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5 Tips for Managing Successful Overseas Assignments

  • Andy Molinsky
  • Melissa Hahn

managing global assignments

Stay in constant touch and have a plan for their return.

Sending talented employees overseas can be a promising way to leverage the benefits of a global economy. But expatriate assignments can be extremely expensive: up to three times the cost of a person’s typical annual salary, according to some statistics. And despite the investment, many organizations lack the know-how for optimizing the potential benefits, leaving them disappointed with the results. The unfortunate reality is that even companies providing well-crafted relocation packages (including the all-important cultural training) may not have the talent management mechanisms in place to truly leverage the valuable skills expatriate employees gain during their assignments.

  • Andy Molinsky is a professor of Organizational Behavior and International Management at Brandeis University and the author of Global Dexterity , Reach , and Forging Bonds in a Global Workforce . Connect with him on LinkedIn and download his free e-booklet of 7 myths about working effectively across cultures .
  • Melissa Hahn teaches intercultural communication at American University’s School of International Service. Her new book, Forging Bonds in a Global Workforce (McGraw Hill), helps global professionals build effective relationships across cultures.

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Global Assignment Best Practice

  • Anne Morris
  • 3 October 2019

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.

The 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, 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.

The importance of return 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.

Guidance for HR & employers

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

About DavidsonMorris

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 .

Led by Anne Morris, one of the UK’s preeminent immigration lawyers, and with rankings in The Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners , we’re a multi-disciplinary team helping organisations to meet their people objectives, while reducing legal risk and nurturing workforce relations.

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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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managing global assignments

Managing International Assignments: Compensation Approaches

A new international assignment landscape is challenging traditional compensation approaches

For many years, expatriate compensation has been focused on a dilemma: having assignees on expensive home-based expatriate package versus localization - which is about replacing expatriates with locals or at least transition expatriates from an expatriate package to a local salary. Many predicted that the traditional home-based balance sheet approach would gradually disappear. The predictions of the demise of the typical expatriate approach have been greatly exaggerated. We are witnessing the emergence of new compensation challenges instead, due to the complexity of having to manage multiple types of assignments and assignee categories.

The home-based approach still retains its utility for certain kinds of moves (e.g. business-critical assignments or moves to hardship locations). Local strategies are becoming more common but, due to the difficulty of applying them consistently in all transfer destinations, they are used only in some cases (moves between similar countries, developmental moves) and take multiple forms as “purely local” or local-plus approaches. Additional approaches like international compensation structures have emerged to address issues of global nomads.

The challenge for HR managers is, therefore, not so much to find the best approach applicable for all assignments as to deal with individual assignment complexity, envisage greater mobility policy segmentation and, if relevant for the company, map each compensation approach to a particular assignment in a consistent way.

The increasingly complex international assignment landscape: One size does not fit all anymore

Expatriates vs. Locals

One size fits all?

Let's localize assignees as soon as possible!

Expatriates

Rise of the third-country nationals

Need to add a cost efficient category for junior employees/developmental moves?

Traditional expatriates

Global nomads

Permanent transfers

Employee-initiated moves

Local or local plus?

Foreigners hired locally

Commuters (cross-border or regional

Multiple types of short-term/project/rotational assignments

Increasing number of home locations

Reviewing international assignment approaches in three steps:

Step 1: Understand the options available

Approaches linked to the host country (local or local-plus)

While these approaches sound logical and natural (when relocating assignees to a new country, they will be paid according to the local salary structure in that destination country) their practical implementation is often tricky. Few employees accept a salary decrease when moving to a low-paying country. It is often difficult to reintegrate assignees relocated to a high-paying country into their original salary structure due to their inflated base salary.

The host approach was historically not the most common for assignees on long-term assignments. However, we have witnessed a growing interest in recent years in host-based approaches – either a host approach or local-plus approach (host salary plus selected benefits or premiums) – as companies are trying to contain costs and as significant salary increases in many emerging markets make host strategies more attractive.

Approaches linked to the home country ("balance sheets")

Home-based approaches have been traditionally the most commonly used to compensate international assignees. Assignees on a home-based approach retain their home-country salary and receive a suite of allowances and premiums designed to cover the costs linked to expatriation. The equalization logic behind the balance sheet approach (no gain/no loss) encourages mobility by removing obstacles. Retaining the home-country salary facilitates repatriation. The balance sheet approach can, however, be costly. Many companies either look for alternatives or try to reduce the benefits and premiums included for less significant moves.

Other Solutions

Hybrid approaches attempt to combine the advantages of the home and host-based approaches. These often mean running a balance sheet calculation and comparing the results with the host market salary to determine what solution would make sense. A hybrid approach can work well for a small assignee population but it can generate inconsistencies when companies expand globally, and the assignee population grows significantly.

Finally, some companies rely on international compensation structures that do not use the host and the home structures at all. These might utilize the average salary in a selected group of high-paying countries where the companies operate. This approach facilitates mobility for global nomads and highly mobile employees. It is, however, often very expensive and doesn’t solve all assignment-related issues (e.g., currency issues, pension, taxation). It is typically used in specific industry sectors (e.g., energy and engineering) and for a few assignees (top level managers and global nomads.)

