mobility, such as preassignment candidate assessments and repatriation programs.

More than three-quarters (78 percent) of respondents do not utilize any type of candidate assessment for selecting individuals to go on international assignments. “In terms of ensuring that the company’s high-stakes, high-investment assignments start off with the best possible chance for success, a candidate assessment makes sense,” Aldred said. “For a key strategic leadership role, an employee’s technical skills and experience may be paramount for success, but assessing the employee for the right mix of adaptability and global communication skills is also critical,” she added.

A large majority of respondents said that they have not identified a candidate pool of high-potential, ready, willing and able candidates for international assignments (81 percent); don’t have a formal career-management process in place for assignees (82 percent); and don’t have repatriation programs linked to retaining international assignees (86 percent). Nearly one-quarter (22 percent) reported having no initiatives at all in place to reduce international assignee attrition rates.

“Respondents that reported a formal reporting relationship between mobility and talent rather than only a strong link between the functions also reported a number of positive practices, including more often having formal career-management processes in place and better outcomes in the areas of reduced assignment failure and assignee attrition,” Aldred said.

Cost Pressures, ROI Challenges

When asked about the single biggest mobility challenge that their companies face, 23 percent of respondents cited assignment cost, 22 percent said compliance with host-country laws and 11 percent said career management while on assignment.

Three-quarters (74 percent) indicated that they had been required to reduce international assignment costs within the last year in response to economic pressures.

Even with the mounting pressure to reduce assignment costs, the survey results reveal that many companies lack basic cost-management practices. Only 62 percent of respondents indicated that they track costs during an assignment, and less than half (46 percent) said that a preassignment cost-benefit analysis is required.

Despite the high cost associated with international assignments, a staggering 95 percent of companies don’t measure international assignment ROI, according to the survey. The top reason cited for this oversight by 53 percent of respondents is that they are “not sure how to achieve this.”

The anxiety around calculating the ROI of international assignments has to do with inhibitors such as the lack of data collection and governance processes, Aldred said. Starting ROI evaluation requires strategy and data, and Aldred advised companies to remediate inadequate data collection, tracking and interpretation strategies, and amend governance so that defining, communicating and evaluating assignment objectives is a requirement.

“ROI for international assignments could represent a valuable scorecard metric for the mobility function and one that might be used to arrive at a more nuanced and strategy-friendly balance between the cost and the value of mobility,” she said.

Family Concerns Top Reason for Assignment Refusal, Early Return

Family concerns (38 percent) was the single most cited reason for assignment refusal and for early assignment return. It was also the third most commonly noted reason for assignment failure, after assignees leaving to work for another company and poor job performance. Spousal and partner career issues is another growing concern. Spousal career concerns came in as the second most noted reason for assignment refusal, and just over one-third (35 percent) of respondents indicated that spousal and partner career concerns were having an impact on their ability to attract employees for international assignments.

Emerging Markets in Challenging Locations

International assignments are growing in the same locations that respondents say are the most challenging for assignees and program managers.

The top emerging markets for international assignments—Brazil, China, India—also present the greatest problems, according to respondents, whether it’s immigration, cultural adaptation, and specifically, security in Brazil, environmental health concerns in China and government regulations in India.

Assignees moving to what may be considered a challenging location should be carefully selected and supported, Aldred said. Additional strategies she recommended include:

• Providing mandatory intercultural training.
• Carefully setting expectations for the quality of housing, availability of good schooling and the immigration process.
• Providing high-quality destination support through in-country support partners.
• Including spouses and partners in the preassignment training process.

Roy Maurer is an online editor/manager for SHRM. Follow him @SHRMRoy

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