Step 2: Assessing assignment patterNs and business objectives

Assignment patterns

Are assignees moving between countries with similar salary levels, which would make the use of local or local plus easier or, on the contrary, are expatriates sent to host countries with different pay and benefits structures (low-paying to high-paying, or high-paying to low-paying country moves)? Are moves for a fixed duration – e.g., assignments lasting one to five years – or will the company rely on permanent transfers with no guarantee of repatriation?

Assignee Population

Are assignees coming mainly from the headquarter countries (typical for early stages of globalization) or is the number of third-country nationals already significant? A growing number of multinational companies report that the number of moves between emerging markets (“lateral moves”) is catching up with or exceeding the number from the headquarters, prompting a review of compensation approaches.

Are some assignees becoming true global nomads who move from country to country without returning home during their career? Employees, and especially the younger generations, are becoming much more mobile, but only a minority would be global nomads. These assignees are usually top-level managers, experts with unique skills, or globally mobile talent sourced from small or emerging countries where the absence of career opportunities perspective would preclude repatriation perspectives.

Company's philosophy and sector

Some industry sectors like services and finances relocate employees between major regional and financial hubs which facilitate the use of local approach, whereas energy and engineering companies transferred employees to hardship locations are a key feature of the business – and requires comprehensive expatriation packages often based on balance sheets and international salary structures.

Step 3: Assess segmentation needs

An increasing number of companies rely on expatriate policy segmentation to reconcile the cost control versus international expansion dilemma – how to have the same number of assignments or more without increasing the budget dedicated to international mobility. Segmentation means reallocating part of the budget to business critical assignees and limits the costs of non-essential moves.

Some of the commonly used assignment categories include strategic moves (business-critical), developmental moves (which benefit both the company and the employee), and self-requested move (requested by the employee but not essential to the business).

A consistent policy segmentation approach allows HR teams to present business cases or assignment options to management and provide a clearer understanding of the cost and business implications of relocation for different assignees.

It could also help manage exceptions into a well-defined framework based on a consistent talent management approach, as opposed to ad hoc deals.

Example of segmented compensation approach: the four-box model

Chart showing segmented compensation approach: the four-box model

Want to learn more about Expatriate Compensation Approaches?

Make sure to download our free guide to understanding compensation strategies

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10 Tips for Managing Successful International Assignments

20 Apr / 2021 | By TMA World

managing global assignments

International assignments can be one of the most rewarding and life-changing experiences in an individual’s career. Yet international assignments are expensive for the employer – and a surprisingly high number of them fail. There are various reasons for this, but culture shock, failure of the employee to perform in their new post and dissatisfaction with the assignment itself are cited as common causes. How can you best prepare employees for international assignments – and help them make the assignment a success? Here are some tips.

1. Make a business case for international assignments

Sending an employee to live and work overseas is expensive. Is there a case for doing this? Would a local hire be better, or is there absolutely nobody else for the job? If there is nobody locally, does the individual have the right skills and mindset? Are they open to living and working in different cultures? What benefit will their overseas experience bring to the company when they return?

2. Consider the individual’s position

Employers need to be sensitive to personal situations when considering sending someone overseas. Posting an LGBTQ individual to, say, a conservative Muslim country is not impossible, but requires serious consideration and extra support. The same applies to an employee’s partner and family; is there anything that might put them at risk in the new destination?

3. Manage expectations

Employees need to be prepared for the fact that life during international assignments will be different, and not necessarily glamorous and exotic. There will be cultural barriers to overcome, as well as homesickness and culture shock to deal with. Families and spouses need to be prepared for the changes. New relationships will need to be built in the workplace and a new structure fitted into. Going with realistic expectations is better than plunging into international assignments unprepared, and having it turn out to be a disappointment.

4. Prepare for cultural immersion

Embarking on a programme of cross-cultural training is invaluable before taking up international assignments; individuals learn to understand their own mindset and prejudices as well as what to expect in the new culture. There are less formal ways to prepare, too. Would-be assignees for international posts could should be encouraged to build up a picture of the new culture by reading literature, newspapers and blogs. They should listen to podcasts and even watch movies to put together the jigsaw of everyday life in the new place.

5. Arrange mentoring schemes

A cross-cultural mentor might be a colleague in the new office, or a co-worker who is in the destination, or has experience of it. Ideally, new expat workers should have a mentor in the new destination and one at home; it is very easy for expatriates to feel cut adrift from the familiarity of their old office and colleagues. Typical discussion points with a mentor might include management style, hierarchy, gender issues, meeting etiquette, negotiating and decision making. Essentially, though, a mentor should be a sounding board on whom the expat can rely when problems crop up.

6. Encourage a positive attitude

Even having a few simple memos and pointers can help newly landed expats through difficult times. Learning not to compare their old culture with the new one; remembering that the new culture is different but not necessarily wrong; understanding different approaches to time management; and starting out with the basic assumption that people in the new culture are friendly and welcoming, even if there are hiccups in communicating with them. This is all part of cross-cultural communication training.

7. Offer language training

Even if English is the international language of business, and even if English is the language of the workplace in the new country, a basic conversational command of the destination language will go a long way towards integrating into society and overcoming culture shock. This is important for trailing spouses, too; culture shock can be even worse for a spouse who has less structure to their day and lacks the confidence to build a life of their own.

8. Keep communication focused

Mentoring aside, a company should have a formal reporting scheme while the employee is abroad on assignment. Checking in regularly is the best way to stay appraised of how the assignment is progressing, what new ideas and useful information have been picked up, and dealing with any problems before they escalate. Companies should make the most of the assignee’s time abroad by encouraging them to share their experiences – by blogging, for example, or participating in video conferences.

9. Provide support for sufferers of culture shock

Culture shock is a serious condition; it can lead to depression, a sense of isolation and even illness. Almost everybody suffers from culture shock in some way. Most people get through it but some fail to adapt, feeling lonely, resenting the new culture, maintaining an illusion that everything back home is superior. Acknowledging culture shock and finding small ways to deal with it should all be part of preparation for life abroad, for example, working to establish a network of friends, both expats and people from the new culture; keeping busy; and making an effort as a family to explore the new culture; visiting markets, trying out restaurants and arranging enjoyable activities for weekends, like a trip to the beach. Craving the comforts of home is not wrong; it’s normal.

10. Remember that reintegrating is just as important

Many of these issues apply to the end of international assignments. A posting abroad can be a life-changing experience and it’s not uncommon for individuals to return home with new skills and ambitions to find that they are different – and that their old friends, colleagues and workplace have changed, too. Some of the positives of an overseas posting are increased confidence, a broader world view, better empathy and more creativity when it comes to problem solving. Employers need to harness these new qualities, not just expect the individual to slot back in. Preparation should be made several months before an assignee returns. What new skills do they have? How do they see themselves fitting in? What opportunities might be available for them? Fail to prepare and the chances are, they’ll take their new skills elsewhere.

Our blended learning solutions ensures your global travelers, international assignees and their families will be successful. Our learning process can be fully adapted to suit the needs of your organization. Our training is delivered across coaching sessions, instructor led training and online learning pathways.  Click here to read our brochure for more information . 

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Global Assignment Policies & Practices Survey Report

Insights on how global organizations administer their global mobility programs.

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For global mobility leaders of multinational organizations, benchmarking your global mobility policies and practices against those of other global organizations and industry peers can be a powerful tool for reflecting on your current approach and planning how to prepare your talent mobility program for the future. To help, KPMG International conducts this annual survey of global mobility policies and practices of multinational organizations. While the number of participants continues to grow, the resulting database is already believed to be one of the most robust of its kind on a global scale.

The data offers insights into global mobility programs and how they are evolving in terms of mobility, tax and immigration policies, structure, governance, priorities, performance measures, technology, robotics, automation, international remote working and more

Download the 2023 KPMG Global Assignment Policies and Practices Survey summary report and scroll down for more on this year's key findings.  

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2023 KPMG Global Assignment Policies and Practices Survey

A look into how global mobility programs are evolving based on the survey results from over 100 multinational organizations in jurisdictions worldwide.

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What do the latest results tell us?

The results of this year’s Global Assignment Policies and Practices (GAPP) Survey sheds light on how global mobility programs are continually evolving. In addition to compliance and global risk management, supporting the organization’s business objectives, controlling program costs and being adaptable to changing business requirements are clearly the top priorities for today’s global mobility leaders. The global talent mobility function’s contribution to strategic value for the organization has taken priority; being recognized as a trusted advisor and collaborator to the business.

Many organizations are recalibrating their approach to flexible work arrangements, leaning towards requiring employees to be more present in the office. This shift represents a response to several factors, including the desire for more direct collaboration, and the cultivation of company culture. Businesses, however, must recognize that top professionals now prioritize flexibility and work-life balance. To remain competitive, organizations will need to blend the advantages of in-person collaboration with a continued commitment to accommodating the diverse needs and preferences of their workforce, all while striving to attract and retain the best talent in this ever-evolving employment environment.

Recognizing the importance of attracting, retaining, and developing top talent as a competitive advantage, the global mobility function plays a pivotal role in making this vision a reality. This alignment helps ensure the right people are in the right place at the right time, with the skills and expertise to drive the organization forward. By harmonizing global mobility with talent initiatives, companies can leverage international experience, facilitate career growth, and support the evolving needs of their workforce, ultimately contributing to sustained success and an agile response to the ever-changing demands of the global marketplace.

Global mobility functions continue to place a strong emphasis on technology due to its transformative impact on the way organizations manage their global workforce. In terms of global mobility, technology serves as an enabler, allowing companies to optimize the deployment of their talent on a global scale. By leveraging technology, global mobility functions can not only improve efficiency and cost-effectiveness but also enhance the overall employee experience, making it an indispensable tool for organizations seeking to navigate the complexities of global talent management while remaining agile, competitive, and compliant in the dynamic global landscape.

There has been a notable increase in the incorporation of inclusive language and a heightened awareness of accessibility concerns within mobility policy development. As organizations strive for greater diversity and inclusivity, it has become essential to ensure mobility policies address the unique needs of all employees. This shift underscores a commitment to providing equitable opportunities for all, irrespective of individual circumstances or identities. Organizations are recognizing that mobility policies must be accessible, accommodating, and free from bias, thereby fostering a more inclusive work environment.

There continues to be an ongoing trend of short-term cross-border mobility by companies. Short-term assignments, often lasting weeks or a few months, provide companies with a flexible solution to address specific projects, knowledge transfers, or market exploration without the long-term commitment of traditional expatriate assignments. This trend aligns with the evolving preferences of a mobile and diverse workforce, and as companies continue to prioritize agility and adaptability, short-term cross-border mobility is likely to remain a prominent feature of talent management strategy.

Benchmark your organization today!

KPMG’s Global Mobility Services practice members can provide a personalized benchmarking report allowing you to compare your organization across key areas of interest. Participants find this useful in evaluating their organizational policies against a specific set of parameters. In addition to key organizational demographics and global mobility policy overview, the survey questions follow an overarching framework of the key phases of an international assignment and transfer life cycle with additional relevant topical categories covering immigration compliance, assignment management technology leverage, automation and robotics and program data and analytics insights.

If you would like to participate in the KPMG GAPP Survey and receive a personalized benchmarking report, please click here . To learn more about how KPMG’s Mobility Consulting Services can help you build an operating model that serves and delivers for your organization, please send an email to [email protected] .

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Understanding Global Assignment Costs

By LaQuita Morrison, GMS

Confidence in the U.S. economy is rising, and with it, the number of companies seeking to establish, strengthen or expand their global positions is increasing. Often, this involves expatriating talent to fill key positions in other countries. Some companies will also provide global assignment opportunities to expand their employees’ knowledge and skills.

Whether your company is well versed or new to managing global assignments, the cost of them can be daunting. However, when appropriately managed, global assignments can positively impact a company’s global business goals.

Sending an employee and a family of three on a three-year global assignment could cost in excess of USD $1 million. So, it’s not surprising that many global companies believe traditional overseas assignments are cost-prohibitive. Some companies have reduced, frozen or even eliminated their global assignment programs. However, to remain competitive, companies still need to place the best talent at the appropriate locations, and often that talent isn’t available without a global transfer. This is when the proper management and oversight of relocation costs becomes imperative.

Understanding the Costs

If you’re planning global assignments, there are ways to scale back costs without compromising operations or impacting employee productivity. Finding that balance between employee support and cost management to successfully oversee global assignments is a challenge, but it can be done. Below is a list of some of the expenses associated with a global assignment:

  • Candidate Assessment – Conducted by the company to determine if the employee is the right candidate for the global assignment.
  • Pre-Decision Assessment – Aligns the individual needs of the employee and the employee’s family with the business goals of the assignment.
  • Immigration – Obtaining the appropriate documentation for the assignment. The reason for the assignment will dictate the appropriate visa type.
  • Tax Implications – Determining the tax implications of the assignment and responsibilities of both the company and the employee.
  • Tax Assistance – Providing the employee with tax assistance, which could include consultation; preparation (for both home and host countries); filing (for both home and host countries); tax equalization.
  • Host Country Housing – Providing reasonable and customary rent and utility costs for the employee’s housing in the host country according to regional guidelines based on family size and location.
  • Cost-of-Living Allowance (COLA) – An allowance or differential paid to the employee for similar goods and services in the host location that they have in the home location based on family size and salary. Intended to cover costs to purchase host country goods and services over those from the home country.
  • Transportation – An allowance for a car for the duration of the assignment, the amount of which may vary by location and family size.
  • Hardship – An allowance paid in addition to salary and COLA for assignments in locations designated as a hardship for the employee based on factors that include potential violence, incidence of disease, medical care quality, geographic isolation and availability of goods and services.
  • Miscellaneous Expense Allowance – One-time payment made, separate from base salary, intended to cover expenses not expressly covered in the Letter of Understanding, like renter’s insurance, obtaining a new driver’s license, immunizations, taxis, etc.
  • Cultural/Language Training – Provided to the employee and the family to assist in understanding the host country culture and language.
  • Home Finding and Destination Services – Locating housing in the host country, as well as registering with local authorities and setting up accounts.
  • Departure Services – Home sale, property management, lease termination, etc.
  • Global Household Goods – Transporting (via land, air and/or sea) or storing household goods and personal effects.
  • Temporary Living – Fully furnished housing at the destination location.
  • Repatriation – Return of the employee to the home country following assignment completion.

To learn more about managing global assignment costs, download our free guide.

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5 Tips for Managing Successful Overseas Assignments

Sending talented employees overseas can be a promising way to leverage the benefits of a global economy..

5 July 2016

But expatriate assignments can be extremely expensive: up to three times the cost of a person’s typical annual salary, according to some statistics. And despite the investment, many organizations lack the know-how for optimizing the potential benefits, leaving them disappointed with the results. The unfortunate reality is that even companies providing well-crafted relocation packages (including the all-important cultural training) may not have the talent management mechanisms in place to truly leverage the valuable skills expatriate employees gain during their assignments.

We spoke with seven different executives and consultants with deep experience managing the expat process, asking what they’ve learned over the years about how to maximize the value of these critical assignments. We discovered five tips for increasing the return on investment of your overseas assignments.

Have a compelling purpose — and the right person.

Before you send anyone abroad, it’s critical to make a business case for the assignment, just like you would for any other important investment or decision. There should be a clear organizational need and a compelling reason that this need can’t be met through a local hire. Everyone we spoke with also emphasized the importance of selecting the right people, for the right reasons. This involves three things: choosing a person who is open-minded and committed enough to adapt to the local culture, thinking about the specific skills that this person will develop as a result of the assignment, and identifying how these new skills will ultimately benefit the organization.

In some companies, for example, international experience is a “If you can’t think of meaningful ways that the assignment will help both the person and the business move forward, you should probably rethink the assignment.”

requirement for moving into leadership positions. In others, there may be a particular need at an overseas office that only a person with a specific skill set can meet. If you can’t think of meaningful ways that the assignment will help both the person and the business move forward, you should probably rethink the assignment.

Assign top-notch home and host sponsors.

As assignees delve into their new roles overseas and companies plug the holes left behind by absent employees, it’s easy for companies to lose touch with people they send abroad. Just as with remote or virtual employees, expats find that keeping up with their email isn’t necessarily the same as having their finger on the pulse of the office, which can be a constant reminder of how different and faraway their former life really is. To prevent your worker from feeling adrift, provide sponsors to oversee the assignee’s experience on both ends — one at the home base and another at the destination. These individuals are the point people and mentors for ensuring the fit from the company perspective, the fit from the assignee’s perspective, and for comanaging the process throughout. In short, they are the people that the assignee can turn to whenever problems emerge.

The most successful sponsors are typically people who have been abroad themselves and are empathetic and understanding about the experience — not only with regard to what an assignment entails and what can be gained but also with how challenging it can be to go overseas and return. They should also have enough experience in the organization that they can help mentor the assignee on how to maneuver around potential obstacles and make the most of the assignment.

Stay in frequent contact throughout the assignment.

If there was one tip that everyone we spoke with agreed on, it was the critical importance of open, frequent communication throughout the assignment. While the assignee needs to be proactive in reaching out to his or her home sponsor, the home sponsor should keep soon-to-be-returning employees top of mind, identifying how the company can leverage what they are learning and how the employee can take the next steps in their own development at the company as a result of their overseas experience. This communication should follow a highly structured process. For example, one company we spoke with builds in monthly check-ins. The assignee can update the host, home sponsors, and other relevant stakeholders not only on how the assignment is proceeding but also on any important knowledge they have acquired that may be of immediate use to the organization, such as information about how a marketing campaign could be more effective in the assignment country.

Make a plan for reintegration.

Communication should also include a conversation six months before the end of the assignment to discuss the reintegration process. This is a time for the employee to outline the top skills, qualifications, and insights achieved during the assignment and express how he or she would like to incorporate them at the home office (or in some cases on the next assignment). In exchange, the sponsors should elaborate on how they envision the employee leveraging the experience, being frank about what kinds of opportunities might be in the pipeline. There may not be an ideal position for them back in the firm that leverages their talent and fits the needs of the company. But, according to our experts, that’s precisely the reason for the constant communication throughout and toward the end of the assignment. Anticipate these contingencies so that both the organization and the employee have realistic expectations and a plan moving forward.

Once next steps have been established, build in time when the employee comes home to reintegrate. They will still likely need transition time to relearn the old corporate culture and process their experience. This may be as little as a few days or even a week or more. While the timeline may vary, it’s critical to build in a structured transition process with a mixture of check-ins and downtime so reacclimation is a seamless reentry rather than a crash landing.

Develop ways to share knowledge from the assignee’s experience.

Finally, for companies to get the most out of expat assignments, the organization must be proactive in helping employees catalog and disseminate what they have learned. There are a number of ways to go about this. One organization we spoke to asks assignees to blog about their experiences — both during and after the assignment. These posts are shared via internal social media and commented on by others throughout the company. Others make use of metadata on employee profiles to highlight the skills acquired during the assignment; this not only enhances returning expats’ credibility but also enables anyone else in the organization to find them when searching for their specific expertise. Companies can also host special sessions or brown bag lunches on managing global work and intercultural communication, including returning expats alongside outside guest speakers and panel discussions.

However it’s done, the key is to find ways for people to share what they’ve experienced and learned so they can process the experience, reinforce the importance of these global assignments within the organization, and, most importantly, transfer the valuable knowledge they’ve acquired back into the company.

Andy Molinsky is a Professor of International Management and Organizational

Behavior at the Brandeis International Business School. He is the author of Global Dexterity (HBR Press, 2013) and the forthcoming book Reach: A New Strategy to Help You Step Outside Your Comfort Zone, Rise to the Challenge, and Build Confidence (Penguin, 2017). Follow Andy on twitter at @andymolinsky .

Melissa Hahn helps people navigate cultural differences in relocation, education, and family life. She is the author of the intercultural children’s book Luminarias Light the Way (2014). Follow her on Twitter @SonoranHanbok .

For additional information on cross-cultural management:

How to Manage the Cost of Expatriate Assignments: http://ww2.cfo.com/global-business/2015/06/manage-cost-expatriate-assignments/

Survey: Companies Fail to Train Managers for Overseas Assignments: https://www.shrm.org/hrdisciplines/global/articles/pages/fail-train-managers-overseas-assignments.aspx

Article published in the Harvard Business Review: https://hbr.org/2016/03/5-tips-for-managing-successful-overseas-assignments

Bristol Global Mobility: www.bristolglobal.com or [email protected]

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Global Assignment - Definition, Importance, Steps & Example

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

Global Assignment

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 . 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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Managing Global Assignment Risk for Expatriates

EXPATRIATES  |   May 13, 2021

During the past year, the uncertainty that came with the COVID-19 pandemic combined with travel bans caused many companies to put a hold on new expatriate assignments. However, the increased rate of vaccination, especially within the US, is now creating opportunities for companies to consider re-starting international assignments. At the same time, the combination of increased spending by governments to fight the pandemic along with reduced tax revenue due to pandemic-induced economic slowdowns, are creating an environment ripe for tightening regulatory compliance for cross-border assignments and business travelers.

The coming increase in global relocation in the face of increased scrutiny will result in heightened risk for those managing mobility programs. Below, we look at some of the key risk areas related to your expatriate employees and four steps companies should consider implementing to help manage the global assignment risk for their expatriate employees.

Key global assignment risks for expatriates

Given the importance of mobility to many companies’ growth and talent management, it is critical that key risk areas for both the company and employee are understood and managed.

Regulatory and compliance risk

Compliance risk due to increased regulations is on the rise. As an example, Canadian tax authorities continue to audit companies for adherence to withholding tax requirements for business travelers who may otherwise be exempt from income tax under a treaty. The authorities typically look back five years to assess withholding tax, with those companies potentially incurring significant costs relating to compliance and difficulties in filing individual income tax returns to receive refunds.

This example reflects the need to fully understand compliance and regulatory requirements for locations where employees travel on business. In this case, the withholding would have applied after even a single workday in Canada but could have been avoided if proper waivers had been received in advance. Cross-border business travel can result in work streams for many functions within a company, including HR, tax, payroll, legal, finance, and relocation departments.

Financial and budgetary risk

As illustrated above, failure to comply can lead to unexpected costs and potentially significant penalties and interest. Equally important, however, is the need to understand the costs of proposed expatriate assignments in advance. Through proper review, planning may be possible to lower costs, allowing business units to properly bid on new work and appropriately accrue assignment costs . Preparation of tax cost projections prior to the start of the expatriate assignment allows companies to book an accrual for the full estimated tax cost of the expatriate assignment. The accrual process helps to minimize surprise hits to the business unit’s bottom line.

Prosecution

The risk of prosecution is not just a scare tactic! For example, there have been numerous cases where individuals have been convicted of federal tax charges for failure to appropriately report bank accounts maintained outside the United States. In some countries, tax evasion can be considered a capital offense. Representatives of the company can be held accountable for failure to meet regulatory and reporting requirements, thus, understanding and meeting regulatory requirements is critical.

Legal and employment law

Failure to properly comply with immigration laws can lead to unexpected costs, project delays, legal challenges, or deportation for the employee. Failure to consider local employment law can also be costly, potentially opening the company up to lawsuits, delays in client deliverables, and unhappy employees. In a recent webinar we hosted, we examined the risks, strategies, and approaches employers can take to help alleviate some of the legal concerns.

Reputational risk

Companies that fail to understand and comply with local requirements risk being portrayed as bad corporate citizens in the local media. It won’t help the mobility department’s reputation if an expatriate ends up in the local news due to a failure to file individual income tax returns or have proper immigration clearance. This kind of negative publicity can be extremely damaging when entering new markets.

Employee satisfaction and retention

The global mobility program can be extremely important to many companies’ talent management and development strategies. While it is obvious that prosecution or negative publicity will lead to issues with employee satisfaction and retention, other more mundane factors, such as ineffective policies, lack of repatriation strategy, and poor communication can be just as damaging. Expatriate assignments are a significant investment for a company, making it even more important to retain and effectively deploy the employee within the organization when the assignment ends.

Permanent establishment

The interaction between the mobility program and the company’s corporate tax position is an area that is often overlooked. Expatriates working outside of their Home country can result in their Home country employer having a permanent establishment (PE) in the Host country. An employer with a PE may have additional corporate administration and tax costs. The PE may also prevent the company from utilizing an income tax treaty to shield business travelers from Host country taxation. It is important to note that factors such as employee duties and project duration can result in a deemed PE for a company.

Steps you can take to minimize global assignment risks for your expatriate employees

Although daunting, there are basic steps that can be taken to help companies manage risk for their mobility programs.

1. Communicate and coordinate

As reflected in the risk areas above, the mobility program can touch multiple departments within an organization. Given that decisions made by one functional group can impact the requirements for another group, it is critical that a coordinated, cross-functional process be established to share information.

To assist in this process, companies should consider a centralized database to aid in expatriate program management and day-to-day regulatory and compliance requirements. Processes should be set up to track and manage both international expatriate assignments and business travelers. Employee and business unit education can be very important to allow for upfront planning and ongoing compliance.

2. Consider the corporate tax position

The corporate tax position can impact the expatriate and the expatriate can impact the corporate tax position. For that reason, it is very important to have good communication between the tax and mobility departments . Some questions that may need consideration (especially for a new location):

  • Will a new entity be required to meet local legal, immigration, or tax requirements?
  • As noted above, does the Home employer already have a PE in the Host location or is there a danger that the employee will create a PE by their presence or duties?
  • Which entity should bear the costs for the employee’s remuneration and other costs?

3. Documentation is critical

Proper documentation can be very important in mitigating risk. For example, a properly executed secondment agreement between the Home and Host entity can assist in reducing PE risk by restricting expatriate employee activities in the Host location and identifying Home and Host entity responsibilities and limitations.

Other critical documentation to consider:

  • Forms to reduce or eliminate withholding requirements, as applicable
  • Expatriate assignment and tax equalization policies that are appropriate from legal, market, and company risk perspectives
  • Assignment letters that reflect the agreement between the company and expatriate
  • Certificates of coverage as applicable and obtained from the pertinent social security administration
  • Employment contracts, as required under local employment law and to support available planning

Consider a program risk review

A program risk review can be an effective way for companies to identify gaps and risks for high impact areas of the global mobility program. Companies can review their internal processes and ability to meet regulatory or other program requirements. Both process-focused (e.g., compensation accumulation, talent management, vendor management) and compliance focused (e.g., tax, immigration, equity) areas can be considered in a risk review.

In short, the current economic, regulatory, and legal environment has increased the scrutiny and diligence needed when managing global relocations and expatriate assignments. However, through communication, coordination, and documentation, your organization can manage their global assignment risk.

GTN’s Mobile Workforce Management solution helps clients track and manage the tax risks and compliance requirements related to their entire workforce, including expatriate assignees, global and domestic business travelers, remote workers, and work anywhere employees. Schedule a call  with our team to talk through your specific situation and ask any additional questions you may have.

Mobility tax specialists

Author: Mark Tirpak

mark-tirpak

Mark is Managing Director for GTN's South region. He has over 20 years of professional experience in advising multinational companies on global mobility related issues, including expatriate taxation, payroll, equity compensation planning, international assignment policy review, and program administration. Having been an expat himself enhanced his desire to assist and help simplify the process for assignees who are overseas. +1.713.244.5020 | [email protected]   

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Global assignments : successfully expatriating and repatriating international managers

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managing global assignments

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  • Part One: Strategic Global Assignments
  • 1. The Strategic Roles of Global Assignments
  • 2. The Process of Making Cross--Cultural Adjustments Part Two: Before the Assignment
  • 3. Selecting: Finding the Right People
  • 4. Training: Helping People Learn to Do the Right Things Part Three: During the Assignment
  • 5. Adjusting: Developing New Mental Road Maps and Behaviors
  • 6. Integrating: Balancing Dual Allegiances
  • 7. Appraising: Determining If People Are Doing the Right Things
  • 8. Rewarding: Recognizing People When They Do Things Right Part Four: After the Assignment
  • 9. Repatriating: Helping People Readjust and Perform
  • 10. Retaining: Utilizing the Experienced Global Manager
  • 11. Managing the Entire Global Assignment Cycle: Establishing Best Practices.
  • (source: Nielsen Book Data)

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Course info.

  • Prof. José Santos

Departments

  • Sloan School of Management

As Taught In

  • Globalization
  • Organizational Behavior

Learning Resource Types

Managing global integration, assignments.

Students will have the option of either composing two short reflection papers (maximum 6 pages double-spaced with 12-point font size, excluding exhibits), or one long reflection paper (maximum 12 pages double-spaced with 12-point font size, excluding exhibits).

Reflection Papers

Short reflection paper 1: (due by session 7).

This paper should address the following:

  • Formulate and explain the three main lessons that you learned from the study and discussion of the cases of Nissan, SAP, and Teva (either by case or overall).
  • Reflect and describe on how each of the three lessons learned, as referenced above, relate directly with your managerial experience and/or your company.

Please separate each lesson learned clearly in the text. You can use and refer to the group postings on the cases as well as the reading material, the slides, and notes for the class sessions so far.

Short Reflection Paper 2 (Due by Session 12)

  • Choose the three lessons or takeaways that you have learned in the second half of this course that you consider more important. Briefly explain each of them and also justify why you chose each of them. They can come from the content and case covered in each session or from the “open space” discussions at the beginning of the classes. The learning points you choose can be big or small. What matters is that these were new pieces of knowledge to you.
  • For each of the three learning points you chose, explain briefly how it would solve or help you solve a problem or exploit an opportunity that you have encountered already in your past experience or that you know you will encounter when you go back to your company. Please provide a short description of the problem or opportunity and situation. If need be, a short description of the company or unit can be an exhibit to the paper.

Long Reflection Paper (Due by Session 12)

Students may choose to propose their own subject/topic condition to approval by the instructor, or will compose a paper that addresses the following:

  • Choose six lessons or takeaways that you have learned in this course that you consider more important. Briefly explain each of them and also justify why you chose each of them. At least one takeaway should come from the “open space” discussions at the beginning of the classes. The learning points you choose can be big or small. What matters is that these were new pieces of knowledge to you.
  • For each of the six learning points you chose, explain briefly how it would solve or help you solve a problem or exploit an opportunity that you have encountered already in your past experience or that you know you will encounter when you go back to your company. Please provide a short description of the problem or opportunity and situation. If need be, a short description of the company or unit can be an exhibit to the paper.

Case Postings

Every student is required to post a small case report (one or two pages) on each of four of the case studies discussed during the course. Such reports may be posted individually or by groups of students or both. What matters is that in the end each student will have participated in four postings. These postings must be submitted 24 hours before the session in which the case is discussed in class.

The case reports should address one or more of the suggested study questions for each case, should start with an overall comment about the case, namely if the case was surprising or novel and why. Please be concise in the report; an outline format is permitted.

MIT Open Learning

IMAGES

  1. 10 Tips for Managing Successful International Assignments

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  2. PPT

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  3. PPT

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  4. 2021T1W10 handout.pdf

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VIDEO

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  2. My #1 global project management tip

  3. Assignment Overview Week 6

  4. Assignment Overview Week 5

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COMMENTS

  1. Managing International Assignments

    According to KPMG's 2021 Global Assignment Policies and Practices Survey, all responding multinational organizations offered long-term assignments (typically one to five years), 88 percent...

  2. 5 Tips for Managing Successful Overseas Assignments

    March 16, 2016 HBR STAFF Sending talented employees overseas can be a promising way to leverage the benefits of a global economy. But expatriate assignments can be extremely expensive: up to...

  3. How to Manage a Global Assignment

    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...

  4. Six Steps to Handle Global Talent Assignments

    1 Define the purpose Be the first to add your personal experience 2 Select the right candidate Be the first to add your personal experience 3 Prepare the employee Be the first to add your personal...

  5. Global Assignments Enhance Employee Development

    Global Assignments Enhance Employee Development July 30, 2015 | Roy Maurer Reuse Permissions  More companies are sending employees abroad to help them grow needed skills, recent research finds.

  6. Managing International Assignments & Compensation

    Step 1: Understand the options available Approaches linked to the host country (local or local-plus) While these approaches sound logical and natural (when relocating assignees to a new country, they will be paid according to the local salary structure in that destination country) their practical implementation is often tricky.

  7. Tips for Managing International Assignments Effectively

    How can you manage international assignments? Powered by AI and the LinkedIn community 1 Define the objectives Be the first to add your personal experience 2 Select the right candidate Be the...

  8. 10 Tips for Managing Successful International Assignments

    1. Make a business case for international assignments Sending an employee to live and work overseas is expensive. Is there a case for doing this? Would a local hire be better, or is there absolutely nobody else for the job? If there is nobody locally, does the individual have the right skills and mindset?

  9. Global Assignment Policies & Practices Survey Report

    Short-term assignments, often lasting weeks or a few months, provide companies with a flexible solution to address specific projects, knowledge transfers, or market exploration without the long-term commitment of traditional expatriate assignments.

  10. Understanding Global Assignment Costs

    Whether your company is well versed or new to managing global assignments, the cost of them can be daunting. However, when appropriately managed, global assignments can positively impact a company's global business goals. Sending an employee and a family of three on a three-year global assignment could cost in excess of USD $1 million.

  11. 5 Tips for Managing Successful Overseas Assignments

    Sending talented employees overseas can be a promising way to leverage the benefits of a global economy. Expatriate assignments can be extremely expensive: up to three times the cost of a person's typical annual salary. ... Companies can also host special sessions or brown bag lunches on managing global work and intercultural communication ...

  12. Managing Global Assignment Risk

    November 15, 2018 Today's global challenges have raised the stakes for both companies and countries. While companies are increasing global relocations, attempting to balance both cost control and growth, countries are responding in kind by tightening regulatory compliance for cross-border assignments and business travelers.

  13. 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.

  14. Managing Global Assignment Risk for Expatriates

    Steps you can take to minimize global assignment risks for your expatriate employees. Although daunting, there are basic steps that can be taken to help companies manage risk for their mobility programs. 1. Communicate and coordinate. As reflected in the risk areas above, the mobility program can touch multiple departments within an ...

  15. Managing global assignments

    Discover Management across Cultures, 3rd Edition, Richard M. Steers on Higher Education from Cambridge. Skip to main content Accessibility help. Internet Explorer 11 is being discontinued by Microsoft in August 2021. If you have difficulties viewing the site on Internet Explorer 11 we recommend using a different browser such as Microsoft Edge ...

  16. Global assignments : successfully expatriating and repatriating

    1. The Strategic Roles of Global Assignments 2. The Process of Making Cross--Cultural Adjustments Part Two: Before the Assignment 3. Selecting: Finding the Right People 4. Training: Helping People Learn to Do the Right Things Part Three: During the Assignment

  17. Managing Global Assignments Flashcards

    Third stage of the global assignment process in which the assignee should have the practical knowledge and day-to-day survival skills they will need during the first months in teh host country. This includes visas/work permits, taxation considerations, security briefings, and cross-cultural counseling.

  18. PDF Managing Multiple Employment in SAP SuccessFactors

    Under Person, Employment and Worker Type, enable Global Assignment Management. 3. Save your changes. Results Global assignments are available in the system. Managing Multiple Employment in SAP SuccessFactors Configuration Settings for Global Assignments and Concurrent Employment PUBLIC 7.

  19. Assignments

    Managing Global Integration. Menu. More Info Syllabus Calendar Readings Lecture Notes Assignments Assignments. Students will have the option of either composing two short reflection papers (maximum 6 pages double-spaced with 12-point font size, excluding exhibits), or one long reflection paper (maximum 12 pages double-spaced with 12-point font ...

  20. Global Assignments Overview

    Managing Global Assignments Global Assignments Overview Optional: Creating the Legal Entity for Host Assignments Adding a Global Assignment Qualtrics Email Feedback for Add Global Assignment Importing Global Assignments Ending a Global Assignment Setting a Global Assignment to Obsolete Optional: Adding a Host Country Address

  21. Configuring Global Assignment Settings

    Home SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central Implementing and Managing the Employment Lifecycle (from Hiring to Termination) Configuring Employee Central for Various Types of Employment Configuring Global Assignments Configuring Global Assignment Settings Implementing and Managing the Employment Lifecycle (from Hiring to Termination) 2H 2023

  22. Managing global assignments Flashcards

    An employee who is being reassigned to an international jurisdiction. Spend their entire careers in international assignments, moving from one locale to another. Local Hires. Hired locally in subsidiary countries (and are also known as HCs, host-country nationals) Short-term assignees.

  23. Managing Global Assignments Quiz Flashcards

    Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like An employee has been selected for an international assignment. This first time assignment is expected to last 2 to 3 yrs & involves full relocation. Why is well crated global letter of assignment a key part of the plan?, During which stage of the global assignment process should criteria for the ideal expatriate candidate be ...